Dr. Afife Batur was born in in Adana in 1935. As a child, she completed schooling in Karaman, and later, in Bursa, where she graduated with high honors from the Bursa High School for Girls (Bursa Kız Lisesi). She attended Istanbul Technical University (İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi), where she graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in 1958. In 1960, she was appointed Chair of the History of Architecture and Restoration within the same Faculty. From 1964-5 Dr. Batur worked on a certificate of conservation and restoration in Torino, Italy. Dr. Batur continued to work as a technician at ITU, under the title of doctor and engineer, receiving the title of associate professor in 1980. Dr. Batur retired from ITU in 1998, the same year she began serving as Director in the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Architects, a position she held until 2000. In 2000, she was the recipient of the Grand Prix of Contribution and Service to Architecture Award in the Chamber of Architects' 7th National Competition.