Prof. A. Tuba Ökse is considered a truly distinguished Turkish archaeology scholar who has achieved widespread international acclaim. Affiliated with Kocaeli University, she has completed and continues to lead numerous projects, expanding from Hittite sanctuaries in central Türkiye to the earliest Neolithic sites along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Upper Mesopotamia, enhancing our knowledge of Anatolian cultures and civilizations for the past four decades. To celebrate Prof. Ökse’s outstanding academic legacy, which has been praised by the national and international community alike, colleagues, students and friends have compiled a Festschrift aptly titled “From the Halys to the Euphrates and Tigris: In the Footsteps of Cultures and Civilizations. Studies in Honour of A. Tuba Ökse” for her 65th birthday. The editorial committee includes Assoc. Prof. Thomas Zimmermann of the Department of Archaeology and former Bilkent Archaeology graduate student Dr. Şakir Can (now Kocaeli University, Department of Archaeology). The admiration and respect for Prof. Ökse is well reflected in 907 pages of essays showcasing a wide range of topics that the laureate inspired. Particularly noteworthy are the articles authored by Prof. Ökse’s PhD supervisor, distinguished Near Eastern archaeologist Prof. Hartmut Kühne, and retired Bilkent Archaeology faculty member Dr. Marie-Henriette Gates, who both contributed with original studies of previously unpublished materials. The ingenuity of these and all the other contributions will make this book a landmark resource for future research on Anatolian and Mesopotamian archaeology alike.
The book is available at Bilgin Publishers: (https://www.bilgin yayinevi.com/a-tuba-okseye-armagan-kizilirmaktan-firat-ve-dicleye-kulturlerin-ve-uygarliklarin-izinde)