Halim GencOglu

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Articles

Year 1863: A Journey to Table Mountain through the eyes of Professor Abubakr Effendi

Dec 6, 2024 | capeargus.co.za | Halim GencOglu

‘For me, Table Mountain is far more significant; it is a sacred site, a key to a profound mystery, one that stretches back to ancient scriptures and reaches forward to a future of great cosmic importance.’ File Picture: Angelo KalmeyerPublished 3m ago | Published 3m agoThere are places in this world that speak to the heart and soul in ways no words can truly capture. Table Mountain in South Africa is one such place.
The Story of Soraya Stanbul: From Istanbul to Cape Town

Dec 2, 2024 | capetimes.co.za | Halim GencOglu

Soraya Stanbul’s grave at Mowbray Muslim CemeteryPublished 7m ago | Published 7m agoSoraya Stanbul's life, like the silent stones of Mowbray Cemetery, speaks to the complex intersections of identity, history, and belonging in South Africa. Born in Cape Town in 1924, Soraya’s journey was shaped by a legacy that stretches across continents and centuries, tracing back to her grandmother Zainab, who was brought to Cape Town from Istanbul in the late 19th century.
How Turkish tolerance helped Armenians integrate into the Ottoman World

Nov 20, 2024 | capetimes.co.za | Halim GencOglu

Halim Gençoğlu is a historian with PhD from UCT and is a post-doctoral fellow at Wits University. Published 9m ago | Published 9m agoThe Ottoman Empire, with its vast diversity and multicultural fabric, was home to numerous ethnic and religious groups, including Armenians, who played a significant role in the empire’s social life.
Abu Bakr Effendi’s lasting impact on South Africa

Nov 13, 2024 | capetimes.co.za | Halim GencOglu

Abu Bakr Effendi was recently honoured by his hometown. Published 3m ago | Published 3m agoSayid Abu Bakr Effendi, a revered figure in Islamic scholarship, the Afrikaans language, and Cape Muslim culture, has recently been honoured in his hometown of Erzurum, Türkiye. A school and museum dedicated to his name were inaugurated by the Erzurum Municipality, marking a milestone in preserving his cultural and intellectual legacy.
The double standards of European massacres in Africa vs. the Gaza Genocide

Oct 30, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

‘Despite the enormous scale of these atrocities, there has historically been relative silence or minimisation of these events in mainstream European historical narratives.’ Picture: Omar AL-QATTAA/AFPPublished 14m ago | Published 14m agoThroughout history, the narratives surrounding violence and atrocities committed against specific populations often reveal a troubling pattern of double standards in acknowledgment and response.
The accuracy of Piri Reis’s maps of Africa

Oct 23, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

The Piri Reis World Map (1513). The Piri Reis World Map of 1513 was discovered in the Topkapı Palace Library in 1929. Piri Reis’s is a portolan-style world map created in a time when positioning recently discovered places was almost technically impossible. Picture: Topkapi Palace Museum via UnescoPublished 13m ago | Published 13m agoPiri Reis, an Ottoman admiral and cartographer, is renowned for his world map created in 1513, which includes detailed representations of parts of Northern Africa.
Warfare leaves a legacy of trauma, perpetuating cycles of violence

Oct 20, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

Protesters hold placards and wave Palestinian flags as they take part in a recent pro-Palestinian march in Cape Town. Picture: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers. Published 5h ago | Published 5h agoLast week, I was in Egypt to help the victims of the Gaza war and distribute goods on behalf of the Ottoman Heritage Trust in South Africa.
'Perhaps it is time to decolonize the Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa’

Oct 10, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

One of the National Library branches in Cape Town. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent NewspapersPublished 45m ago | Published 45m agoThe Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa (BNLSA) is a scholarly publication issued by the National Library of South Africa since 1946. I have published six articles in the Bulletin so far. However, a couple of months ago, the editor sent me extremely unethical feedback regarding my new article.
‘The Byerley Turk’: The enduring cultural bond of Turkic and African traditions

Oct 3, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

'African horsemen, akin to their Turkic counterparts, have historically assumed the role of community protectors, their steeds essential not only for sustenance in warfare but also for ceremonial rites.’ File Picture Cindy waxa/Independent Newspaper (Archives)Published 10m ago | Published 10m agoIn an age where boundaries often feel insurmountable, literature serves as a bridge, inviting readers to traverse vast historical and cultural landscapes.
What US did to Native Americans, Israel is doing to Palestinians

Sep 26, 2024 | iol.co.za | Halim GencOglu

Palestinians have faced displacement, particularly in 1948 and 1967, when hundreds of thousands were forced to leave their homes. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent NewspapersPublished 4m ago | Published 4m agoThe comparison between the historical treatment of Native Americans (as “Red Indians”) in the US and the current Israeli occupation of Palestine reveals striking similarities.