Muazzez İlmiye Çığ facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ
|
|
|---|---|
Çığ in 2010
|
|
| Born |
Muazzez İlmiye İtil
20 June 1914 |
| Died | 17 November 2024 (aged 110 years, 150 days) Mersin, Turkey
|
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | Ankara University |
| Occupation | Archaeologist, sumerologist, assyriologist, writer |
| Spouse(s) | M. Kemal Çığ |
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ (born June 20, 1914 – died November 17, 2024) was a very important Turkish scientist. She was an archaeologist and a sumerologist. This means she studied ancient civilizations like the Hittites and Sumer. She was also a writer. Çığ was known for her long life, living to be 110 years old!
She became well-known around the world in 2006. This was because of a book she wrote. In her book, she suggested that the headscarf worn by some women did not start in the Muslim world. Instead, she believed it was worn by Sumerian priestesses thousands of years ago. This idea caused a lot of discussion.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ was born in Bursa, a city in Turkey. This was just before World War I began in 1914. Her parents were Crimean Tatars. Their families had moved to Turkey from Crimea.
When she was five years old, her family moved to Çorum. This was for safety during a difficult time. She finished her primary school studies there. Later, she went back to Bursa. In 1931, when she was 17, she graduated from a school that trained elementary teachers.
Becoming a Scholar
After teaching children for almost five years, Çığ decided to study more. In 1936, she started learning at Ankara University. She joined the Department of Hittitology. This field focuses on the ancient Hittite civilization.
She had amazing teachers there. Two of them were Hans Gustav Güterbock and Benno Landsberger. They were famous scholars of Hittite history. They had come to Turkey as refugees during World War II.
Working with Ancient Tablets
In 1940, Çığ finished her degree. She then began working at the Museum of the Ancient Orient. This museum is part of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Her job was to specialize in cuneiform tablets.
Thousands of these ancient clay tablets were stored at the museum. They had not been translated or organized yet. Çığ worked hard to decipher and publish these tablets. Because of her efforts, the museum became a major learning center. Researchers from all over the world came to study ancient Middle Eastern languages there.
Advocacy and Public Life
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ was married to M. Kemal Çığ. He was the director of the Topkapı Museum. She strongly supported secularism and women's rights in Turkey. She was also an honorary member of important archaeology groups.
She was known for her careful and detailed research. She published many books and articles. These appeared in scholarly journals and newspapers. In 2002, her autobiography was published. It was a series of interviews about her life.
Court Case and Acquittal
In 2006, Çığ and her publisher faced a court case. They were accused of upsetting some people with her book. However, Çığ denied the accusations. She said, "I am a woman of science... I never insulted anyone."
The judge dismissed her case very quickly. The trial lasted less than half an hour. Both Çığ and her publisher were found not guilty. This court case actually brought more attention to her work.
Later Years
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ lived a very long life. She turned 100 years old in 2014. Then, in 2024, she celebrated her 110th birthday! She passed away on November 17, 2024. At the time of her death, she was the oldest verified person in Turkey.
