Firat Ciftci
I’m Firat, a software engineer at the University of Chicago Forum for Digital Culture. I work on software projects in digital humanities, focusing on front-end development. I live in Brooklyn, New York.
I build web applications that let data tell a story via rich, easy-to-use, and interactive interfaces; this includes software development, UI/UX design, and a lot of data analysis. I mainly use Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS.
One term a year, I teach Data Publication for the Humanities, a graduate-level class on data visualization and publication, where we begin from static HTML and end with a final project implemented in Svelte.
I earned my master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies, and my bachelor’s degrees in computer science and linguistics, from the University of Chicago.
Previously, I was the Head of the Web Development team at the Chicago Maroon, the independent student-run newspaper at the University of Chicago.
When I’m not coding, I’m probably , trying out a new wine bar in New York City, reading urbanist literature, or playing a strategy-based video game.
For the past few years, I’ve also been working on software projects related to Turkish etymology, toponymy, and history. Most of these projects are under the Nişanyan Projects umbrella; you can see examples of my work below.
Selected Projects
Nişanyan Sözlük
Nişanyan Sözlük is a comprehensive Turkish etymological dictionary founded by renowned linguist Sevan Nişanyan. It is an authoritative digital lexicon that documents the historical evolution and origins of Turkish vocabulary, also acting as a valuable resource for Persian, Arabic, Greek philology. My first work with Mr. Nişanyan, I have been maintaining and expanding the project since 2020. My responsibilities include data cleaning, full-stack development, linguistic research, and more.
View the project’s home pageThe dictionary entry for the word 'dolap' in Turkish
Nişanyan Yeradları
Nişanyan Yeradları is a database of past and present place names in Turkey and neighboring countries. It has >53,000 current items from Turkey, >11,000 from other countries, and a total of >72,000 historic names. Not visible to the public, it also includes an admin dashboard for managing the data; it is a full-stack application custom-built for this project.
View the project’s home pageThe entry for the city of Istanbul, showing its historical names, alongside any relevant context
Nişanyan Adlar
Nişanyan Adlar is the most comprehensive collection of personal names ever compiled in Turkey. It shows how frequently each name occurs in the population, including all spelling variations. The dictionary features visual representations of both geographical distribution patterns and population trends over time. It also includes an extensive collection of local, regional, and ethnically specific names.
View the project’s home pageThe entry for the name 'Fırat' in Turkish, showing its frequency and distribution, as well as etymology and sociological information
The Armenian Geography of Turkey
The Armenian Geography of Turkey is a Turkish translation of Sukias Eprigian’s unfinished masterpiece, The Illustrated Homeland Dictionary, published in Venice in two volumes dated 1902 and 1907. The website makes this work available with an interactive map, a search interface, and rich text entries that tie all data and metadata together.
View the project’s home pageResults of a map visualization of localities near Lake Van, displaying historical Armenian dwellings
Cinemetrics
Cinemetrics is an online tool for analyzing the visual style of films. It uses a combination of color, sound, and text analysis to create a visual style profile for each film. It collects, stores, and processes statistical data about films. Its goal is to create an extensive multi-faceted collection of digital data which will enable researchers to explore structure and evolution of film editing.
View the project’s home pageThe database entry for the film 'Intolerance' (1916), with its shot-by-shot analysis and relevant calculated data
Ottoman Inscriptions Project
This project aims to develop a searchable digital database comprising information about, as well as transliterations and pictures of, all the Turkish, Arabic and Persian architectural inscriptions created in the Ottoman lands during Ottoman times. This was the first project I worked on at the University of Chicago, and I was responsible for the data cleaning and processsing, design, and the full-stack development.
View the project’s home pageThe detail screen for the construction inscription of the Hasan Ağa fountain, found in the Galata district of Istanbul