Background
Sayılı was born in Istanbul on 2 May 1913.
Sayılı was born in Istanbul on 2 May 1913.
Sayılı graduated from Atatürk High School in Ankara in 1933. His career was aided by chance meeting with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, whom he impressed enough to receive a state-supported scholarship to attend Harvard University, where he studied the history of science. In 1942, Sayılı obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in history of science at Harvard University under supervision of George Sarton.
His Doctor of Philosophy thesis focused on the scientific institutions in the Islamic world and represents one of the first Doctor of Philosophy theses written on Islamic studies in Harvard University.
Sayılı"s portrait is depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 5 lira banknote issued in 2009. He had two sisters. Sayılı began to work at the department of philosophy at Ankara University in 1943.
He became associate professor in 1946 and full professor in 1952. He was promoted to be distinguished professor in 1958.
Sayılı retired in 1983, and was appointed the head of the Atatürk Culture Center in 1984.
His term lasted until 1993. Sayılı died of a heart attack in Ankara on 15 October 1993, aged 80. He was buried at Cebeci cemetery in Ankara on 18 October 1993.
In 1973, Aydın Sayılı was awarded by the Polish government with the Copernicus Medal for his work on the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. In 1977, he was decorated by the TÜBİTAK Service Award. In 1980 he was selected as a member of the International Editorial Committee of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In 1981, he was awarded by Istanbul University the Excellent Service Award and in 1990 he was decorated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Award for his lifetime achievements.
He also served as member of the Turkish History Society and International Academy of History of Science.
