Reşat Ekrem Koçu

Reşat Ekrem Koçu (1905 – July 6, 1975) was a Turkish writer and historian. His best known work is his unfinished Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi), which recounts many tales of Istanbul from Ottoman times. Koçu and his colorful depictions of Ottoman Istanbul are celebrated in Orhan Pamuk's book Istanbul: Memories and the City.

Koçu was born in İstanbul. After completing his high-school education at Bursa Erkek Lisesi in the north-western town of Bursa, Koçu studied history at İstanbul University, where he later worked as a researcher of the Ottoman period. From 1933, in the wake of Atatürk's secularist reform of the Turkish university system, Koçu taught history in the high schools of Alman, Kuleli, Pertevniyal and Vefa in Istanbul. During his teaching years, Koçu also published poems, stories and novels.

Koçu's best known work is his Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi), which evokes many different aspects of the ancient city, including many stories from Ottoman times. The first volume of this unfinished work was brought out by Koçu in 1958. In 1973, financial difficulties forced Koçu to interrupt composition at the eleventh volume, while still working on the letter B. The text is accompanied by fanciful line illustrations.

Koçu's other works include Forsa Halil (1962), Patrona Halil (1967), Erkek Kızlar (1962), Haşmetli Yosmalar (1962), Türk Giyim, Kuşam ve Süsleme Sözlüğü (1967), Osmanlı Padişahları (1960) and Eski İstanbul'da Meyhaneler ve Meyhane Köçekleri (1947).

The novelist Orhan Pamuk describes Koçu as a major source of inspiration during his childhood years. An entire section of Pamuk's largely autobiographical work Istanbul: Memories and the City is devoted to Koçu.