www.zaman.com Stefanos Yerasimos renowned for his research on Turkey died of cancer  on July 20 in Paris. He was also the French Institute of Anatolian Studies director in 1994-99. His admiration for Istanbul was admirable.

Yerasimos renowned for his research on the Ottoman Empire and Turkey was born in 1942 in Istanbul. He graduated from the Architecture department of State Fine Arts Academy in Turkey in 1966. He also obtained his Urbanism degree from Institut d'Urbanisme de Paris.

 In 1973, he defended a PhD dissertation entitled "Turkey in Underdevelopment Process in Sorbonne University." Later this dissertation, published by Gozlem Publishing in three volumes became a source book.

 In 1980-85, Yerasimos edited the texts of travelers who had traveled the East and particularly Turkey for Franأƒآ§ois Maspero/ La Decouverte publishing house. A 12 volume book consisting of texts from Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, J. B. Tavernier, J. Thevenot, J.P. Tournefort and J. Nicolas de Nicolay came out of this work.

In 1989 he published Nicolas de Nicolay's travel book in CNRS Edition. Turkish Historical Society published in French a study by Yerasimos on the travelers wandering in Ottoman Empire territory in 14th, 15th and 16th centuries (Les Voyageurs dans l'Empire Ottoman).

In 1986 he defended a second PhD dissertation entitled "Travelers in Ottoman Empire." In 1989, he was awarded the title of Professor by the Paris University Urbanism Department. In1994-99, he served as Director of the French Institute of Anatolian Studies. Yerasimos, who until his death was a professor of Universitأƒآ© de Paris VIII, has many published researches and articles both in French and in Turkish. The major ones among them are, "Turkey in Underdevelopment Process," "1917-1923 Turko-Soviet Relations," "Constantinople and Hagia Sophia Legends in Turkish Texts," "Nationalities and Borders," Istanbul: The Capitol of Empires," "Suleymaniye," and "Sultans' Tables."

In his "Suleymaniye," Yerasimos studied the Suleymaniye Mosque (Blue Mosque) in depth, which it was built in the prime of the Ottoman Empire as a sign of the magnificence of the time. The book places this "magnificent" monument in its historical and architectural context and provides details ranging from the materials used in the

Professor Dr. Ilber Ortayli said Yerasimos was a peculiar intellectual and a researcher. He did not look at events ideologically; he had no obsession. He knew Ottoman Turkish, Byzantine Greek and comparatively used texts in both languages in his studies. His knowledge of these two languages had deeply shaped his world outlook. He was an East Mediterranean. He had a realistic approach and assessed history not with "ifs" but according to the conditions of the period he was dealing with.

Professor Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay said we met Yerasimos in the Istanbul exhibition held within the scope of Habitat. He was an erudite and Istanbul lover. Most of his work was on Istanbul. It is bitter to lose such an ardent Istanbul lover for his friends and for Istanbul. If he had not passed away, he had many things to do for Istanbul. He was a versatile scientist, we will miss him.