Thesis by Cem Almurat
Master's Thesis, 2024
This thesis aims to explore the methods adopted by the Romans to annex the Central Anatolian Plat... more This thesis aims to explore the methods adopted by the Romans to annex the Central Anatolian Plateau into their empire after their arrival in 25 BCE. Specifically, this study will use the emergence and development of urbanism as a proxy for cultural, political, and economic integration, focusing on the regions of Galatia and northeastern Pisidia. After the annexation of Galatia in 25 BCE, the Romans expanded their territory in Galatia and northeastern Pisidia by establishing new colonies and cities as regional urban centers in areas with different settlement patterns prior to their arrival. These new urban centers, with their sophisticated infrastructure and extensive urban frameworks, served as focal points for the cultural, economic, and religious integration of local societies into the Roman Empire. They were gradually expanded with new monuments and public spaces over different periods. By employing a comparative approach to the urban development of two Augustan-era foundations in the Central Anatolian Plateau—Ankara and Pisidian Antioch (Yalvaç, Isparta)—this thesis will contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of urbanization in integrating diverse populations and marginal areas into the Roman Empire. It will also offer a nuanced view of the long-term evolution of urbanism in this historically rich region by examining the transformation from pre-Roman settlements to sophisticated Roman urban centers.
Papers by Cem Almurat
A Century of Byzantine Studies in Turkey: Papers from the Sixth International Sevgi Gönül Byzantine Studies Symposium, 2024
This paper analyzes the evolution of Byzantine Studies in Turkey from 1923 to 2023 through a quan... more This paper analyzes the evolution of Byzantine Studies in Turkey from 1923 to 2023 through a quantitative and qualitative examination of articles published in academic journals and popular magazines. This study provides a statistical foundation for understanding the motivations, themes, and ideological approaches that shaped scholarly discourse and public perceptions regarding Byzantium in Turkey.
A Century of Byzantine Studies in Turkey: Papers from the Sixth International Sevgi Gönül Byzantine Studies Symposium, 2024
The exploration of Byzantine culture in the scholarly landscape of modern Turkey serves as a mult... more The exploration of Byzantine culture in the scholarly landscape of modern Turkey serves as a multifaceted journey through time, revealing layers of historical narratives intertwined with ideological currents. This paper examines the evolution of Byzantine Studies in Turkey through both quantitative and qualitative analyses of articles in academic journals and popular magazines. By doing that, this study aims to provide a statistical foundation to discover the motivations, themes, and ideological approaches that shaped scholarly discourse and public perceptions regarding Byzantium, along with an interpretation of changing trends throughout the first century since the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
Conference Presentations by Cem Almurat
The Seventh Graduate Symposium in Ancient Near Eastern Studies "Landscapes and Environments in the Ancient Near East (GSANES), 2025
his paper explores the Roman methods of annexing Central Anatolia into their empire,
particularly... more his paper explores the Roman methods of annexing Central Anatolia into their empire,
particularly focusing on the emergence and development of urbanism as a proxy for
cultural, political, and economic integration, particularly in the historical regions of
Galatia and northeastern Pisidia. After the annexation of Galatia in 25 BCE, the Romans
strategically established new colonies and cities as regional urban centers in areas with
different settlement patterns prior to their arrival. These urban centers, equipped with
sophisticated infrastructure and extensive urban frameworks, served as pivotal focal
points for the cultural, economic, and religious integration of local societies into the
Roman Empire. Over time, these urban centers underwent gradual expansion, with the
addition of new monuments and public spaces, and societies living in the highlands
began to occupy fertile lands around these new cities. By employing a comparative
approach to the society and urban development of two Augustan-era foundations in
Central Anatolia—Ankara and Pisidian Antioch (Yalvaç, Isparta, Turkey)—this study
aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of urbanization in integrating
diverse populations and marginal areas into the Roman Empire and transforming
settlement patterns in the countryside.
The University of Edinburgh Classics Postgraduate Seminar Series, 2023
Romans established and developed cities to control regions, exploit resources, manage population ... more Romans established and developed cities to control regions, exploit resources, manage population growth, and distribute wealth. It was a complex machine based on extensive exploitation of natural resources with the help of its efficient labor organization, trade and road networks, infrastructure investments, and regional and supra-regional elite cooperations. This phenomenon also transformed through centuries in different regions across the Mediterranean according to their environmental, geographical, economic, and socio-cultural conditions. This paper aims to investigate the initial Roman approach to Asia Minor and its influence over urbanism and designing local production chains in an extensive relationship with the environment by examining a particular region consisting of a cluster of cities: Pisidia (Lower central Turkey). The region came to the Roman sphere of influence in the middle of the second century BCE, and Augustus decided to annex the whole region in 25 BCE alongside Galatia. With the annexation, Romans applied a master plan to overhaul the region and its cities economically, ecologically, and politically by bringing their ideas of connectivity, urbanism, standardization, and systemic exploitation of resources. Considering the available archaeological and literary evidence, Pisidia appears as a promising case study to investigate the longue durée Roman approach to designing sustainable, or not sustainable, urban landscape and production chains by seeking, or not seeking, ecological balance from the annexation to the Middle Ages.
Boğaziçi University Department of History Graduate Workshop, 2023
Justinianic Plague, or Bubonic Plague, hit Constantinople and Asia Minor in 541 and occurred in d... more Justinianic Plague, or Bubonic Plague, hit Constantinople and Asia Minor in 541 and occurred in different waves until the eighth century, causing severe demographic, economic, and political consequences for the empire. For urban landscapes, the scale of influence was different everywhere. Some cities in the empire relatively protected their urban "texture," while the plague caused a tendency of "ruralization" among society in specific settlements. In this paper, the influence of the plague on society and the development of Byzantine urbanism will be investigated in collaboration with other relevant environmental, political, and economic factors with the concept of a "three-phase" examination: The primary, secondary, and tertiary term effects of the plague on society and the urban landscape will be investigated under the conceptualization of "Shock, Awe, and Adaptation." Chronologically, it is hard to follow a single wave of the plague to present arguments and material since there were many outbreaks between 541 and 748 around the Mediterranean and the Middle East. For the secondary and tertiary effects, some changes, societal responses, and transformations occurred in different waves in different cities. Still, the starting point for the paper will be 541, when the plague first manifested in the empire. Constantinople will be the main case study for this examination, considering the presence of strong literary evidence describing the epidemic. Compared to other sites in Asia Minor, the city appeared as a successful example of maintaining its urban occupation with the help of being the imperial seat, despite the harsh demographic and economic consequences. In the sight of Constantinople and several examples from Asia Minor, my argument will be that identifying how people reacted to the plague in different phases of the pandemic is essential to discover possible structural transformations among the society and the cityscape at the end of Late Antiquity and the beginning of the so-called "Medieval Dark Ages" for the Byzantine Asia Minor.
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Thesis by Cem Almurat
Papers by Cem Almurat
Conference Presentations by Cem Almurat
particularly focusing on the emergence and development of urbanism as a proxy for
cultural, political, and economic integration, particularly in the historical regions of
Galatia and northeastern Pisidia. After the annexation of Galatia in 25 BCE, the Romans
strategically established new colonies and cities as regional urban centers in areas with
different settlement patterns prior to their arrival. These urban centers, equipped with
sophisticated infrastructure and extensive urban frameworks, served as pivotal focal
points for the cultural, economic, and religious integration of local societies into the
Roman Empire. Over time, these urban centers underwent gradual expansion, with the
addition of new monuments and public spaces, and societies living in the highlands
began to occupy fertile lands around these new cities. By employing a comparative
approach to the society and urban development of two Augustan-era foundations in
Central Anatolia—Ankara and Pisidian Antioch (Yalvaç, Isparta, Turkey)—this study
aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of urbanization in integrating
diverse populations and marginal areas into the Roman Empire and transforming
settlement patterns in the countryside.