معرفی
Professor Sibel Zandi-Sayek is a Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the College of William and Mary, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. Trained as an architect, urban planner, and architectural historian, she joined the university in 2002. She holds professional degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Her research focuses on the material dimensions of cross-cultural exchange, particularly how built environments mediate trade, colonialism, and trans-imperial migration. She teaches global perspectives on modern architecture and urbanism, public space, built heritage, and commemorative landscapes. Her work has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, and the Fulbright Institute.
Her award-winning book, Ottoman Izmir: The Rise of a Cosmopolitan Port, 1840-1880 (2012), examines spatial politics and identity in a 19th-century global hub. She co-founded the Asian and Middle East Studies (AMES) Program (2010–2013) and served as Reviews Editor for the International Journal of Islamic Architecture (2017–2020). Current research explores 19th-century architecture, industrial technologies, and knowledge networks in Europe and the Ottoman Empire.
- Awards:
- M. Fuat Köprülü Prize in Ottoman and Turkish Studies (2013)
- National Endowment for the Humanities Grant
- Fulbright Institute Grant
Her work bridges architectural history with interdisciplinary global studies, emphasizing material culture and colonial encounters.
