Nurcin Ileri

Nurcin Ileri earned her PhD in History from Binghamton University in 2015, where her dissertation, A Nocturnal History of fin de siècle Istanbul, delved into the overlooked social and material landscapes of the city’s nightlife, moving beyond the typical contrasts of opulence versus vice. Her work has been featured in prominent journals like Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East and Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association. From 2012 to 2018, she taught late Ottoman and contemporary Turkish history at Boğaziçi and Işık Universities, while also serving as assistant coordinator at Boğaziçi University’s Archives and Documentation Center, where she spearheaded a project on Istanbul’s scientific and cultural histories through personal archives.

As a EUME Fellow from 2020 to 2023, Ileri was affiliated with Humboldt University’s IGK Work and Human Life Cycle in Global History (re-work), and with support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, she continues her research as an associated fellow at the Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin and a visiting researcher at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam.

Parallel to her academic path, music has always played a key role in İleri’s life. She was the vocalist for the band Farfara (2009–2011) and has been the lead singer of “Muhtelif” since 2013. This group performs an eclectic mix of Eastern Mediterranean folk songs in multiple languages, keeping tradition alive through their vibrant performances.