Written by Abigail Schoenfeld (2024)

INtroduction

Founded in 1931, the Turkish Historical Society is the branch of the Turkish government charged with historical study. Its building houses both a library and an archive, which are separate institutions but can both be useful to those studying official state historiography, particularly in the early Republican period. The library also has a large collection of books about Turkish and world history in numerous languages.

The Turkish Historical Society is open from 9am to 5:30pm. Book requests are closed between 12:30 and 1:30pm, though the reading room remains open.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

The TTK building is located on a side street off of Atatürk Bulvari between the Kizilay and Istiklal areas of Ankara. It is a 7 min. walk from the Sihhiye Metro Station and accessible by a vast number of bus lines at the Sihhiye and Adliye Stops.

GETTING IN

The entrance to the archive and library is around the corner from the building's main entrance. Follow signs for staff entrance. You will then go through a security checkpoint and register with the security desk to get in, for which you need your passport. The library is on the same floor on which you entered, and the archive is upstairs.

Finding your material

The digital catalogs for both the library and archive of the TTK are very easily navigable and accessible without a log-in. Both the library and archive have also digitized a significant amount of their materials in the last two years, and the library's digitized materials are available without a log-in. Digitized archival materials, however, do require an account. In order to create an account, you need a Turkish phone number and ID number (kimlik numarasi). If you are not a Turkish citizen, you can still access the archive's materials in person at the TTK building.

Ordering your material

For the library, you can fill out a paper request form for your books and they will be ready in 10-20 min. For the archive, a staff member will direct you to the material.

Ordering scans

At the library, you can scan using your phone. At the archive, you can note which documents you'd like by document title and yer numarasi. If you bring a flash drive, they can load them onto it for you for a small fee, payable in cash in a separate office.

Food and well-being

While the reading room has decent circulation, the building is not air conditioned in summers, so plan accordingly. The immediate vicinity of the TTK is filled with government offices, Ankara University buildings, and hospitals, so there aren't a lot of convenient dining options other than street kiosks for drinks and packaged snacks.

Additional remarks

There is public wifi, though it can be spotty, and bathrooms are available on the basement floor (two floors down from the library).