NEWS
“Bingöl: History, Culture and Civilization Symposium” Held at Bingöl University
The opening program of the “Bingöl: History, Culture and Civilization Symposium”, organized by Bingöl University in coordination with the Bingöl Research, Application and Research Center and the Bingöl Journalists Association, was successfully held. The symposium, which took place between May 14–16, 2026, brought together academics, researchers, students, and numerous invited guests.
During the opening program, a recorded video message from the Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz, was shared with the participants. Opening remarks were also delivered by Acting Mayor of Bingöl Hasan Çeçen, Rector of Bingöl University Prof. Dr. Erdal Çelik, Chairman of the Symposium Organizing Committee and Vice Rector of Bingöl University Prof. Dr. Abdülhakim Koçin, and President of the Bingöl Journalists Association Murat Çaka. In their speeches, the speakers emphasized the importance of making Bingöl’s historical and cultural values more visible through scholarly research and highlighted the symposium’s potential contribution to the academic literature.
In his address, Rector Prof. Dr. Erdal Çelik underlined the importance of documenting Bingöl’s historical and cultural heritage through scientific studies. He stated that universities play a vital role in preserving and transmitting the cultural memory of cities to future generations. Emphasizing that the symposium would contribute to the academic evaluation of Bingöl’s civilizational heritage, Prof. Dr. Çelik noted that bringing together researchers from different disciplines creates a valuable intellectual and scientific environment.
The symposium featured a wide range of topics, including the history of Bingöl from prehistoric times to the Republican era, language and oral culture, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, gastronomy, sociological structures, geography, geopolitics and earthquake realities, economic structure, and regional development.
Aiming to examine the region’s historical, cultural, and sociological heritage from a scientific perspective, the symposium sought to evaluate various dimensions of Bingöl’s civilizational memory and enrich the academic understanding of the region.
The symposium continued on May 14 and 15 with both in-person and online sessions held throughout the day.
