Ahmet Halûk Dursun (1957–2019) was an academic and state administrator recognized as one of the prominent figures in Turkish historiography for his field-based approach to history, high-level roles in cultural bureaucracy, and efforts to instill historical awareness in younger generations.

He was born in Hereke in 1957. After completing his secondary education at Galatasaray High School, he graduated from the Department of Late Antiquity and Republic of Turkey History at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University. He began his academic career as an assistant at Marmara University’s Atatürk Faculty of Education. He completed his master’s and doctoral studies in the Department of Modern History at the same university and earned the titles of associate professor and later professor in the field of "History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization".^【1】 At the university, he taught courses on Byzantine and Western European history, Early Modern and Modern European history, Ottoman institutions, and Turkish cultural history.^【2】

He supported his academic work with visionary projects in public administration. As General Consultant for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culture Inc., he contributed to the development of the Miniatürk Project and served as Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Automobile and Tourism Association.^【3】

• Ayasofya Period (2006–2012): He served as Director and Manager of Ayasofya Museum. During this period, he opened the Ottoman sultans’ tombs within the museum to the public as the "Museum of Death Culture." He ensured that children received lessons on Ayasofya in the Sıbyan Mektebi and revived the Müze Dergisi, a journal that had not been published for 17 years.^【4】
• Topkapı Palace Period (2012–2014): As Director of Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi, he launched the "Palace Lessons" program. He reinstated traditional Ramadan activities in the Sacred Relics Department and revived the Ashure program during Muharram. Emphasizing that Topkapı Palace was not merely a museum, he revived the Traditional Audience Ceremony (Bayramlaşma) and the "Baklava Procession," reintroducing the custom of serving baklava and palace sherbet in copper trays.^【5】 During this period, he also demonstrated sensitivity by leaving the window of the imperial chamber open for birds.^【6】 This gesture was widely noted and praised.^【7】
• Ministerial Appointments: In 2014, he was appointed as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and in 2018, he became Deputy Minister. During his tenure as Undersecretary, he led the establishment of the Gallipoli Historical Area Directorate for the Çanakkale Wars and personally planned reforestation efforts following a wildfire in the region.^【8】

Throughout his life, he was a dedicated public servant who believed in the ideal of a "comprehensive campaign for cultural development."^【9】 As Undersecretary, he implemented the project "City-People Civilization Bridge: Model Personalities", aiming to revive the forgotten tradition of "Istanbul beyefendiliği" and offer role models to youth. This initiative drew inspiration from Ali Fuat Başgil’s work Gençlerle Başbaşa.^【10】 He produced television programs such as Tarih Mekân and İncir Çekirdeği, and served as a consultant for documentaries including Kudüs, Tuna, and Mimar Sinan.^【12】 In the final years of his life, he delivered numerous lectures to young people in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia to foster historical consciousness.^【13】

^{Anadolo Ajansı Tarafından Hazırlanan İnfografik (}AA⁾

Some of his major works on Istanbul and Ottoman geography include:

• The Art of Living in Istanbul
• Ottoman Writings from the Nile to the Danube
• Elegy of the Danube
• Journey through Ottoman Geography
• Forty Years on the Bosphorus
• Ayasofya Museum Cultural Inventory
• İncir Çekirdeği: I Left Hereke and Took the Road
• City and Culture: Istanbul (Editor)
• Civilization Bridge: Five Cities (Editor)^【14】

Elveda Boğaziçi, his essay series, earned him the Journalism Expertise Award (1989). His book Nil'den Tuna'ya received the Gezi Writers Award (2002). In 2010, he was awarded the "Rotondi Art Savior Award" in Italy for his conservation work at Ayasofya. In 2011, he received the Istanbul Tourism "Event Award" for his Istanbul-centered initiatives, and posthumously in 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award.^{【15】【16】}

^{A. Halûk Dursun'un Mezarı (}AA⁾

On 19 August 2019, while in the Erciş district of Van to promote awareness of Malazgirt and Ahlat among youth—regions central to the formation of Anatolian historical and cultural identity—he died at the age of 62 in a traffic accident. His funeral was held at Sultanahmet Camii, and he was buried in his hometown of Hereke.^【17】