Women in Modern Territories of Turkish Architecture
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Leyla Turgut1911-1988Türkiye
Born in Istanbul in 1911, Leyla Turgut is the first female architect in the academic team at the Academy of Fine Arts, the Department of Architecture. She lived in Tehran between 1914-1916 and in Vienna between 1916-1931. In the early 1930s she returned to Istanbul and enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts, the Department of Decorative Arts. Shortly after, she decided to pursue her education at the Department of Architecture and obtained her degree in 1939. She pursued her academic career at the same department, and worked with Robert Vorhölzer as his assistant.
After leaving the world of academia, she began to conduct her own practice. Two well-known projects she designed were housing for government employees of Istanbul Electric Tram and Tünel Company (IETT) in Okmeydanı and Akpınar Village Institute in Samsun. In addition to these projects, she also participated in several architectural design competitions, such as the Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu in 1944), Ankara University, Science Faculty (1946), Istanbul, Open Air Theater (1946) and Cinema and Hotel Project in Ankara (1946). In addition to these projects, she worked with Professor Henry Prost on the Istanbul Development Plan.
Besides her architectural career,she was professionally involved in sports. In 1934, she and Cavidan Erbelger were the first two Turkish female swimmers attending an international swimming competition (in Russia). In Europe, she served as the first female team captain of ice hockey. In 1936, she competed at the Berlin Olympic Games with her brother. In 1940, she established Moda Water Sports Club in Istanbul. In 1973, she served as the general manager and assistant art director at the first Istanbul Festival.
In 1988, her personal archive was donated to various institutions in Istanbul, including the Archaeology Museum, the
Architectural Design Competition Projects:
Publications:
After leaving the world of academia, she began to conduct her own practice. Two well-known projects she designed were housing for government employees of Istanbul Electric Tram and Tünel Company (IETT) in Okmeydanı and Akpınar Village Institute in Samsun. In addition to these projects, she also participated in several architectural design competitions, such as the Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu in 1944), Ankara University, Science Faculty (1946), Istanbul, Open Air Theater (1946) and Cinema and Hotel Project in Ankara (1946). In addition to these projects, she worked with Professor Henry Prost on the Istanbul Development Plan.
Besides her architectural career,she was professionally involved in sports. In 1934, she and Cavidan Erbelger were the first two Turkish female swimmers attending an international swimming competition (in Russia). In Europe, she served as the first female team captain of ice hockey. In 1936, she competed at the Berlin Olympic Games with her brother. In 1940, she established Moda Water Sports Club in Istanbul. In 1973, she served as the general manager and assistant art director at the first Istanbul Festival.
In 1988, her personal archive was donated to various institutions in Istanbul, including the Archaeology Museum, the
Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, the Naval Museum,and the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSU) Painting and Sculpture Museum.
Architectural Design Competition Projects:
- The Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu), Canakkale, Turkey, 1944, honorable mention.
- Ankara University, Science Faculty, Ankara, Turkey, 1946, honorable mention.
- Istanbul, Open Air Theater, Istanbul, Turkey, 1946, honorable mention.
- Cinema and Hotel Project, Ankara, Turkey, 1946, 2nd prize. (Leyla Turgut shared the second prize in the Cinema and Hotel Competition with Suat Erdeniz).
Publications:
- Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257. http://dergi.mo.org.tr/dergiler/2/76/752.pdf [Accessed February 28 2026.]
- Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107. http://dergi.mo.org.tr/dergiler/2/72/680.pdf [Accessed February 28 2026.]
Sources:
Koç, Pınar Bolel and Esma Igus Parmaksız. “Arşiv, Kadın, Kimlik: MSGSÜ Resim Heykel Müzesi Arşivi’nden Leyla Turgut Terekesi.” December 10, 2014. https://perma.cc/B54E-33UQ [Accessed April 19, 2016.]
Koç, Pınar Bolel and Esma Igus Parmaksız. “Arşiv, Kadın, Kimlik: MSGSÜ Resim Heykel Müzesi Arşivi’nden Leyla Turgut Terekesi.” December 10, 2014. https://perma.cc/B54E-33UQ [Accessed April 19, 2016.]
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
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Leyla Turgut
1911-1988
Türkiye
Born in Istanbul in 1911, Leyla Turgut is the first female architect in the academic team at the Academy of Fine Arts, the Department of Architecture. She lived in Tehran between 1914-1916 and in Vienna between 1916-1931. In the early 1930s she returned to Istanbul and enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts, the Department of Decorative Arts. Shortly after, she decided to pursue her education at the Department of Architecture and obtained her degree in 1939. She pursued her academic career at the same department, and worked with Robert Vorhölzer as his assistant.
After leaving the world of academia, she began to conduct her own practice. Two well-known projects she designed were housing for government employees of Istanbul Electric Tram and Tünel Company (IETT) in Okmeydanı and Akpınar Village Institute in Samsun. In addition to these projects, she also participated in several architectural design competitions, such as the Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu in 1944), Ankara University, Science Faculty (1946), Istanbul, Open Air Theater (1946) and Cinema and Hotel Project in Ankara (1946). In addition to these projects, she worked with Professor Henry Prost on the Istanbul Development Plan.
Besides her architectural career,she was professionally involved in sports. In 1934, she and Cavidan Erbelger were the first two Turkish female swimmers attending an international swimming competition (in Russia). In Europe, she served as the first female team captain of ice hockey. In 1936, she competed at the Berlin Olympic Games with her brother. In 1940, she established Moda Water Sports Club in Istanbul. In 1973, she served as the general manager and assistant art director at the first Istanbul Festival.
In 1988, her personal archive was donated to various institutions in Istanbul, including the Archaeology Museum, the
Architectural Design Competition Projects:
Publications:
After leaving the world of academia, she began to conduct her own practice. Two well-known projects she designed were housing for government employees of Istanbul Electric Tram and Tünel Company (IETT) in Okmeydanı and Akpınar Village Institute in Samsun. In addition to these projects, she also participated in several architectural design competitions, such as the Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu in 1944), Ankara University, Science Faculty (1946), Istanbul, Open Air Theater (1946) and Cinema and Hotel Project in Ankara (1946). In addition to these projects, she worked with Professor Henry Prost on the Istanbul Development Plan.
Besides her architectural career,she was professionally involved in sports. In 1934, she and Cavidan Erbelger were the first two Turkish female swimmers attending an international swimming competition (in Russia). In Europe, she served as the first female team captain of ice hockey. In 1936, she competed at the Berlin Olympic Games with her brother. In 1940, she established Moda Water Sports Club in Istanbul. In 1973, she served as the general manager and assistant art director at the first Istanbul Festival.
In 1988, her personal archive was donated to various institutions in Istanbul, including the Archaeology Museum, the
Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, the Naval Museum,and the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSU) Painting and Sculpture Museum.
Architectural Design Competition Projects:
- The Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial (with Asım Mutlu), Canakkale, Turkey, 1944, honorable mention.
- Ankara University, Science Faculty, Ankara, Turkey, 1946, honorable mention.
- Istanbul, Open Air Theater, Istanbul, Turkey, 1946, honorable mention.
- Cinema and Hotel Project, Ankara, Turkey, 1946, 2nd prize. (Leyla Turgut shared the second prize in the Cinema and Hotel Competition with Suat Erdeniz).
Publications:
- Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257. http://dergi.mo.org.tr/dergiler/2/76/752.pdf [Accessed February 28 2026.]
- Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107. http://dergi.mo.org.tr/dergiler/2/72/680.pdf [Accessed February 28 2026.]
Sources:
Koç, Pınar Bolel and Esma Igus Parmaksız. “Arşiv, Kadın, Kimlik: MSGSÜ Resim Heykel Müzesi Arşivi’nden Leyla Turgut Terekesi.” December 10, 2014. https://perma.cc/B54E-33UQ [Accessed April 19, 2016.]
Koç, Pınar Bolel and Esma Igus Parmaksız. “Arşiv, Kadın, Kimlik: MSGSÜ Resim Heykel Müzesi Arşivi’nden Leyla Turgut Terekesi.” December 10, 2014. https://perma.cc/B54E-33UQ [Accessed April 19, 2016.]
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
Özgüven, Yekta. “Türkiye’de Kadın Mimar Kariyeri’nin Başlangıcı.” Master thesis, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, 2002.
Text by the editor. “Ankara'da Yapılacak Bir Sinema - Otel Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 11-12 (1946): 257.
Text by the editor. “Istanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu Proje Müsabakası.” Arkitekt 5-6 (1946): 106-107.
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