Biography

[ Serhan
Gungor, professional tour guide, Abant, Turkey ] Born in Ankara in 1969, Serhan studied English at TED Ankara College, a private school, and received his B.S. in Political Science and Public Administration from the Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, in 1992. He pursued graduate work in Ottoman Social History at Istanbul’s Bogazici University and studied the historical geography of Turkey at Istanbul University. While at university, Serhan began working as a private guide.

During his years of military service, Serhan served not only as a Marine Lieutenant commanding troops in the operations of Turkish Navy, but also as a part-time protocol officer. In this capacity he organized tours and guided high-ranking NATO officials during visits to Turkey. Post-military, a corporate stint led Serhan to work in 16 countries, from Bulgaria to South Africa, as a factory certifier for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

After graduating from a rigorous, one-year training program, Serhan was certified as an official guide by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism in 1996. During the past decade, Serhan’s freelance activities have led him from one fascinating experience to the next – from working as a show translator and guide for David Copperfield’s Magic Show in Istanbul to hosting official guests of the Turkish government.

The scope of Serhan’s guiding is broad. He has led large cultural groups as well as special-interest private tours. Recently he shepherded a group of docents from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts on a three-week study of his country’s history, as revealed through its fine art and architecture. Serhan thrives on introducing guests to Turkey and enjoys the wide variety of people he meets – from teachers, historians, journalists and beach lovers to corporate CEOs. Furthermore, he has accompanied Turkish travelers to more than 20 countries, including the United States, Spain, Israel, Egypt and Hungary.

Serhan’s personal interests congregate around communication. An avid reader (social, political and economic history, as well as archaeology and art history) and follower of international politics, he is more than likely to engage you in a well-informed and lively conversation about the current state of the world. A lover of jazz and classical music, Serhan plays the piano and frequents music festivals. Having acted throughout his university years, Serhan has produced and presented radio programs, “Seyahatname” (Travelogue), for Istanbul stations, Yapi Radio and Acik Radio.

Serhan Güngör

Biography