| Art Profile |
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Prof. Dr. Metin Sözen was born in Elazığ in 1936. He graduated from the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University. In 1967 he started teaching at the Architecture Department in the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical University, where he became Associate Professor in 1973 and Full Professor in 1979.
Prof. Sözen has devoted himself in the field of preserving, evaluating and promoting natural, historical and cultural heritage in Turkey in a real sense. He has many permanent practices based on the cooperation among the public sector, local authorities, civil institutions and private sector, which are within a range from National Palaces bound to the Grand National Assemble of Turkey to residential areas in different scales, especially Safranbolu, Kastamonu, Bursa, Edirne, Uşak, Afyonkarahisar, Denizli, Karaman, Ağırnas, Tokat, Amasya, Gümüşhane, Sivas, Malatya, Elazığ, Kars, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Istanbul.
Prof. Dr. Sözen is an advisor for culture and art of Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and the President of Science and Evaluation Committee. He has conducted scientific studies in the Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Yıldız Palace, Summer Palaces of Aynalıkayak, Küçüksu, Ihlamur, Beykoz, and Maslak and Yalova Atatürk Kiosk within the light of the concepts of “Palace Museum,” “Museum in Museum”, "Warehouse Museum,” and “Factory Museum,” which had been developed under the title of “The Palace: House of State” in the restructure process. He has much significant and versatile research, publications and studies on the creators from the past by taking the circumstances of the reflected period into consideration; such as study on Mimar Sinan, documentary films on spreading and protecting of cultural accumulation, which had been awarded in national and international levels and significant studies and translated in other languages.
Prof. Dr. Sözen received "Eminent Service Award" by Speakership of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, "Honor Award for Protecting" by Ministry of Culture and Tourism, "Foundation Human Award," and "Aga Khan Architecture Award" by General Directorate of Foundations, "Grand Award for Culture and Art" in 2007 by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and many other awards in national and international level. In addition, many streets in the cities which he had supported, libraries, cultural centers, and parks were named as “Professor Metin Sözen,” and he was also given “honorary countryman” by many cities. Prof. Dr. Sözen currently serves as the founder and president of ÇEKÜL (“The Foundation for Protection and Promotion of the Environmental and Cultural Heritage).
Reference: cekulvakfi.org.tr, ec.europa.eu, aktuelarkeoloji.com.tr
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