About the İstanbul Research Institute

As manifested through Pera Museum founded in 2005, İstanbul Research Institute is the second significant step in the wide spectrum of culture and arts projects Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation has pioneered since its establishment in 2003, in the fields of culture, arts, education and healthcare. İstanbul Research Institute continues to exist within the premises of a historical building constructed in Tepebaşı by renowned architect Guglielmo Semprini in the 19th century and renovated by restorer and architect Sinan Genim.

The renowned capital of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations, İstanbul is the foremost starting point in discovering its identity as a megalopolis, or "mega city," shaped over thousands of years, as well as in exploring the diverse cultural geographies surrounding the city. Therefore, İstanbul Research Institute follows the traces of civilization from the center towards the periphery, focusing on the cultural structure and the human profile, including Byzantine, Ottoman and the Republican periods of the İstanbul. In doing so, the Institute aims as its main targets, to develop and support projects in light of these relevant research areas and to organize local and international conferences and other activities, consequently sharing the results with relevant institutions and the public through the media. The Institute aspires to realize its main objectives through the programs of the Byzantine, Ottoman and Republic Studies Sections its holds.

İstanbul Research Institute continues to exist within the premises of a historical building constructed in Tepebaşı by renowned architect Guglielmo Semprini in the 19th century. Aside from its "Gallery," designed to carry the exhibitions the establishment produces, and the "Atatürk and Republic Studies" Ottoman Studies" and "Byzantine Studies" sections, the institute houses a library accessible to the public, as well as an Information-Documentation Center. Through these sub-divisions, İRI is designed a research institution, which strives to represent İstanbul impeccably on an international platform, while upholding contemporary scientific criteria.