1.Islamic Texts Society (ITS)

New al-Ghazali Titles

We are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of

Al-Ghazali on Proper Conduct for Reciting the Qur’an

and

Al-Ghazali on Proper Conduct when Listening to Music 

and the Experience of Ecstasy.

These two new additions to our popular al-Ghazali series will be available to purchase from 15 September 2025.

Forthcoming Titles

 

 

 

 

2. Fons Vitae – al-Ghazali works

https://fonsvitae.com/product-category/sufism/al-ghazali/

 

 

 

 

3. Challenging Maps and Exploration: A Sunderland Collection Symposium

30 October, 2025, 9.30-4.00, London and online

Join us for a day of expert panels discussing the connections, historical and contemporary, between maps and exploration. This event is generously sponsored and co-organised by The Sunderland Collection and hosted by the Royal Geographical Society. It is free to attend and hybrid; prospective attendees must register to come in-person or online.

For each panel, speakers will present their thoughts on the theme via one or more maps. Then, the chair will lead the speakers through a discussion of the topic, followed by questions from the audience. At lunch, a table-top display of relevant maps will be shown in the Foyle Reading Room.

The panels will be filmed and made available online at oculi-mundi.com after the event.

Schedule

• 9.30am – Coffee/tea
• 10.00am – Panel 1: cartographic encounters with empire. Panellists: Ed Armston-Sheret (RGS), Sujit Sivasundaram (Cambridge). Chair: Katherine Parker (RGS-IBG).
• 11.15am – Break
• 11:30am – Panel 2: cartographic encounters with Indigeneity. Panellists: Michael Bravo (Cambridge), Rohini Rai (Brunel). Chair: Sana Murrani (Plymouth).
• 12.45pm – Lunch
• 2.00pm – Panel 3: cartographic encounters with contemporary exploring. Panellists: Felicity Aston and Phoebe Smith. Chair: Tom Allen (RGS-IBG).

Advance booking for this event is required. Please book here: https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/challenging-maps-symposium

Contact Information

Katherine Parker

Contact Email

k.parker@rgs.org

 

 

 

 

4. Latest issue of Arab Media and Society

https://www.arabmediasociety.com/post_issue/issue-38-summer-fall-2024/

 

 

 

 

 

5. CFP: The IV International Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Symposium on the History of Islamic Sciencewill take place in Istanbulon November 20–21, 2025, hosted by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University.

The main theme of this year’s symposium is “Islamic Geography and Maritime History.” The symposium will be held in person, and submission of an abstract indicates a commitment to attend. Presentations are welcome in Turkish, English, or Arabic.

Symposium Focus

One of the fields to which Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin dedicated considerable attention in his studies on the history of Islamic science was geography. In his seminal series “Geschichte des Arabischen Schrifttums,” Sezgin devoted six volumes exclusively to the history of geography and cartography, meticulously analysing Islamic contributions, particularly in mathematical geography, descriptive geography, human geography, cartography, and travel literature. He emphasised the significant impact of Islamic maps on the European cartographic tradition, underscoring the inseparable link between cartography and geographical thought, and highlighting its substantial influence on Western scientific heritage.

The organic link established among astronomy, geography, and maritime sciences in the Islamic world was a crucial driving force behind scientific progress. Beginning from the 9th century, this interdisciplinary knowledge was not limited to theoretical insights but materialised through instruments and methods such as celestial globes, astrolabes, terrestrial models, and maps.

A significant aspect of this accumulated knowledge is maritime practice and navigational expertise. Portolan charts, logbooks, ship models, compasses, and navigational instruments clearly demonstrate how Muslim sailors utilised applied geographical and astronomical knowledge. The maritime instruments and manuscripts catalogued and introduced by Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin vividly illustrate the scope and impact of Islamic maritime knowledge.

Framed within this historical context, the theme of this year’s IV International Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Symposium on the History of Islamic Science is “Islamic Geography and Maritime History.” The symposium aims to both preserve Prof. Sezgin’s scientific legacy and encourage new research in these fields.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit:

• An abstract (maximum 250 words)
• A short list of keywords (3–5)
• A brief CV (maximum 300 words), including your affiliation, academic rank, and one or two notable publications or achievements

Send your materials to:
📧 fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr no later than Friday, August 15, 2025

Accepted abstracts will be announced on August 25, 2025.

Topics of Interest Include (but are not limited to):

• Geography in Islamic Scientific Tradition
• Western-Islamic Geographic Encounters
• Terminology and Classification in Islamic Geography
• Islamic Geographical Schools and Traditions
• Leading Islamic Geographers and Their Works
• Geographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Islamic Cartography and Map-Making
• Maritime Maps and Portolans
• Cosmography and Its Relationship to Geography
• Travel Writing and Descriptive Geography
• Geography Education in the Islamic World
• Human and Economic Geography
• Digital Approaches to Islamic Geography
• History of Islamic Navigation and Maritime Sciences
• Navigational Instruments (Astrolabes, Sextants, Compasses)
• Maritime Manuals, Logbooks, and Guides
• Naval Organisation, Shipyards, and Technology
• Maritime Trade Routes
• Naval Strategy and Maritime Warfare
• Notable Muslim Mariners and Explorers
• Maritime Engineering and Education
• Preservation and Museology of Maritime Heritage

Additional Information

The symposium is open to scholars at all career stages. There is no registration fee. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for accepted participants coming from outside Istanbul.

Contact Information

İlhami Danış – M. Sait Türkan
Email: fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr

Contact Email

fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr

URL

http://fuatsezginsempozyumu.fsm.edu.tr

 

 

 

 

 

6. Postdoctoral positions – Jaussen & Savignac archaeological programme

The Jaussen & Savignac archaeological programme is recruiting 4 post-doctoral contracts, starting in January 2026

The Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Program is now accepting applications for 4 post-doctoral contracts (each lasting 2 years), starting in January 2026. Two of these postdoctoral fellowships are reserved for candidates from the Arab world

Work Environment
Dedicated to the development of archaeology and preventive conservation in the Arabian Peninsula and, more broadly, in the Arab-Muslim world, the Jaussen & Savignac Program is based at the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Researches Center, directed by Gaëlle Tallet, Professor of Archaeology of the Hellenistic and Roman East.
Presentation of the Position

The recruited post-doctoral researchers, starting on January 1, 2026, for a duration of two years, will contribute to the dynamic environment of the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Research Center by developing a research project within at least one of the six themes listed below. He or she will be expected to organize doctoral seminars and/or scientific events, and will be allocated a corresponding budget.

List of the themes :

• Environmental Heritage: Oasis Landscapes
• Conservation and Restoration in the Arabian Peninsula
• Archaeology 2030: Archaeology and New Technologies
• Arabian Peninsula: Cradle and melting pot of cultures and religions
• Arabian Peninsula:crossroads between the East, Africa and the Mediterranean
• Epistemology and Historiography of Archaeology and Conservation in the Eastern Regions.

The postdoctoral researcher will carry out their work as part of one of the six research units associated with the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Research Center including UMR 8215 Trajectoires, UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée, EA 4100 HICSA within its welcome team Conservation Restauration des Biens Culturels, UMR 7041 ArScAn and UMR 8068 TEMPS, under the direction of a professor of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University affiliated with ED 112 (Archaeology or Preventive Conservation). For more information about the affiliated research units and potential supervisors for your research project, please click here.

Candidate Profile
The selected post-doctoral researcher is required to have a PhD in Archaeology or Preventive Conservation.
There are no age or nationality restrictions for applicants.

Hiring process

Selection will be made on the basis of submitted applications, which must be received by October 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM (Paris time)
Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.
For detailed information on the application submission process, please refer to this file: Call for applications Jaussen & Savignac Postdoctoral 2026-2027

URL

https://jaussen-et-savignac.pantheonsorbonne.fr/en/news/call-applications-post-…

 

 

 

 

 

7. Islamic Medieval Wall Paintings: Towards an Interdisciplinary Approach

International on-line Conference, September 4-5, 2025

For the conference programme and to resister, see:

Conference web page: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/forensische-organik/imwp-tagung/ 

Conference Programme Times are provided in Central European Summer Time (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

Conference language: English

Conference Organizers:

Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic, Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies (KDWT), University of Bamberg

Dr. Agnieszka Lic, Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences

This conference is related to the Iranian Medieval Wall Paintings project funded by the German Research Foundation – the DFG, at University of Bamberg’s Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies – the KDWT (Applicant: Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic).

URL

https://www.uni-bamberg.de/forensische-organik/imwp-tagung/

 

 

 

 

 

8. The new issue of Middle Eastern Literatures

The new issue of the Middle Eastern Literatures journal is now published on the MEL website and can be accessed here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/came20/0/0

 

 

 

 

 

9. An artistic and spiritual retreat anchored in traditions of Arabic calligraphy and illumination: West African, Ottoman and Persian

October 2-6, 2025

Abiquiu, New Mexico

Arabic calligraphy as practiced around the world transcends the simple act of writing. As one early writer said of calligraphy, “If it was a flower, it would be a rose, if a metal, gold.” Another said, “The pen is the ambassador of intelligence, the messenger of thought, and interpreter for the mind.” This spiritual and artistic practice imbues the written word with life and beauty, so both the calligrapher and viewer alike may begin to embody the words and letters, their expression, and ultimately their meanings.

What earlier appreciation for this practice has failed to fully embrace is that all throughout the world the richness of Islamic calligraphy has flourished, in different regions that are both at the center and the periphery of Islam, with different schools finding their roots in the spirituality and the unique practice of Islam in each region. Today the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts and the West African Calligraphy Institute invite you to discover the diversity of the calligraphic form, to learn from practitioners, both of traditional schools and those at the frontiers of Islam, and to join a growing community of people who seek to increase human understanding and compassion through artistic expression. If, in the words of the American calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya,“calligraphy is music for the eyes,” then we invite you to join us this October in Abiquiu, New Mexico for a beautiful symphony.

URL

https://www.musicfortheyes.com/

 

 

 

 

 

10. CfP: The Luminous and the Labyrinthine: Exploring Islamic Libraries of Pre-Modern Times

American University of Beirut, May 21-23, 2026

The Shaykh Zayed Chair for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut invites scholars to an interdisciplinary conference on the subject of pre-modern Islamic libraries. The study of libraries has emerged as a burgeoning subfield in scholarship on the pre-modern Islamic world in recent years. The purpose of this conference is to build upon this significant work, while also attempting to explore the numerous gaps that still exist in the exploration of such a rich but relatively young subfield in Islamic studies. The conference also hopes to shed light on the different scholarly approaches to pre-modern Islamic libraries, and to critically examine the various methodological and conceptual concerns surrounding their study.

Scholarship on individual libraries with apparently great significance has expanded greatly within the past two decades. But how are scholars to approach Islamic libraries as a type of institution – _broadly examined – _granting that such an approach is desirable to begin with? Conversely, how can the study of a single library reveal broader realities that may be generally applicable to other institutions of a similar kind? Then there are questions concerning the different varieties of Islamic libraries: the personal/private and the institutional, and among the latter group also distinctions between the standalone library and libraries belonging to larger complexes, especially mosques and madrasas.

Given the different types of libraries – _and the disparities between their geographical, physical, human, bibliographical and other characteristics – _the nature of their role(s) in pre-modern Islamic societies assumes a significant degree of complexity as a scholarly/historical question. As repositories of knowledge at the most basic level, their role in the transmission and preservation of learning has been much examined but not fully elucidated. Additionally, as spaces of scholarly exchange and socialization, and in which different social and institutional roles were crystallized, the human ecology of Islamic libraries has yet to be adequately explored as a matter of social history.

To what extent, for example, can pre-modern libraries of various types inform modern scholars of the formation and perpetuation of scholarly and/or literary canons? What discernible distinctions – _if any – _can be detected between such canons geographically and diachronically? Furthermore, what clues can the data available on libraries offer regarding prevalent reading practices? How were developments in textual and literary practices reflected in the development of libraries as institutions? Conversely, in what ways did the evolution of libraries influence the means and modes through which users interacted with texts and even books as material objects?

Other questions might assume a more structural or institutional focus, concerning issues of library staffing, the acquisition of books – _a pertinent element of which, of course, is the matter of how book owners built up their collections and the circumstances under which they chose to endow them in the first place – _besides circulation and copying, among other matters. Scholars are also invited to reflect on the different approaches to the study of pre-modern Islamic libraries, including detailed expositions of the particular types of sources used in their study, be they archival (eg. court records, registers, endowment documents) or narrative (chronicles, biographical compendia) sources.

We encourage scholars to explore any of the questions listed above, some combination thereof, or related matters pertaining to pre-modern Islamic libraries. Please submit an abstract (250-300 words) of your intended contribution and a short CV to bo00@aub.edu.lb and ta35@aub.edu.lb by 30/10/2025.

Contributions in English or Arabic are accepted. Our aim is to publish the conference proceedings in an edited volume, as part of the AUB Press’s Shaykh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Series, for which more information can be found at the following link: https://www.aub.edu.lb/aubpress/Pages/arabicstudies.aspx. Please do not hesitate to get in touch for general inquiries.

Organized by:

Tarek Abou Hussein

Bilal Orfali

 

 

 

 

 

11. The Picture Gallery (Nigāristān)

A Persian Moral Miscellany

Muʿīn al-Dīn Muʿīnī Juvainī
Translated by Edward Rehatsek
Edited by Gregory Maxwell Bruce

EUP, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. Illustrated Ottoman Cosmographies, c. 1550–1700: The World through Muslim Eyes

Bilha Moor

EUP, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Job Announcement: Assistant Professor of Modern Arabic Literature and Culture

UC Berkeley

Closing date: 15 Sept., 2025

https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05015

Questions may be directed to the search chair, Prof. Adam Benkato, <abenkato@berkeley.edu>.

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. ‘A Newly Discovered Jewish Persian Poet’,

Dabir, 11, 2024, pp. 1-17

David Gilinksy

https://brill.com/view/journals/dbr/11/1-2/article-p1_1.xml

 

 

 

 

 

15. Book Launch: The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams

NOTE: This book is openly accessible and downloadable via the following link:

The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams                           

Date and Time

Wedndesday 20 August 2025 17:00 – 19:00 PM (London).

Venue

Aga Khan Centre (Atrium Conference Room),
10 Handyside Street,
London N1C 4DN

Booking

The event is free, but booking is essential.

Register to Attend:

In-Person (Aga Khan Centre, London)
Register on Eventbrite

 

 

 

 

 

16. Symposium “Ethnographic Experiments from and with the Arab World”, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar, 15-16 December 2025

This symposium seeks to critically engage with classical epistemological debates in anthropology by locating them within the diverse intellectual traditions shaping the Arab world and its shifting geopolitical realities. These debates include, but are not limited to, questions of scale and distance, ethnographic excess, critique, ethnographic refusal and the limits and possibilities of comparison in anthropology.

Deadline for abstracts: 10 August 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrxfr7xp

 

 

 

 

 

17. “Arab Graduate Students Conference (AGSC)”, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Doha, Qatar, 11-13 April 2026

The conference will provide Arab doctoral students and recent PhD graduates of the social sciences and humanities based at Western universities an open space to present papers based on their PhD theses and receive critical feedback and will give the participants an opportunity to better acquaint themselves with an Arab research agenda as well as to create collegial, professional networks within the Arab region.

Extended deadline for abstracts: 30 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2rbew865

 

 

 

 

 

18. Assistant/Associate Professor in International Relations Theory, Department of Political Science, American University in Cairo

A PhD is required at the time of appointment. Successful candidates should have an ongoing research and publication program and teaching experience. In addition to research and teaching, responsibilities include service to the Department and the University. Note also that candidates with experience in and familiarity with the North American higher education system are preferred.

Deadline for applications: 30 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/25czsp46

 

 

 

 

 

19. “Humanities Research Fellowships for the Study of the Arab World”, Research Writing Retreat (2 Weeks) at NYU Abu Dhabi

This retreat aims to foster a scholarly community for up to 8 scholars from around the world and to advance research projects in all areas of the Humanities related to the study of the Arab world, its rich literature and history, its cultural and artistic heritage, and its manifold connections with other cultures. Scholars will have the opportunity to work on any type of academic writing, including a research article, book manuscript, chapter or essay.

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/167905

 

 

 

 

 

20. Assistant Professor for Contemporary Islam in the Americas, Department of Religious Studies, DePaul University, Chicago

We are looking for a candidate who specializes in Contemporary Islam in the Americas. Scholars working on critical approaches to gender and/or race are particularly encouraged to apply. We are interested in applicants from Religious Studies and allied disciplines whose research and teaching complement the interests and strengths of our interdisciplinary department.

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/169330

 

 

 

21. Master’s Programme, ‘History and Societies of the Islamic World’

Freie Universitat, Berlin

The program focuses on the history, politics, religions, cultures, knowledge formations, and normativities of Islamic societies from the beginnings of Islam to the present with a geographical emphasis on West Asia and North Africa as well as Europe. The program is taught in English and there are no tuition fees.

Deadline for application: 15 August 2025. More information: https://tinyurl.com/463a7uxy

 

 

 

 

 

22. ONLINE Mediterranean Seminar on “Islamic Legal Texts: In Depth”, CU Mediterranean Studies Group, 11-14 August 2025

This Summer Skills Seminar introduces participants to Islamic law. The seminar is focused on developing the skill of reading Islamic legal texts as opposed to surveying Islamic legal doctrines. It is designed for beginners seeking to build their capacity to investigate Islamic law.

Extended deadline for registration: 4 August 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/y6b9jtcu