Kadir Atıcı publishes research on historical Harput madrasas

Kadir Atıcı, the Elazığ Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, has published his second book, ‘Tarihte Harput Medreseleri’ (Madrasas of Harput in History). The work is the result of 14 years of field research and archival studies.

Through investigations in the Presidential and Ottoman Archives, Atıcı determined that Harput served as a significant educational center during the Ottoman period, hosting 19 madrasas. Currently, only the foundation of one madrasa from the Esediye Complex remains. The book documents the lineage of teachers within these institutions and converts historical descriptions from Ishak Sunguroğlu’s ‘Harput Yollarında’ into architectural plans.

Atıcı, who holds a master's degree in Cultural Heritage and Conservation from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, previously served as deputy excavation leader at the Harput İçkale excavations. He is currently researching his third book, which focuses on mythological symbols and Central Asian traces in Harput's structures.