I am a historian of the late Ottoman Empire, focusing specifically on the entangled intellectual histories of the nineteenth century that extend beyond the so-called Ottoman center and encompass the wider Ottoman territories and global Islamic networks. I was educated at Bilkent and Sabancı Universities in Turkey and at the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK. I received my PhD from Simon Fraser University’s Department of History in March 2026, and since June of the same year, I have been a professor of history at the University of Guelph.
I used to live in Burnaby, British Columbia, where I did my best to take advantage of the opportunities this remarkable geography offered, including hiking, camping, cycling, boating, and off-roading. I am now based in Guelph and exploring yet another great part of Canada.
I am also a coffee enthusiast—not a caffeine addict (I can function without my first sip in the morning)—but I enjoy trying different coffee beans and brewing techniques. I have a humble collection of coffee equipment. Some of it is with me here in Guelph, while the rest is, willy-nilly, stashed away in my hometown of Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, alongside my mother’s coffee cups and dishes that she brought with her as part of her dowry.
