Winners > Prof. Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay // 2017
A. Zeynep Ahunbay (b. June 6, 1946, Unye) graduated from the ITU Faculty of Architecture (1970) as an architect - engineer with a master's degree. She started to work as a research assistant at the ITU School of Architecture, Department of Architectural History and Restoration (1971). She did her post-doctoral study on architectural conservation at the University of York's (UK) Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies (1977-78). In November 1980, she became an Associate Professor with her study on "Ottoman Madrasas in Istanbul and their Conservation Problems". Professor Ahunbay retired from the university in 2013.
Professor Ahunbay has carried out numerous studies and applications for the conservation of several monuments and sites in Istanbul and Ankara. These include among others: Documentation and rescue of the Temple of Apollo ruins in Side where Professor Jale Inan carried out excavation works (1977-1991); Cultural Inventory of Istanbul's Land Walls and their Environs; Restoration of the section between T1 and T5 towers of the Land Walls in Yedikule; Restoration of Hagia Sofia's Southwestern Corner; and Zeyrek Mosque roof and façade restorations.
A member of the TMMOB Chamber of Architects, ICOMOS Turkey and Europa Nostra, Professor Ahunbay also serves on the science boards of Hagia Sofia, and Diyarbakır Grand Mosque.