Reşad Ekrem Koçu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reşad Ekrem Koçu
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| Born | 1905 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | July 6, 1975 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Resting place | Sahrayıcedid Cemetery |
| Occupation | Writer, poet, scholar |
Reşad Ekrem Koçu (born 1905 – died July 6, 1975) was a Turkish writer and historian. He is best known for his huge work, the Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi). This encyclopedia shares many stories and facts about Istanbul from the time of the Ottoman Empire. Famous writer Orhan Pamuk has praised Koçu's vivid descriptions of old Istanbul in his book Istanbul: Memories and the City.
Contents
Life and Education
Reşad Ekrem Koçu was born in Istanbul. He finished high school in Bursa, a city in northwestern Turkey. After that, he studied history at Istanbul University. He later worked there as a researcher, focusing on the Ottoman period.
Koçu was a student and assistant to a professor named Ahmet Refik Altınay. When Altınay lost his job in 1933, Koçu also left the university. From 1933 onwards, Koçu taught history in high schools in Istanbul. This was after Atatürk made big changes to the Turkish university system. He taught at schools like Alman, Kuleli, Pertevniyal, and Vefa.
Writing Career
While teaching, Koçu was also a very busy writer. He wrote poems, stories, and novels. He also wrote many articles for newspapers. Some of these newspapers included Cumhuriyet, Yeni Sabah, Milliyet, and Tercüman. He also contributed to various magazines. These included Hayat, Tarih Mecmuası, and Tarih Dünyası.
Reşad Ekrem Koçu passed away on July 6, 1975. He was buried in the Sahrayıcedid Cemetery. He had used much of his own money and family inheritance to create his grand Istanbul encyclopedia.
Major Works
The Istanbul Encyclopedia
Koçu's most famous work is his Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi). This amazing book brings to life many different parts of the ancient city. It includes countless stories and details from Ottoman times. Koçu published the first part of this huge project in 1958.
Sadly, he faced money problems in 1973. This forced him to stop working on the encyclopedia. He had only reached the eleventh volume, still working on words starting with the letter G. The encyclopedia features many unique drawings. These drawings help to show what old Istanbul was like.
How the Encyclopedia Was Made
At first, a timber merchant named Cemal Çaltı helped fund the encyclopedia. During this time, it was published in small booklets, each 32 pages long. These were printed on large paper. The encyclopedia used special line drawings instead of photographs. Many artists created these drawings. Some of the main artists were Nezih İzmirlioğlu, Reşad Sevinçsoy, and Sabiha Rüştü Bozcalı.
The partnership between Cemal Çaltı and Koçu ended. Koçu then had financial difficulties and had to stop publishing the encyclopedia for a while.
Restarting the Project
After seven years, the Istanbul Encyclopedia started being published again. This was on July 15, 1958. A businessman named Mehmet Ali Akbay provided support. Many writers and illustrators of that time helped Koçu. The new booklets were 16 pages long and printed on smaller paper.
After a while, Koçu and Mehmet Ali Akbay also stopped working together. Koçu then took full responsibility for publishing the encyclopedia himself. He continued to produce 67 more booklets until his death in 1973. The very last part of the Istanbul Encyclopedia, titled "Gökçınar," was the last entry Koçu wrote.
In 2017, Kadir Has University took over the huge archive of the Istanbul Encyclopedia. This archive contains about 20,000 items.
Other Books
Besides his encyclopedia, Koçu wrote many other books. Some of these include Forsa Halil (1962) and Patrona Halil (1967). He also wrote Erkek Kızlar (1962) and Haşmetli Yosmalar (1962). Other works are Türk Giyim, Kuşam ve Süsleme Sözlüğü (1967) about Turkish clothing. He also wrote Osmanlı Padişahları (1960) about Ottoman sultans. And Eski İstanbul'da Meyhaneler ve Meyhane Köçekleri (1947) about old Istanbul taverns.
Legacy and Influence
The famous novelist Orhan Pamuk has said that Reşad Ekrem Koçu was a big inspiration for him when he was a child. A large part of Pamuk's book Istanbul: Memories and the City is about Koçu and his work.
In 2023, a special exhibition about Koçu's life and his encyclopedia was held. It was called "No Further Records: Reşad Ekrem Koçu and the Istanbul Encyclopedia." This exhibition took place at Salt Galata in Istanbul.
