Postdoctoral researcher, Murat Çaylı will conduct research at CESCM for one year starting from 1 September 2024 to 30 august 2025 with a scholarship from TÜBİTAK, the official scientific research institution of Türkiye.
Why did a Turkish student choose to study Philippe de Mézières?
I work on 14th-century Crusade projects and East-West relations in the Late Middle Ages. I came to CESCM thanks to a scholarship from TUBITAK, Türkiye’s official scientific research organisation. My PhD thesis was on Philippe de Mézières and the Crusade project. My interest in this subject began in my undergraduate years with my curiosity about the interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds in the Middle Ages. I envied the curiosity and courage of priests, merchants or knights who travelled from Europe to Anatolia or Asia, and this introduced me to Philippe de Mézières. Similarly, he was devoted to an idea and tried to realise it by travelling to many places. He is also an important figure in Turkish history. Therefore, I started to explore his life, his works and the period in which he lived. The book version of my thesis was published in 20211.
How did you start learning French?
It is not very easy to learn French in terms of grammar structure. But we use thousands of French words in Turkish. This partly makes it easier for us. I started to learn French because I wanted to write my thesis and do my future studies in this field. I took classes at the Institut français Istanbul for two years. I was also learning Latin at the same time. This made my job easier and helped me learn faster.
The works of Philippe de Mézières and almost everything written about him was in French. This was a trigger for me. After I started to learn the language, I became more interested in the history of France and Europe. I chose the 14th-century as my field of study. For me, it is one of the most exciting periods of the Middle Ages. The Crusades are losing their former popularity, but some authors are still writing works for new crusades, trying to convince popes and kings. At the moment, I am doing research on crusade projects designed in the 14th-century.
This is also how I met Martin Aurell. I was very inspired and took many notes while studying one of his works. Later, while looking for centres abroad where I could do research, I came across CESCM. The professor I sent an e-mail to was the director of the institution and said that he could invite me to Poitiers. At that moment, I realised that I had met Martin Aurell, whose book I had reviewed with excitement, and I was invited. It was a very pleasant coincidence and an unforgettable memory for me.
What are your reasons for wanting to come to Poitiers?
This is how my story of coming to Poitiers started. I came to CESCM for the first time in 2019 at the invitation of Martin Aurell and had the opportunity to access all the resources needed for my thesis. But this was short-lived because I had to go back after 6 months because of Covid. It was thanks to this short adventure at CESCM that I was able to write my PhD thesis.
In 2023, I contacted Martin Aurell again. I shared with him my idea of doing a post-doctorate on 14th-century Crusade projects. He was very pleased and welcomed it. With the support of Cécile Voyer, to whom I would like to thank, my invitation letter was sent. When I arrived, I discussed a lot with Martin Aurell about the topics I was planning to prepare. He gave me many ideas and supported me during my stay here. He even shared his room with me. An irreplaceable person and scientist, we miss him.
I am currently continuing my research with Stéphane Boissellier, who gives me great ideas to take my research forward. I am very pleased to have met him and I would like to thank him.
How do you like Poitiers?
By the end of my research, I will have spent one and a half years of my life in Poitiers. I can say that this is my second city. I am sure I will miss the peace and historical atmosphere here. The location of the city is also very central. For example, I have to go to Paris from time to time to visit the libraries, but it is not difficult to get there. I think I will enjoy the city more, especially in the summer months. It is also close to magnificent cities such as Tours, Angoulême, Bordeaux and La Rochelle.
On the other hand, the university libraries and the CESCM archive are very rich. I can find most of the books I am looking for here. The friendly atmosphere in CESCM is another factor that beautifies the city. I recommend it to everyone who is thinking of visiting here. It will be an unforgettable experience for you.
- Murat Çayli, Bir Haçlı’nın Rüyası – Philippe de Mezieres ve Haçlılar, Yeditepe Yayınevi, 2021, 275 p. [↩]