Born: 1916 (Berlin, German Empire)
Died: 2014
Halet Çambel (27 August 1916 – 12 January 2014) was a Turkish archaeologist and Olympic fencer. She was the first woman with a Muslim background to compete in the Olympic Games. Çambel’s life was marked by her passion for archaeology, her groundbreaking achievements in fencing, and her dedication to preserving Turkey’s cultural heritage.
Çambel was born in Berlin, German Empire, on August 27, 1916. Her father, Hasan Cemil Bey (Çambel), was a Turkish military attaché and a close associate of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. Her mother was Remziye Hanm, the daughter of Ibrahim Hakki Pasha, a former Grand Vizier (prime minister of the Ottoman sultan) and the Ottoman ambassador to the German Empire at the time.
Inspired by her history of art teacher during her time at Arnavutköy American High School for Girls (now Robert College), Çambel developed a passion for history and archaeology. It was also during this time that she discovered her talent for fencing. In the years between 1933 and 1939, she studied archaeology at Sorbonne University in Paris, France.
In 1940, Çambel became a scientific assistant at Istanbul University. She completed her doctorate in 1944 and went on to become a lecturer in 1947. During her academic career, she also spent two years as a visiting scholar at the University of Saarbrücken in Germany.
In 1960, Çambel was appointed as a professor and founded the Institute of Prehistory. She made significant contributions to the field of archaeology, particularly in the decryption of Hittite hieroglyphics. Alongside German archaeologist Helmuth Theodor Bossert, she excavated Karatepe, a walled city dating back to the 12th century BC, located in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey. The discovery of the Karatepe Bilingual inscription played a crucial role in understanding Hittite hieroglyphics, and Çambel’s expertise in the Phoenician alphabet was instrumental in its decryption.
Aside from her academic achievements, Çambel was also a trailblazer in women’s sports. In the 1936 Summer Olympics, she represented Turkey in the women’s individual foil event and became the first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics. Despite being invited to meet Adolf Hitler by a female German official, Çambel declined the invitation due to Hitler’s mistreatment of Jews.
Throughout her career, Çambel was an advocate for the preservation of Turkey’s cultural heritage. In the 1950s, she fought against the government’s attempt to relocate artifacts from Karatepe to a museum. Her efforts were successful, and in 1960, the government established a museum at the site.
Halet Çambel’s contributions to archaeology, sports, and cultural preservation have left an indelible mark on Turkish history. Her groundbreaking achievements in fencing and her significant discoveries in archaeology paved the way for future generations of women in Turkey and highlighted the importance of preserving the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Awards:
– Çambel received numerous honors for her pioneering work in archaeology and cultural preservation.
– She was awarded the Order of Merit by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
– In recognition of her contributions to the field of archaeology, Çambel was elected as a member of the German Archaeological Institute and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres.
– She was also a recipient of the Mustafa Parlar Foundation Science Award and the Distinguished Service Award from World Archery Turkey.