A Muslim woman will teach the history of the Ottoman Empire in the Vatican

Canan Parmaksizoglu Aksoy will be the first Turkish and Muslim scholar to teach the history of the Ottoman Empire at the Vatican, in the very heart of the papacy, which had deep ties with the empire, sometimes hostile, sometimes friendly, writes Daily Sabah. Aksoya, who has worked for a long time in the archives of the Vatican, was selected to teach the relevant course at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. The institute, founded in 1917 by Pope Benedict XV, deals with Oriental studies. The course is the first of its kind in the curriculum, and Aksoy said she was proud to be offered the position. Aksoy also maintains an affiliation with the National Defense University of Turkey. She told Anadolu that she would especially try to convey the Turkish side’s approach to history and international relations. The addition of such a course to the program is a “late step,” but it is a “significant event for our country and history,” says Janan Aksoy. The institute is an ecumenical institution specializing in oriental studies and accepting Christian students from various religions. The teaching staff includes many influential religious figures, including the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Fener (Istanbul), she emphasized.
“My course will shed light on our common history. It will teach students previously unknown facts about the Ottomans, and for me it will be an opportunity to correct any inaccuracies in the study of Ottoman history. It will also give students an opportunity to gain an unbiased view of Turkish history. In fact, that was the biggest motivation for me to accept the teaching offer,” said the researcher.
Aksoy will also teach Turkish at the institute to help students work with documents in the archives. “We see a huge interest in the Turkish language,” she said.