Bosphorus University grants photography master Ara Güler honorary doctorate

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

(L to R) Orhan Pamuk, Gülay Barbarosoğlu and Ara Güler are seen at the doctorate ceremony. AA Photo

Turkey’s photography master Ara Güler has received an honorary doctorate from Istanbul's Bosphorus University, presented at a ceremony on July 1 at the university’s Albert Long Hall by the university's rector, Professor Gülay Barbarosoğlu.

Güler was presented with the title due to his successful work in technical and artistic photography and for promoting Turkey’s history and daily life to the world. 

After putting on the gown at the ceremony, Güler said, “I have become a doctor,” and added that he has never thought of giving a speech in such a location before.

“I don’t know what I am thinking now. Actually this is my third doctorate, but these stimulate me. From now on I will look at the world better for you, I will add new things,” the aging master said. 

Barbarasoğlu said that although Güler prefers to call him a “world citizen," he was the first person to come to mind when it came to Istanbul.

She said Güler told history not with a spoken language, but with the universal language of images, even though he is reluctant to describe himself as a “photography artist.” 

“This is why besides being a bridge between cultures, Güler also connects generations to each other,” Barbarasoğlu added.

Pamuk: Güler’s archive an ocean 

Meanwhile, Nobel laureate writer Orhan Pamuk, who also attended the ceremony, said Turkey was proud of Güler as its "world photographer," even during the 1970s.

“My first books were released in the 1980s. I was thinking ‘How famous should I be in order for Güler to take my photos?’ That day came and he took my photo for the first time in 1994. Then I said, ‘So I am a writer.’ After 2000, I used his archive for my books. His archive is a vast ocean for me. It is the visual treasure of Istanbul. Our main mission is to maintain his archive,” Pamuk said.