14.03.2026 16:51
Details regarding the funeral ceremony following the passing of İlber Ortaylı, one of Turkey's leading historians, have been clarified. The funeral will take place on Monday, March 16, 2026. Ortaylı will first be honored with a memorial service at Galatasaray University, and after the funeral prayer to be held at Fatih Mosque, he will be laid to rest in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery. This historic site where Ortaylı will be buried also houses the tomb of Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
Details regarding the funeral ceremony of İlber Ortaylı, one of Turkey's leading historians, academics, and authors, have been clarified following his passing.
According to a statement made by his family, the funeral ceremony for Ortaylı, who is one of Turkey's important historians, will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026.
MEMORIAL CEREMONY AT GALATASARAY UNIVERSITY
A memorial ceremony for Ortaylı will first take place at Galatasaray University at 11:00 AM. Academics, students, and admirers will commemorate the master historian here for the last time.
HE WILL BE FAREWELLED AT FATIH MOSQUE
After the memorial ceremony, Ortaylı's funeral will be brought to Fatih Mosque. A funeral prayer will be held for the esteemed historian following the afternoon prayer. After the funeral prayer, İlber Ortaylı's body will be laid to rest in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery.
HE WILL BE BURIED IN THE SAME CEMETERY AS FATIH SULTAN MEHMET
The master historian will be buried in the historical area of Fatih Mosque Cemetery, where the tomb of Fatih Sultan Mehmet is located. In the Fatih Mosque Cemetery, where Ortaylı will be buried, the graves of Gülbahar Hatun, the wife of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, Gazi Osman Pasha, Halil İnalcık, and Kadir Topbaş are also found.
HE WANTED TO BE BURIED IN GALLIPOLI
In a previous interview, Ortaylı had responded to the question, "Do you have a will regarding your grave?" by saying, "It would probably be Gallipoli. I don't want to be here. I don't like crowds."
HE PASSED AWAY AFTER BEING IN INTENSIVE CARE
Due to health issues, historian and author Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, who had been receiving treatment in intensive care at a private hospital for some time, passed away at the age of 79 after his condition worsened and he was intubated.
In a statement titled "We have lost İlber Ortaylı," his family expressed the following:
"We lost our elder İlber Ortaylı on March 13, 2026. Despite long-lasting and increasingly complex health issues, his curiosity about life and desire to be with people never diminished, and he lived as he knew for as long as he could. His readers, students, and admirers surrounded him with a love and respect that no academic could ever receive. We express our deep gratitude in his name.
ERDOĞAN'S CONDOLENCE MESSAGE: I FELT DEEP SORROW
Following the news of his passing, which caused great sorrow in the education community, President Erdoğan also shared a condolence message for Ortaylı. In his message, Erdoğan stated, "I felt deep sorrow at the passing of our esteemed Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, who earned the respect of our nation with his intellectual personality, knowledge and experience, books, research, and academic work, and who was the recipient of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award. I pray for God's mercy upon Mr. İlber Ortaylı; I extend my condolences to his grieving family, students, friends, all his admirers, and our academic community. May God grant him a place in paradise."