The speaker, a historian specializing in the Seljuk period, shares insights from their 30-year academic journey focused on understanding the history of Southeast and Eastern Anatolia. They highlight the limitations of relying solely on historical texts and archives, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches that include geography, archaeology, and other sciences. This approach has been particularly useful in projects like locating the site of the Battle of Manzikert, where traditional historical narratives were challenged by geographical and scientific evidence. The speaker underscores the importance of integrating various disciplines to gain a comprehensive understanding of historical events and to make history relevant to contemporary and future contexts. The speaker recounts their experiences in field research, illustrating how geographical insights and collaboration with experts from other disciplines have enriched their understanding of historical events. For instance, the project to determine the exact location of the Battle of Manzikert involved analyzing geographical features and collaborating with geologists and archaeologists. This interdisciplinary method revealed discrepancies between historical texts and actual geographical conditions, such as the terrain of the battle site. The speaker advocates for this approach as essential for accurately interpreting historical events and suggests that future research should continue to embrace interdisciplinary collaboration.