A conference titled “From Mesopotamia to the Present: The Epic of Gilgamesh” was organized by the Islamic Civilization Application and Research Center at Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU).
The conference, held at the HKU Cine Amphitheater, was attended by Prof. Dr. Latife Özaydın, Dean of the Faculty of Education at HKU; Dr. Murat Erkoç, Faculty Member of the Department of Primary Education within the Faculty of Education; and numerous students.
Delivering the keynote address, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Çelik, Faculty Member of the Department of History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, evaluated the Epic of Gilgamesh—regarded as one of the earliest written works in human history—within the framework of modern philosophy and contemporary social dynamics. In his remarks, Çelik stated:
“Gilgamesh’s journey, which begins with his reign as the King of Uruk, transforms into a quest for wisdom, inviting reflection on human finitude and existential inquiry. This epic is not merely an ancient literary text; it presents a multilayered field of meaning extending from phenomenology to ecology, and from post-humanism to political philosophy. Establishing a strong intellectual bridge between the cultural heritage of Mesopotamia and contemporary thought, the text also bears historical connections to Anatolia and the geography of Gaziantep, engaging with local memory through elements such as the Euphrates River and the Amanos Mountains.”
It is anticipated that the conference will serve as a significant foundation for comprehensive and scholarly studies to be conducted in this field in the future. As part of the program, students had the opportunity to pose questions on topics of interest, and the event concluded with a commemorative group photograph.
