Ayse Yasar

• 10.2008 - 07.2012: B.A. in Islamic Theology, Marmara University
• 09.2013 - 10.2018: Teacher of Religion and Ethics, Turkish Ministry of Education
• 10.2018 - 07.2021: M.A. in Islamic Studies, University of Erfurt
• 03.2022 - Present: PhD candidate in Religious Studies, University of Erfurt
• Since 10.2025: Full member of the graduate program "Glocal Religiosities: Entanglements, Identities, Belongings," University of Erfurt

Annemarie Schimmel's Contribution to History of Religion in Türkiye

This research explores the intellectual and academic contributions of Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003) to the formation and institutionalisation of the history of religions as an academic discipline in modern Türkiye, with particular attention to her role as the first non-Muslim and female scholar to teach in the Faculty of Islamic Theology.

The study analyses Schimmel's contribution to the development of the history of religions in Türkiye by focusing on her teaching years at Ankara University (1954-1959), her published works, her collaboration with Turkish scholars, and her influential publication "Dinler Tarihine Giriş" (Introduction to the History of Religions), while also examining the political and intellectual background of Türkiye during the 1950s.

The research draws on sources in German, English, and Turkish, including archival materials, university publications, and personal letters. It highlights Annemarie Schimmel's lasting impact on the academic study of the history of religions in Türkiye, her pioneering role in its early development, and the way her influence continued through the students and scholars she taught and stayed in contact with throughout her career.