TO TOP

Zeynep Arslan

Curriculum Vitae
  • Since October 2018
    Ruhr-University Bochum
    Department of History, PhD Programme
    (Funded by the DAAD)

    May 2023 to June 2023
    Archives as Data: An Institute on Advanced Topics in Digital Humanities for Archivists and Historians.
    Columbia University, New York, United States

    Archival Studies Funded by Various Institutions
    April 2022
    Archivio Apostolico Vaticano (Vatican Apostolic Archives), Vatican City
    July 2021 to September 2021
    Archivio di Stato di Venezia (Venetian State Archives), Venice, Italy
    August 2019 to October 2019
    Österreichisches Staatsarchiv (Austrian State Archive), Vienna, Austria
    March 2019 to April 2019
    Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi (Ottoman Prime Minister’s Archives), Istanbul, Turkey
  • 2016 to 2018
    İstanbul Şehir Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
    Department of History, PhD Programme (Full Scholarship)
  • 2016 to 2018
    Doctoral Research Fellow at the ERC project: UrbanOccupationsOETR
    Institute of Social Sciences, Koç Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
  • 2016 to 2018
    Teaching Assistant
    Department of History, İstanbul Şehir Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
  • June 2017 to September 2017
    Erasmus+ Student Mobility for Traineeship
    Archivio di Stato di Trieste (Trieste State Archives), Trieste, Italy
  • 2013 to 2016
    M.A. İstanbul Bilgi Universitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
    Institute of Social Sciences
    M.A. Programme History (Thesis title: 18th Century Relations Between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Dubrovnik: 18th Century Dubrovnik and the Contemporary Surrounding World, supervised by Suraiya Faroqhi)
    (Full Scholarship)
  • September 2014 to January 2015
    Erasmus+ Student Mobility for Studies
    Università degli Studi di Firenze: UniFI, Studi Umanistici e della Formazione, Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia, Geografia, Arte e Spettacolo, Florence, Italy
  • 2009 bis 2013
    B.A. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
    Faculty of Arts and Sciences
    Department of History (Thesis title: Changing Life in Florence through the 12th and the 13th Centuries and Emergence of the Medici, supervised by Mustafa Soykut)
  • 2008 bis 2009
    Middle East Technical University Ankara, Turkey
    Department of Basic English
Research Project
Crossing Borders and Bridging Differences: An Ottoman Mobility Narrative of Late Eighteenth-Early Nineteenth Century Habsburg-Ottoman Contacts

Scholarly works pertaining to interactions between the Ottoman Empire and its European counterparts have predominantly concentrated on the pre-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This is primarily attributed to the widely held view among historians that the Ottoman Empire's political, military, and commercial relationships with Europe were most significant during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Moreover, the sources produced in subsequent centuries have focused on a limited number of cities and mainly explored the relations among non-Muslim communities, such as Orthodox merchants. Such diaspora-centric studies have tended to adopt a nationalist or religious framework for historical analysis, prioritizing communal bonds while overlooking the interdependence and interactions among different communities.
By examining the movements of individuals and the resulting processes, structures, and consequences, the concept of mobility provides a valuable framework for analyzing potential interactions and interdependencies. The primary focus of this investigation is, therefore, to examine the mobility patterns of Ottoman subjects who either dwelled or traveled to and from Habsburg lands during the years 1823, 1824, and 1825. To accomplish this task, three voluminous archival registers, which were produced by Habsburg authorities during the designated period, are subject to detailed analysis. However, it is important to note that the temporal scope of the registers is not limited to the three years during which they were created. In fact, some of the information recorded in the registers can date back up to fifty years prior to the registration date. The registers contain information such as name, age, religion, and/or nationality, as well as family member details if applicable, the location of registration, descriptions of physical characteristics and clothing, date and place of birth, occupation, and relevant passport details including issuance reason, date, location, and authority. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the registers may include not only factual information, but also subjective opinions or statements from the registrar regarding the individuals or groups being registered. Furthermore, the registers also documented the intentions of the individuals present regarding their stay in the destination. The ultimate goal is thereby to offer a more comprehensive understanding of socio-economic and political phenomena during the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries that facilitated interaction between individuals from diverse societies, with a focus on all Ottoman subjects, irrespective of their ethnic or religious background.

Contact

Zeynep Arslan

Ruhr-University Bochum
ZMS
Am Bergbaumuseum 31
D-44791 Bochum

E-Mail