Afet İnan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prof. Dr.
Afet İnan
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| Born |
Ayşe Afet
30 October 1908 Selanik, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
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| Died | 8 June 1985 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Education | History, sociology |
| Alma mater | University of Geneva, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Organization | University of Ankara |
| Known for | Adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk |
| Spouse(s) | Rıfat İnan |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | İsmail Hakkı Uzmay (father) Şehzane (mother) |
Ayşe Afet İnan (born October 30, 1908 – died June 8, 1985) was an important Turkish historian and sociologist. She was one of the eight daughters adopted by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. Afet İnan was known for her studies in physical anthropology. She measured many ancient skulls in Anatolia. This work helped support the Turkish History Thesis, which was an idea about the history of the Turkish people.
Early Life and Education
Afet İnan was born in 1908 in a place called Kesendire. This area is now part of Kassandra, Greece. Her parents were İsmail Hakkı Uzmay and Şehzane Hanım.
Because of the Balkan Wars, her family moved to Adapazarı in Turkey. She started primary school there on March 4, 1913. Her family moved several times, living in Ankara, Mihalıççık, Karaoğlan, and Biga.
Sadly, her mother, Şehzane, passed away from tuberculosis in 1915. After her father remarried, Ayşe Afet decided to become a teacher. She wanted to earn her own living. In 1920, she finished her six years of primary education.
In 1921, her family settled in Alanya. The next year, in 1922, she earned a teaching qualification in Elmalı. She was then assigned as the headteacher at Elmalı Girls' School.
Meeting Atatürk and Further Studies
Afet İnan graduated from the Bursa Teachers College for Girls in 1925. She then started working as a primary school teacher in Izmir. In October of the same year, she met Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during his visit to Izmir.
Atatürk sent Afet to Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1925 to learn French. She returned to Turkey in 1927. She then attended the French Lycée Notre Dame de Sion Istanbul high school. After finishing there, she became a secondary school history teacher.
In 1935, Afet İnan went back to Switzerland. She studied at the University of Geneva from 1936 to 1938. Her teacher there was Eugène Pittard. In 1939, she earned her PhD in sociology. Later, in 1950, she became a professor at the University of Ankara.
Contributions and Legacy
Afet İnan was a co-founder and a very important member of the Turkish Historical Society. This organization studies and promotes Turkish history.
She passed away on June 8, 1985, in Ankara. She left behind her daughter, Arı, and her son, Demir.
Today, the "Afet İnan Historical Studies Award" is given every two years. The Turkish History Foundation gives this award in cooperation with İnan's family. It honors her contributions to historical studies.
