Science historian. Born in 1960, Bursa. Graduated from Bursa Kız
High School (1977) and
philosophy department of Faculty of Language, History and Geography of Ankara University
(1981). In 1983, she completed her post graduate thesis in the same department
on the Algebra Manuscripts of Muslim scholar Ebû Kâmil Şucâ, one of the
Mathematicians of the Islamic Civilization in the Middle Ages. In 1988, she
completed her doctorate degree with a thesis on again the algebra manuscripts
of a Muslim scholar Kerecî who lived also in Middle Ages.
In 1987, she made researches for
her doctorate thesis in Bodleian Library (Oxford)
and Cambridge University Library for four months. In 1989-90, she won the
scholarship of Italian government and she made comparative research on the
Latin and Muslim mathematicians in the Science
History Museum
(Florence) and
Vatican Library for six months. In 1996, she became an assistant professor and
in 2002 became a professor. She made presentations for various scientific meetings.
She wrote the texts of a television documentary named “The Contributions of Turks to Science and Technology” for TRT - Turkish
Radio and Television Association. She worked in the project of “Science in Ottomans” which was
implemented by Atatürk Culture, Language and History Supreme Institution and
supported by Atatürk
Cultural Center.
In 2004–05 educational year, she gave lectures in the history department of Oklahoma University as a guest lecturer. When she
returned to Turkey,
she continued her researches in philosophy department of Faculty of Language,
History and Geography of Ankara University of Ankara University.
The scholar, Aydın Sayılı raised only three
doctorate students; during the long years when he was at Ankara University.
One of them, Sevim Tekeli, wrote her doctorate on astronomy history; Esin Kahya
wrote her doctorate on the history of natural sciences and medicine and Melek
Dosay focused on the history of mathematics.
Her articles on the history and
philosophy of mathematics were published in Belleten, OTAM, Felsefe
Dünyası, Araştırma, Dil ve Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi,
Bilim Tarihi, Bilim ve Teknik, İlâhiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, Bilge
magazines; Bilim ve Felsefe Metinleri, Osmanlı, Düşünen
Siyaset books; TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi (T.N. Encyclopedia of İslâm) and
Türkler Ansiklopedisi (T.N. The Encyclopedia of Turks). Her translations
were published in symposium books and Erdem and OTAM magazines.
WORKS:
RESEARCH: Al-Khwârazmî’s Algebra
(1989, İslamabad), Kereci’nin “İlel Hesab el-Cebr ve’l -Mukâbele” Adlı Eseri
(1991).
JOINT BOOKS: Bilim Tarihi (1993),
Beş Büyük Cebir Bilgini (with Ömer Akın, 1994), Bilim Tarihine Giriş (with Remzi Demir, Sevim Tekeli,
Hüseyin Topdemir, Ayten Koç, Esin Kahya, Yavuz Unat, 2001), Cezerî
(2002), Bilim Tarihi Kılavuzu - Buluşlar ve Yapıtlar (with Remzi Demir,
Gazi Topdemir, İnan Kalaycıoğlu, Yasemin Emlü Yavuz Unat, 2001),
TRANSLATIONS: Meşhur
Matematikçiler (F. Benson Stonaker, 1989, new edition, 2004), Antik
Bilim ve Modern Uygarlık, (Remzi Demir, 1995), Bilim Tarihinde Yöntem
(with Remzi Demir, Yavuz Unat, Güldeniz Can, 1997), Maarifimiz ve Servet-i
İlmiyyemiz (2000), Doğu ile Batı'nın Yaratılışı (from Nancy Bisaha, 2012).
REFERENCE: İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2009) – Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).
