On Monday 12 October 2026 (17:00 BST), we will be joined by Dr Toby Matthiesen for a lecture entitled “The Caliph, the Imam and the Orientalist: Rethinking the Global History of Sunni-Shiʿi Relations.” Further information and the link to Zoom registration is available here. On Monday 19 October 2026 (14:00
Posted in: Academic items1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow for Middle East and North Africa Studies: Peace and Conflict Studies/International Relations/Comparative Politics or International Political Economy, GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies, Hamburg Qualification: A very good doctoral degree in Social Sciences (Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, or Economics and related Disciplines) or History. –
Posted in: Academic itemsCALL FOR PAPERS (Submitted by Mahroo Moosavi)
ASSOCIATION FOR ART HISTORY 2027 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
7-9 April 2027, University of Exeter
Marginal Art-histories of Safavid Isfahan
This panel explores marginal art-historical narratives to re-examine normative understandings of the arts of Safavid (1501-1722) city of Isfahan. Challenging the art historical tradition of considering Isfahan as a place of ‘courtly’ productions as its main output, the panel draws attention to the acknowledgement that artistic scenes in the cosmopolitan Isfahan, were woven phenomena and shift the focus on the question of the agency of the marginal groups in fashioning multiple meanings of art/architecture in the city. Current scholarship concentrates primarily on the artistic-political representation of Isfahan as the Safavid empire capital. It focusses especially on major urban ensembles, such as Naqsh-i Jahān Maydan and Chahār-bāgh Avenue, and elite courtly manuscripts and single-page paintings by celebrated artists of the time. In contrast, this panel investigates minority and peripheral artistic agency. This agency is largely absent from art historical discourse yet actively present in Safavid Isfahan, as shown by surviving non-courtly manuscripts, objects, and buildings.
How were several minority groups such as Armenians and Jews perceived and received in the Isfahani artistic communities? What was the place of marginal groups like women in art – such as book arts? How were these groups approached and documented in the historical accounts of the time? Are manuscript paintings of 17th-century Isfahan mere representatives of the ‘visible’ part of the society? Are the dominant narratives of art and society devoid of traces of the artistic productions of the ‘invisible’ and vice versa? How did possibly a fusion – or seclusion – of the marginal arts take place and how can we use this new knowledge in rewriting art histories of Iran?
This panel invites fresh perspectives, addressing the methodological urgency and reforming the analytical lens for the study of Safavid art/architecture through the perspective of marginal art history. Such reforming may take place through revisiting the relationship between the artist’s beliefs, emotions, and the society and questioning the pre-assumed hierarchical systems and dichotomies of Safavid Isfahan and the way multiple fragments of it negotiated and functioned towards the artistic production.
For the session details, see:
https://forarthistory.org.uk/60-marginal-art-histories-of-safavid-isfahan/
Please submit your abstract (maximum of 250 words) for a presentation of about 15-20 minutes via the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form by 23:59 UK, Sunday, 25 October 2026.
For further questions, email the convenor at: Mahroo.moosavi@khi.fi.it
Please note that you will need to be an AAH member and register for the conference to take part and present your paper.
For further information, see:
https://forarthistory.org.uk/conference/2027-exeter/
1. Reconfigurer les savoirs sur l’Asie centrale : dynamiques et défis disciplinaires Journée d’études jeudi 3 et vendredi 4 décembre 2026 INALCO, Auditorium Dumézil, 2 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris Cette quatrième journée d’études est organisée dans le cadre des activités du GIS MoyenOrient et Mondes musulmans (MOMM), en partenariat
Posted in: Academic itemsThe fall programme of the lecture series on Material Culture, Art, and Architecture of Pre-Safavid Shiʿism is now out.
We will begin on Wednesday, September 23, with a lecture by Ed Hayes and Leone Pecorini Goodall entitled:
Non-Fatimid Epigraphic Depictions of the Alid Family
As usual, we will convene at 15:30 CET on Zoom.
If you would like to attend, please register for the lecture here.
The rest of the fall programme is as follows:
October 7th, 15:30 CET
Bernard O’Kane, American University in Cairo
“The Name of ʿAlī in Architectural Inscriptions”
November 25th, 15:30 CET
Lyla Halsted, Davidson College
“Invoking the Imams: Tracing Medieval Islamic Amuletic and Talismanic Practices to Early Shiʿi Sources”
December 2026 (date TBC)
May Farhat, Lebanese American University
Title TBC
Articles on “Digital Humanities in Alewi-Bektashi Studies” for a Special Issue of the “International Journal of Alevi-Bektashi Studies (IJABS)”
This issue will explore the growing role of Digital Humanities in the study of Alevi and Bektashi commu-nities, histories, cultures, and religious traditions. We welcome proposals engaging with the ways digital methods, tools, archives, and technologies can open new avenues for research in Alevi-Bektashi Studies.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/wzdce6rv. Contact: akstump@wm.edu
1. Exhibition preopening weekend: The Heart’s Desire – Sufi Collections and Contemporary Art Exploring Shawq (Longing) The Heart’s Desire Musée d’Art et de Culture Soufis MTO, Chatou, France 3 October 2026 – 12 September 2027 The Heart’s Desire, curated by Jessica Cerasi, explores longing in all its forms and its
Posted in: Academic items1. Intellect is pleased to present Performing Islam Volume 14 For more information about the journal and issue click here>> https://www.intellectbooks.com/performing-islam Aims & Scope Performing Islam is the first peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal about Islam and performance and their related aesthetics. The journal covers dance, ritual, theatre, performing arts, visual arts
Posted in: Academic items