Rüstem Duyuran

Rüstem Duyuran (October 19, 1914 – December 18, 1992) was a Turkish archeologist, museum director, and educator. 
After his extensive education in Germany, he spent nearly four decades leading and contributing to archeological excavations, research, and publications in Western Anatolia. The excavations he oversaw included those at Palace of Justice and Hippodrome of Constantinople in Sultanahmet Square, the Dardanos Tumulus in Çanakkale, and the Agora in İzmir.
Duyuran authored several archeological guides, most notably on the ancient cities of Ephesus and Priene, and monographs on the ancient cities of Western Anatolia.
Biography
Rüstem Duyuran was born on October 19th, 1914, in the metropolis of Thessaloniki (current day Greece) of the Ottoman Empire. His ancestors were landowners for many generations in the Doyran region (in today's North Macedonia).
His family moved to Istanbul in the fall of 1924 as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. He was enrolled in an elite private elementary and middle school, Şemsülmekâtip (Okullar Güneşi) where he learned French. For high school, he attended Kabataş Boys HiKabataş Erkek Lisesi, one of the most reputable schools of the newly formed Republic of Turkey. Rüstem graduated in 1932 and was accepted into the School of Political Sciences. He had also entered an examination to study abroad and won a state scholarship to study history in France. However, the Turkish authorities under the auspices of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk decided that a handful of the scholarship recipients, including Rüstem, were to be sent specifically to Germany to study archeology and history. This group of elite students included the following future prominent archeologists: Ekrem Akurgal, Afif Erzen, and Sedat Alp.
Because his second language was French, he spent the 1932-1933 academic year learning German in Berlin. Then, in 1933 he enrolled in Berlin University to study archeology and history while simultaneously learning Latin at a local high school. In 1934, he joined the University of Bonn and gained fluency in ancient Greek. After his language certifications for proficiency in classical and modern High German, Latin, and ancient Greek, Rüstem devoted himself fully to the study of archeology at Munich University. Alongside archeology he minored in history and art history. During his student years, he had the opportunity to visit many of the prominent museums and art galleries in Germany, as well as in Vienna, Paris, London, Rome, and Brussels.
Due to the start of World War II in September 1939, Rüstem Duyuran was forced to return to Turkey before being able to complete his final examinations. He completed his unfinished examinations at Ankara University and was subsequently appointed to an academic position at that institution. In June of 1940 he was assigned as the curator of the Edirne Museum. In August of 1940 he entered the mandatory military service, which was normally 14 months but due to war conditions, lasted 2.5 years. In 1943, he was finally discharged from military service and appointed to Gazi University as an academician. Rüstem Duyuran soon realized that Turkey's greatest need was to modernize its museums. Therefore, he dedicated the next 22 years of his professional career to the management of various archeological museums.
In 1943 he was appointed as the assistant director of the Hagia Sophia Museum. From 1943 to 1946 he served as the director of the Izmir Archeological Museum. During his tenure, he also supervised and reported on many archeological sites in Western Asia Minor. He cited these experiences as the foundation for his future books and publications. 
In December 1946, he was assigned as the assistant director to the Istanbul Archeology Museums and he served in this role until 1954. During this period, he conducted various archeological excavations including the 1950-1951 Hippodrome of Constantinople.
He also published several works including Ada Tepe Again (Sancaklı Kalesi), Izmitte Yeni Cikarilan Arkeolojik Eserler (1947), Guide to Priene (1948), Efesos Kılavuzu (1950), Archaeological Map of Western Anatolia (1952), First Report on the Excavations on the Site of the New Palace of Justice at Istanbul, Second Report on the Excavations on the Site of the New Palace of Justice at Istanbul, 1952 Yılında Arkeolojik Çalışmalar/Les Travaux Archéologiques de 1952 (1953), and The Ancient Cities of Western Anatolia (1954). 
From 1954 until 1961 he served as the director of the Istanbul Archeology Museums (after Osman Hamdi, Halil Ethem, and Aziz Ogan.) 
Rüstem Duyuran represented the Republic of Turkey at several international conferences and conventions. He attended as Group Chief in "The Role of Museums in Education,” an UNESCO international seminar in Athens in 1954; as a subject matter expert and representative of the Turkish Ministry of Education at the invitation of the Italian government and UNESCO to prepare the “Draft Recommendation on International Principles Applicable to Archaeological Excavations” in Palermo in 1956; and as the lead delegate and curator of the Turkish government's museum pieces displayed at the 1958 Brussels World Fair.
He was promoted to General Director of Museums and Antiquities of Turkey (currently known as The Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye) and served in that capacity from 1961 to 1963. At the invitation of the U.S. government in 1963, he toured various historical sites and museums of the major cities of the United States of America (including New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago), representing the Turkish government.
He re-entered academia in 1963 as a history professor at Çapa Eğitim Enstitüsü (currently Marmara University) where he spearheaded the formation of the Art History department and taught until 1978. During the summer months, he continued to personally supervise archeological excavations in Western Anatolia including the one at Akhisar Tepe Mezarlığı between 1968 and 1974.
In 1950, he married Dürrüşehvar Babalık, daughter of Yusuf Mazhar Babalık, a famous journalist and newspaper owner from Konya whose printing press (Babalık Matbaası) played a critical role in disseminating information during the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923). The couple had their eldest daughter, Efes, in 1952, and fraternal twins, Ahmet Mazhar, and Selçuk in 1961.
Rüstem Duyuran died in his home in Istanbul on December 18, 1992.
Awards
Honorary Fellow, Society of Antiquaries of London 
Fellow, The German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
Member, Ankara University Faculty of Language, History and Geography (DTCF) 
Honorary Member, Turkish Touring and Auto Club (Türkiye Turing ve Otomobil Kurumu (TTOK))
Commander of The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito Della Repubblica Italiana), 1957
Commander of The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Comendador de la Real Orden de Isabel la Católica), 1957
Category:1914 births
Category:1992 deaths
Category:Turkish archaeologists
Category:Turkish people
Category:Museum directors
Category:Educators