SALT Research comprises a specialised library and an archive of physical and digital sources and documents on visual practices, the built environment, social life and economic history.

Collections at SALT Research focus on the period from the late 19th century to the present day with an emphasis on Turkey -primarily Istanbul- and the geographies of the Southeast Mediterranean and Southeast Europe. The collections include visual and textual sources and documents on the art history of Turkey post 1950, the development of architecture and design in Turkey since the beginning of the 20th century, and the transformations in society and the region from the last century of the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic up until the 1990s. These are all accessible from saltresearch.org. Publications, including books and periodicals, are available for research at SALT Research.

Physical documents held by SALT Research are preserved in professional archival storage with light, temperature and humidity controlled conditions.

Based on the resources and documents it houses, SALT Research proposes a fellowship activity that focuses on studying the presence and structure of American Board mission in Anatolia and Balkans including life in various mission institutions such  as schools, hospitals and publishing houses. The research is intended to cover, reveal and interpret the sources of economic development, social life, building of cities, identity-building at local level.

The proposed fellowship opportunity will require the performance of following activities:

Through building contacts with relevant individuals and organisations, compilation and study of visual documents and texts that reveal the relations between Protestant Armenians and the Mission, the role of Protestant Armenians in the economic and social life of the city, their relations with the state, their contribution to the building of the city, and based on the research findings production of outputs that can be shared for public discussion.  

EXPECTED PROFILE

  • A researcher with a Master’s or a PhD degree 
  • Interest in the social, economic and urban history of Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century
  • Prior knowledge about the Armenian life in Anatolia
  • Good command of English
  • Capable of reading and analysing the Armenian texts and handwritings in the archives
  • Capable of reading and analysing the Turkish texts written in Armenian script
  • Preferably, capable of reading Turkish and Ottoman texts
  • The capacity to reach out to resources kept at various institutions for the purpose of the study
  • The capacity to build cooperation with different institutions

CONDITIONS OF THE FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The fellow is expected be conduct his/her fellowship activity at least three days per week with flexible hours. The weekends and official holidays are off days. 

Fellowship will be implemented in Istanbul, Turkey.

PROPOSED TIME FOR THE FELLOWSHIP 

4 months between October 2017 and February 2018