ı l ı ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ist an bul ▁on ▁ 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁His ▁parents ▁were ▁Abd ur rah man ▁Say ı l ı ▁( 1 8 7 5 – 1 9 5 4 ) ▁and ▁Su at ▁Say ı l ı ▁( 1 8 8 9 – 1 9 5 1 ). ▁He ▁had ▁two ▁sister s . ▁Say ı l ı ▁graduated ▁from ▁At at ür k ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁An k ara ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁His ▁career ▁was ▁a ided ▁by ▁chance ▁meeting ▁with ▁Must af a ▁K em al ▁At at ür k , ▁whom ▁he ▁im pressed ▁enough ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁state - supported ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁attend ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁science . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Say ı l ı ▁obtained ▁a ▁Ph D ▁degree ▁in ▁history ▁of ▁science ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University ▁under ▁super vision ▁of ▁George ▁S art on . ▁His ▁Ph D ▁th esis ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁scientific ▁institutions ▁in ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁world ▁and ▁represents ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Ph D ▁th eses ▁written ▁on ▁Islam ic ▁studies ▁in ▁Harvard ▁University . ▁ ▁Career ▁Say ı l ı ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁philosophy ▁at ▁An k ara ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁He ▁became ▁associate ▁professor ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁and ▁full ▁professor ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁be ▁distinguished