‘Last Sumerian queen’ Muazzez Ilmiye Cig passes away at 110

Muazzez Ilmiye Cig, Türkiye’s celebrated Sumerologist, archaeologist and linguist, passed away on Sunday at the age of 110.

Revered for her groundbreaking work on Sumerian civilization, Cig’s passing marks the end of an era for Türkiye’s academic and cultural history. Cig is also known for her advocacy for secularism and women’s rights. Some of her past statements on secularism raised eyebrows in the conservative part of the political spectrum.

‘I am tired of living’: Reflective statement from trailblazer

In an interview in recent years, Cig expressed her emotional struggles in her later years, saying:

I’m astonished when I think about being 104. I never expected it. But now I am tired of living. I am deeply distressed, not for myself, but for everything happening around me. I worry constantly about my children and grandchildren. I’m terrified for them.

Life rooted in Türkiye’s history

Born in Bursa in 1914 to a Crimean Tatar family, Cig’s early life mirrored the turbulent times of World War I. Her family relocated to Corum in 1919 during the Greek occupation of Izmir and later returned to Bursa. She graduated from Bursa Girls’ Teacher Training School in 1931 and began teaching in Eskisehir, where her father also worked as a teacher.

In 1936, Cig pursued higher education in Hittitology at Ankara University’s faculty of languages, history and geography. There, she studied under prominent scholars such as Professor Hans Gustav Guterbock and Professor Benno Landsberger, who had fled Nazi Germany and brought their expertise to Türkiye.

Building legacy at Istanbul Archaeological Museums

After graduating in 1940, Cig joined the Istanbul Archaeological Museums as a specialist in cuneiform documents. Together with her colleagues Hatice Kizilyay and F. R. Kraus, she cataloged and archived 74,000 cuneiform tablets written in Sumerian, Akkadian, and Hittite languages. Over three decades, their meticulous work transformed the museum’s cuneiform collection into an invaluable resource for Mesopotamian studies.

Her achievements included creating 3,000 tablet copies for publication and representing Türkiye at major international conferences, such as the 1957 Munich Orientalists Congress and the 1988 Assyriology Congress in Philadelphia.

Beyond academia: Cultural contributions and advocacy

Cig translated “History Begins at Sumer” by Samuel Noah Kramer into Turkish, which the Turkish Historical Society published in 1990 as “Tarih Sumerle Baslar”. Inspired by its success, she authored 13 books introducing Sumerian and Hittite cultures, including “Journey to the Sumerians Through the Time Tunnel”, aimed at children.

Her retirement in 1972 did not slow her down; Cig continued her research, lectured internationally, and remained a vocal advocate for secularism and gender equality.

Muazzez Ilmiye Cig: Life of milestones

From organizing exhibitions like the Hittite Exhibition in Rome in 1965 to representing Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage in London, Cig’s career was filled with milestones. She remained an inspiration to countless scholars and readers through her writings and steadfast dedication to preserving Mesopotamian heritage.

Muazzez Ilmiye Cig’s lifelong contributions to archaeology, her defense of progressive ideals, and her passion for education will remain etched in Türkiye’s history. As “The Last Sumerian Queen,” her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.