Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Middle Eastern Studies, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
The Ottoman Empire witnessed increasing state intervention in archaeology, culminating in the 1906 Antiquities Regulation, which aimed to end irregular practices and strengthen state authority over antiquities. Yet, as in earlier decades, the early implementation of this new law exposed persistent tensions between centralised regulation, bureaucratic uncertainty and informal diplomacy. This article examines these dynamics by analysing the interactions between foreign researchers and the bureaucratic and diplomatic structures of the late Ottoman Empire, using Gertrude Bell’s and William Ramsay’s 1907 survey at Binbirkilise as a case study; it was one of the first archaeological projects to be authorised under the new framework. Drawing on Bell’s correspondence and diaries, together with Ottoman archival materials and documents preserved in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, this study highlights how the process of securing permits revealed inconsistencies within the administration and how personal relationships with Ottoman officials, particularly Osman Hamdi Bey, shaped outcomes on the ground. By situating the Binbirkilise survey within broader transformations in Ottoman antiquities policy, the article shows both the challenges of enforcing the 1906 regulation and the Ottoman state’s growing commitment to protecting and preserving archaeological material.