In brief
- Haydar Karabey was born in Istanbul in 1948 and completed his architectural studies at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts.
- During his academic career, he taught at Yıldız Technical University, Anadolu University and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.
- Through Limited Mimarlık, which he founded, he designed around 200 architectural projects; half of them were built.
- His funeral will take place on 12 November at 13:00 at Afet Yolalan Mosque in Levent.
Architect, urban planner, educator and author Prof. Dr. Haydar Karabey died on 11 November 2026. Yapı Dergisi, which announced his death, reported that his professional life encompassed not only architecture and planning, but also academic work and writing. His funeral is scheduled for 12 November at 13:00 at Afet Yolalan Mosque in Levent.
Education and academic career
Born in Istanbul in 1948, Karabey graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1967. After completing his architectural studies at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts, he began working at the institution’s Department of Urban Planning. With a scholarship from the French government, he conducted research on urban planning at the Centre de Recherche d’Urbanisme in Paris.
Karabey completed his doctorate in 1978 and became an associate professor in 1981. After leaving the university, he taught as a visiting faculty member at Yıldız Technical University and Anadolu University. He returned to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2009 and taught there until his retirement in 2016.
Architecture and planning work
While continuing his academic work, Karabey also maintained an independent architecture and planning practice from the 1980s onward. Starting in the 1990s, he carried out his projects under the umbrella of Limited Mimarlık, which he founded. Over the course of his career, he designed around 200 architectural projects, half of which were built.
Karabey received awards in architectural competitions and served as a jury member and consultant for various competitions. The source does not provide project names or details of the awards. It does, however, describe a professional practice that combined design work with competitions and academic activity.
Writing and publishing
Karabey’s work extended beyond architectural projects. He wrote hundreds of articles on culture, society, design, the environment, cities and architecture. He served on the editorial boards of various publications, including Arredamento Mimarlık and the Chamber of Architects’ Mimarlık magazine.
His published books include Ben Sen O Biz Siz Çevremiz (1982), Eğitim Yapıları: Geleceğin Okullarını Planlamak ve Tasarlamak (2003), İstanbul Konuşmaları and Direnen İstanbul. The titles listed in the source show that Karabey wrote on a range of topics related to architecture and cities.
In the context of architecture and visualization practice
Karabey’s academic and professional career is a reminder that architectural work is not limited to drawing up projects; it is also connected to urban planning, writing, education and professional debate. His teaching and publishing activities are significant for architecture and interior architecture students as a way to communicate and discuss design decisions. For architects and visualization teams, however, the source provides no information about the technical files, software or visualization processes used for Karabey’s projects, so no conclusions can be drawn in these areas.
The funeral will take place on 12 November at 13:00 at Afet Yolalan Mosque in Levent. Condolences were extended to Karabey’s family, loved ones, students and the architectural community.
Sources
1 sourceSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
Haydar Karabey’s life and work show architecture firms and students that design practice, education, urban planning and writing are interconnected. The fact that he produced around 200 projects, half of which were built, invites us to consider both the design and realization sides of professional practice.
The article offers no new software, hardware or technical methods for visualization teams, so it would be wrong to expect any direct changes to their workflows. Karabey’s published writing and his book on educational buildings may be useful to firms interested in discussing the cultural and urban context of design decisions. The source does not specify whether the works are available digitally or what licensing terms apply, so these details should be verified before use.
Frequently asked questions
When did Haydar Karabey die?
Prof. Dr. Haydar Karabey died on 11 November 2026.
When and where is Haydar Karabey’s funeral?
The funeral will take place on 12 November at 13:00 at Afet Yolalan Mosque in Levent.
Which books did Haydar Karabey write?
The source mentions Ben Sen O Biz Siz Çevremiz, Eğitim Yapıları: Geleceğin Okullarını Planlamak ve Tasarlamak, İstanbul Konuşmaları and Direnen İstanbul.
