Doğan Kuban

Born in Paris, in 1926, Kuban graduated from İstanbul Technical University with a master's degree in engineering and architecture, and continued with his career right after. In 1952, he started his position as an assistant at the Chair of History of Architecture. In 1958, he received his PhD, and in 1965 he received his “Professor” title. Meanwhile, he received awards and mentions from numerous architectural competitions he participated in. Kuban taught at universities in Europe and the USA as a guest faculty member and built a reputation for his works on preservation of antiquities. Between 1966 and ‘76, he managed the excavation and the restoration projects of the Kalenderhane Mosque in Vezneciler, İstanbul. Kuban took roles in several local and international professional associations and preservation institutes, including an Honorary Membership at TÜBA, an Honorary Foreigner Membership at American Institute of Architects, a Correspondent Membership at the German Institute of Archaeology. Kuban is the author of 25 books, including Türk Hayatlı Evi, Selçuklu Çağında Anadolu Sanatı, Sinan’ın Sanatı ve Selimiye, İstanbul: Bir Kent Tarihi ve Osmanlı Mimarisi. Besides the 68 articles in the Encyclopedia of İstanbul, of which Kuban is one of the chief editors, he also holds more than 150 scientific articles. Architectural historian, academician and the 2019 recipient of the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Prize, Kuban passed away on 22nd of September, 2021.