Renowned Turkish archeologist, linguist and Sumerologist Muazzez Ilmiye Çığ, passed away at the age of 110 last Monday. Çığ, who is one of the most significant figures of Turkish science history was called ‘the last Sumerian queen’ by the people for her groundbreaking research on Sumerian civilization and Mesopotamian culture.
Muazzez Ilmiye Çığ was born in 1914, shortly before the first world war. Her father, who was a teacher, greatly valued education and provided her daughter good education opportunities which was not common at the time. In 1936, she started studying Hittitology at Ankara University Faculty of Language and History-Geography. She took classes on Mesopotamian culture and learned Hittite, Sumerian and Akkadian language from German professors who fled the Nazis.
By the time she graduated in 1940, she was already specialized in Sumerian, Assyrian and Hittite civilizations and started working in the Istanbul Archeology Museum. Furthermore, she made an archive consisting of 74,000 clay tablets of cuneiform script and deciphered and published around 7,000 tablets.
She has demonstrated the importance of common cultural heritage with her research on the connections of Sumerian culture with other ancient cultures around the world. Moreover, she suggested that there may be cultural ties between Sumerians and Turks. She stated that the creation myths, sacred animal figures and the meanings attributed to the elements of nature in the Sumerians can also be found in ancient Turkish mythology. Her comparisons of these two cultures, especially in terms of language and some traditions, have been the subject of debate in academic circles. In this context, she supported the view that mythological stories may resemble each other as a result of cultural exchange.
Additionally, Çığ argued that the ancestors of the Sumerians may have originated from Central Asia and therefore they may have a common history with the Turks. She suggested that migrations from Central Asia to Mesopotamia strengthened the possibility that the Sumerians may have been related to the Turks. This view has attracted interest, especially among Turkish historians, but it is not a generally accepted scientific view. Çığ drew attention to this as an area that needs to be researched rather than establishing a definite connection.
Çığ pointed out that women had an important status in Sumerian society, pointing out that women had rights such as property rights, freedom to work and divorce according to information obtained from Sumerian texts. She stated that this information highlights the striking contrast of women having advanced rights in an ancient civilization while in many modern societies strict restrictions are being imposed on women.
In her book titled “The Sumerian Origins of the Qur’an, Bible and Torah,” she also claimed that the headscarf originated in Sumerian culture, not within Islam, and that many stories from the scriptures are actually Sumerian legends. These claims infuriated religious and Islamic circles and in 2007, she was put on trial following a public lawsuit that was filed against her on the charge of inciting the public to hatred and hostility. She received massive support from the public and was acquitted at the first hearing.
Apart from her academic work, Çığ has written many books and articles to spread historical awareness and explain the history and culture of the Sumerians to the public. She also aimed to convey Mesopotamian cultural heritage to new generations by publishing books for children.
Ultimately, Muazzez Ilmiye Çığ left behind a remarkable legacy by dedicating her life to uncovering and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Sumerians and Mesopotamian civilizations. Çığ not only redefined historical narratives but also inspired generations to value and preserve humanity’s shared cultural heritage.
Edited by: Derya Yener