Theodore Makridi

Theodor Makridi (Greek Θεόδωρος Μακρίδης, Theodore Macridy or Macridy -Bey, * 1872 in Constantine Opel, † December 1940 in Istanbul ) was an Ottoman Commissioner of Antiquities and curator of the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul.

Theodor Makridi was born in Constantinople Opel in 1872 as son of military doctor Ferid Pasha and Konstantin Makridi formed at Galatasaray High School. On April 1, 1892, he entered the service of one year before the newly founded Archaeological Museum Istanbul under the direction of Osman Hamdi Bey, first as a secretary for French. He remained there for 38 years and also worked under his successor Halil Ethem Bey, since 1923 as Assistant Director. In his capacity as Commissioner of the Ottoman Council of Antiquities, he participated in the Austrian excavations in Ephesus ( 1897/98, 1902/ 03, 1905/ 06) in part, as to the German excavations at Baalbek ( 1900-1902 ) and Sidon (1902 ). The world famous research was Makridi especially through his participation as a partner by Hugo Winckler in the excavations 1906-1907 and 1911-1912 in Bogazköy, the local relics were identified as Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire. He distinguished himself there and in other excavations, where he participated on behalf of the museum, especially through his organizational skills and his skills in dealing with local landowners and in the procurement of labor. His collaboration with Winckler, who is often described as difficult, is generally viewed positively.

He also conducted his own excavations, including Klaros and Notion (1904, 1907). After his retirement in 1930 he moved to Athens and was from 1931 to 1940 Founding Director of the Benaki Museum. Theodor Makridi died in December 1940 after a short illness in Istanbul.