Archive for February 14th, 2026

1. Please join the 2026 International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA) ‘Dialogues’ online roundtable on the theme “Healthcare Architecture in Islamic Traditions/Translations”, taking place on March 7, 2026.

This annual Dialogues session explores how Islamic societies have shaped health-conscious architecture, from traditional practices to responses to epidemics and pandemics. Cansu Değirmencioğlu, Sara Honarmand Ebrahimi, and Kamyar Salavati will join IJIA Assistant Editor Deniz Avci to discuss culturally responsive approaches to healthcare design across hospitals, domestic spaces, and urban environments.

Join us for an interdisciplinary conversation on designing for health, hygiene, and care in Islamic contexts.

March 7, 2026 | 15:00–16:30 GMT / 6:00–7:30 Pacific / 9:00–10:30 Eastern

Register via Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83691919135?pwd=nNd8AKf7uZvzV3MKBezfZrvzNvevXD.1

 

 

 

 

 

2. Logics of Localisation: Vernacular Islamic tombstone traditions of Sumatra

Jessica Rahardjo

Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM

In-Person and Virtual Lecture
The Institute of Fine Arts
1 East 78th Street, New York, 10075

Tombstones – among the most abundant, datable forms of material culture in maritime Southeast Asia – are widely considered to be synonymous with the adoption of Islam in the region. This paper presents two distinct vernacular traditions of Islamic tombstones: one from Aceh in northern Sumatra and another from the Minangkabau highlands in western Sumatra. It explores the factors driving the adoption of specific tombstone forms and their subsequent transformations, focusing on the interaction between the incoming monotheistic belief and local immanentist modes of religiosity, as well as the impact of successive waves of religious reformism from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

Jessica Rahardjo is Postdoctoral Researcher on the Leverhulme Trust project Mapping Sumatra’s Manuscript Cultures, SOAS University of London, and Research Associate at the Khalili Research Centre, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the material and manuscript cultures of Islamic Southeast Asia. She recently completed her DPhil at Oxford with a dissertation on batu Aceh, a Southeast Asian Islamic tombstone tradition (15th–19th centuries). Jessica was a recipient of the Getty Foundation Indian Ocean Exchanges fellowship (2021–23). She is also a committee member of Teaching the Codex, an initiative dedicated to developing pedagogical approaches to palaeography and codicology.

Registration is essential. To register, please use the form available at:

https://ifa.nyu.edu/events/date/2-19-26.html

 

 

 

 

3. The Hajji Baba Club Research Fellowship was established in 2018 to promote original scholarship in the field of carpet studies. It provides financial support and visibility for emerging scholars and independent researchers. The maximum fellowship award for 2026-2027 is $8,000 USD.

The fellowship is competitive and applications are due by 5:00 PM EST May 1, 2026.

Please see our website for the application details https://www.hajjibaba.org/research-fellowship/ as well as some information on our current and past fellows: https://www.hajjibaba.org/current-fellow/

URL

https://www.hajjibaba.org/research-fellowship/

 

 

4. Position – Assistant, Associate, Full Adjunct Professor – Arts of Iran and Central Asia – History of Art and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Position overview

Position title: Assistant, Associate, or Full Adjunct Professor

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/policy-covered-october-2025-scales/t1.pdf. The current full-time base salary range for this position is $80,800 – $212,000 (9-month academic year salary). “Off-scale” salaries, which yield compensation that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Percent time: 25% – 50%

Anticipated start: As soon as July 2026

Application Window

Open date: January 22, 2026

Most recent review date: Friday, Feb 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Friday, Feb 27, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Departments of History of Art and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Berkeley seek to appoint an Assistant, Associate, or Full Adjunct Professor in the arts of Iran and Central Asia. Applicants should have an active research program, with expertise in relevant languages. The appointee will offer courses with a regional, thematic, or topical focus that contribute to department curricula at all levels. The expected load is two courses per academic year, shared between History of Art and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. In addition to teaching, the appointee is expected to pursue research or other creative work and contribute to the departments through service on relevant committees and/or by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. We seek candidates who can support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy. Funding for this adjunct position is available from campus for a period of time thanks to a philanthropic Azarpay endowment.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Department: https://melc.berkeley.edu/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

A PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Preferred qualifications

Demonstrated teaching experience at the college or university level.

Specialization in ancient and/or medieval worlds is preferred. In addition to courses in art history, the successful appointee should be able to teach courses of a regional, thematic, or topical focus that contribute to department curricula at all levels.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter – Please discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans (this can include, for example, your publication record, awards, presentations, inclusive research practices that promote the excellence of your research, and areas for future research), prior teaching experience, teaching approach, and future teaching interests (this can include, for example, specific efforts, accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy), and specific prior and proposed academic, professional and/or public service activities.

Reference requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

References will only be contacted for those candidates selected for an interview. We will alert candidates and seek their permission before contacting references

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05238

Help contact: ealc_gbs_ap@berkeley.edu

URL

https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05238

 

 

 

 

 

5. Two New Online Courses – Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

1.The Shahname: Introduction to the Iranian Epic (The Story of Alexander) March 6 – April 24, 2026

The readings are selected from the story of Pādešāhi-ye Eskandar in the Shahname, and content-wise continue the readings of the previous round, this time focusing on the adventures of Alexander in the mythical lands:

• The story of the travels of Alexander in the land of Darkness in search of the Spring of Life
• The story of the building of the wall against Yajuj and Majuj by Alexander
• The story of the reaching of Alexander to the speaking tree
• The story of the death of Alexander

 

 

2. Central Asia through Persian Historical Texts: An Introduction March 12 – May 14, 2026

This course is designed as an introduction to Classical Persian historical prose, during which several important text relevant for the history of Central Asia will be studied with a particular focus on the analysis of their language:

• Iṣṭakhrī, Mamālik wa Masālik (Cl. Persian translation, 13/14th c.);
• Tārīkh-i Bukhārā, by Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. Jaʻfar Naršakhī.
• Juwaynī, Tārīkh-i Jahāngušāy (13th c.);
• Šaraf-ud-dīn ‘Alī Yazdī, Zafar-nāma (15th c.);
• Mīrzā Muḥammad Haidar Dūghlāt, Tārīkh-ī Rašīdī (16th c.);
• Faẓlullāh b. Rōzbihān Khunji, Mihmān-nāma-yī Bukhārā.

 

Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

Yerevan, Armenia

Website: www.ferdowsi.org

 

 

 

 

 

6. Digging Wells While Houses Burn
Academic responsibility and the study of religion

23–24 April 2026, in Cambridge and online

In a provocative article titled Digging Wells While Houses Burn (2006), David Gordon White argues that certain studies of religion actively stoke supremacist ideologies and politics. The only way to avoid this unsavoury collaboration is to rethink the way we do our work — the stories we choose to tell, and the methods we use to tell them. According to White, academics of religion who fail to engage with this responsibility are “digging wells while houses burn”, ignoring devastating realities that urgently demand their attention.

In this context, we invite scholars of all religions, across all disciplines, to reflect on the relationship between their academic work, on the one hand, and violence and supremacy, on the other. Particular areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Studying religion in contexts of majoritarian violence, occupation, and genocide (e.g. Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Tibet).
• Systematic critiques (legal, historical, theological, and so on) of the mutually reinforcing relationship between religious discourses and supremacist ideology.
• How have scholarly agendas and university spaces contributed to the entrenchment of religion-infused supremacies?
• Engagements with “authorship”: what is the role of privilege and identity in crafting religion research?
• Intersectional analyses of religious supremacy: gender, sexuality, race, caste, and class.
• Thematic and methodological issues related to the scholarly analysis of “religious” violence.
• Ways forward: how must our concepts and conversations change?

Those interested in participating should complete this form (https://forms.gle/MygENBHjLUA5m3Xu8) by 1st March 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by 10th March 2026. Scholars residing outside the United Kingdom will have the option to present online. In case of any queries, please contact Namrata Narula (nn307@cam.ac.uk) or Dr Hina Khalid (hk410@cam.ac.uk).

_____________________________________________________________________________

Featured Article: White, D. G. (2006). Digging Wells While Houses Burn. History and Theory, 45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2303.2006.00387.x. 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Between Text and Image

Diagrams of the (Ventricles of the) Brain in the Medieval Islamicate Tradition

Shahrzad Irannejad

19 February 2026 – 5 PM (CET)

In this lecture, I will discuss the few yet thought-provoking visual representations of the brain and its ventricles in the medieval Islamicate tradition. While some illustrations of the brain appear in the Avicennan tradition, numerous mini diagrams of the brain’s ventricles show up in the Kitab al-Manṣuri fi al-Ṭibb (The Book of Medicine) by al-Razi (865–925 CE) — a concise yet comprehensive and influential encyclopaedia of medicine.

Several manuscript copies of this work contain numerous anatomical diagrams of the ventricles of the brain. The particularly intriguing aspect of these diagrams, which were not necessarily intended to depict reality or precise anatomy, is their variation. In other words, these diagrams, as ‘imagetexts’, were subject to movance — accidental or deliberate changes — just like the text copied by hand from one manuscript to another.

At the nexus of codicology and philology, I explore the utility of the family tree metaphor (stemma codicum) in establishing the relationship between various manuscripts based on the visual affinities of their respective diagrams. I investigate the extent to which establishing anatomical truth and reconstructing the archetype should be prioritised over exploring the dynamism of visual representation resulting from scribal practices across time and space.

To register for this event, please click here.

Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR) – Assistant Coordinator

Domus Comeliana, Via Cardinale Maffi 48, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Tel.: +39.02.006.20.51 – Mobile: +39.333.13.12.203

Email: ah@csmbr.fondazionecomel.org 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Arab World English Journal for Translation and Literary Studies welcomes the submission of papers for the May Issue 2026.The submission deadline is March 30, 2026. The issue publication date is May 2026. Please read the submission guidelines https: //www.awej-tls.org/paper-submission/   and submit your paper: https://www.awej-tls.org/submission-form/.  If you have any questions, please contact TLS@awej.org 
For more details, please read

Kind regards,
AWEJ for Translation and Literary Studies
https://www.awej-tls.org/

 

 

 

 

9. UCLA: Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World

Biennial Ehsan Yarshater Lecture Series

Ancient Iran and Central Asia

Interactions and Shifting Identities

Professor Frantz Grenet (Collège de France)

A Series of Four Lectures in March 2026 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 314 and via Zoom

More info and registration at:

https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/events/frantz-grenet-2026-yarshater-lecture-series/

 

 

 

 

 

10. Tajikistan Learning Tour (May 2026)
Join Hikmat International Institutefor an unforgettable Tajikistan Learning Tour—a journey through breathtaking landscapes, rich Persian heritage, and a culture that few have truly explored.

🌄 Explore stunning mountains and natural beauty
🏛️ Visit historical and cultural landmarks
👥 Meet local academics, students, and cultural figures
📚 Attend special educational workshops on:

• Persian Identity in Central Asia
• Society & Transformation in Tajikistan

🍲 And of course… taste authentic Tajik cuisine and traditional sweets you’ve likely never tried before!

https://hikmat-ins.com/tajikistan-learning-tour/

 

 

 

 

 

11. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2 post-doc positions at UCLouvain (as part of ERC Synergy MOSAIC project

 

 

 

 

 

12. SPRING 2026 AKPIA Lecture Series

A Forum for Islamic Art & Architecture at Harvard University

February 19, 2026

“Harvard’s Safavid Multi-Text Compendium: The Codex as a Communal Gathering of Riddles”

Christiane Gruber

Mehmet Ağa-Oğlu Collegiate Professor of Islamic Art History, University of Michigan

co-sponsored with Standing Committee on Medieval Studies at Harvard University

March 26, 2026

“Picturing the İskendername: Visual Interpretation in Fifteenth-Century Ottoman Manuscripts”

Serpil Bağcı

AKPIA Fellow; Professor, Department of History, Bilkent University

April 30, 2026

“Vaulting Techniques in Iranian Islamic Architecture: An Unpublished Study by Myron Bement Smith and Doǧan Kuban”

David Roxburgh

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor of Islamic Art History, Harvard University

THE AGA KHAN PROGRAM FOR ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Lectures are open to the public and held Thursdays, 6:00-7:30pm, at 485 Broadway, HAA Lower Lecture Hall, Cambridge, MA.

For further information, call 617-495-2355 or email agakhan@fas.harvard.edu

Visit the website https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/news-events

 

 

 

 

 

13. 2e Atelier interdisciplinaire – Etudes iraniennes et approches environnementales, lundi 16 février 2026, 10h-13h à la Maison de la Recherche de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Salle Athéna
Nous avons le plaisir de vous convier au 2e atelier interdisciplinaire ” Etudes iraniennes et approches environnementales”, qui se tiendra lundi prochain, 16 février 2026, 10h-13h, à la Maison de la Recherche de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Salle Athéna (4 rue des Irlandais, Paris Ve).
Cet atelier est organisé conjointement par l’Université Aix-Marseille, la Sorbonne Nouvelle et l’Inalco, avec le soutien du CeRMI (UMR 8264), de l’IREMAM (UMR 7310), et de BioArch (UMR 7209).
Vous trouverez le programme ci-dessous, et en pièce jointe.
En espérant vous y retrouver nombreux!
Bien cordialement,
Les organisateurs –
Camille Rhoné-Quer, Justine Landau, Matteo de Chiara
Contact: Camille Rhoné-Quer (camille.rhone@univ-amu.fr)

 

 

 

14. UCLA:

Averroes and Maimonides: Translating Religious Motives into Philosophy

Averroes Lecture Series

A lecture by Ali Benmakhlouf (Mohammed VI Polytechnique University, Morocco)

Moderator: Aomar Boum (UCLA)

Thursday, February 19, 2026

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST

Bunche Hall 10383

Organized by the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies. Co-sponsored by the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies.

https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/17477

 

 

 

 

 

15. Hybrid: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SEMINAR IN ARABIC STUDIES

Why wasn’t print adopted in the early modern Middle East?: A New Perspective

Arabic Studies Seminar w/ Nir Shafir Monday 2/23 4pm
Please find below information regarding our upcoming meeting with Professor Nir Shafir (UC San Diego) on Monday (2/23) at 4 pm EST in Faculty House. Please note that we are not holding the talk at our usual day or time this month due to scheduling conflicts. The talk is titled: “Why wasn’t print adopted in the early modern Middle East?: A new perspective”

Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and do not have a Columbia ID, please RSVP ASAP. If we don’t receive your RSVP we will not be able to let you in. You should receive a QR code before Wednesday morning–if not, please reply to this message.  The talk will be live streamed here on ZOOM for guests who can’t make it in person.

We will begin at 4:00 pm. If you would like to join the speaker for dinner immediately following the talk at Faculty House please RSVP to the seminar’s rapporteur (rma2152@columbia.edu). The cost of dinners is $30, payable via card or check.

Abstract:

Why was print not widely adopted in the Ottoman Empire until the late 1800s? It’s a question that has puzzled scholars for almost 400 years. Ottoman subjects had known about European printing for centuries and even had short-lived experiments with printing, but the vast majority of books continued to be copied by hand. Previous explanations have emphasized cultural roadblocks like religious opposition or scribal resistance, but there is little evidence for these theories. In this talk, I posit an economic explanation instead: Manuscript technology continued to flourish because it was more economically rational and printing was too burdensome. The project will analyze 1) the production costs of books, both printed and handwritten, 2) their prices on the secondary market, and 3) the commercialization of the book trades. This will be done across Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, Greek, and Hebrew books. The project promises a new approach to the history of books in the Islamic world and a clearer understanding of commercialization and capitalist development of the early modern Middle East.

Bio: 

Nir Shafir is an associate professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. His research investigates the intertwined histories of communication, religion, and science in the Middle East between 1200-1800. His first monograph, The Order and Disorder of Communication: Pamphlets and Polemics in the Seventeenth-Century Ottoman Empire, was published by Stanford University Press in 2024 and was awarded the book prize of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association in 2025. He is an occasional contributor and editorial board member of the Ottoman History Podcast and served as its editor in 2018.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/92597500745

 

 

 

 

16. ITS

RAMADAN  DISCOUNT 2026

This Ramadan embrace the spirit of reflection and devotion. Enjoy 15% off all our titles, with free delivery on orders over £25.

Deepen Your Connection with the Qur’an this Ramadan

We invite you to explore the timeless wisdom of Al-Ghazali On Proper Conduct for Reciting the Qur’an, a guide to deepening your connection with the Qur’an during this blessed month.

In order to take advantage of this offer, please visit our website https://its.org.uk and enter the coupon code RAMADAN26. This offer is valid from 17 February to 22 March 2026.

 

 

 

 

 

17. HYBRID World Policy Forum: “Muslim-Christian-Jewish Coexistence in the Holy Land”, Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID), Washington, DC, 17 February 2026, 18:00 CET

This timely forum will bring together three distinguished voices from the Muslim, Christian, and Jew-ish traditions to reflect on the moral, historical, and political foundations of coexistence in the Holy Land, and to explore what a just and sustainable future might require.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/2rjb3tsj

 

 

 

 

 

18. HYBRID World Policy Forum: “Muslim-Christian-Jewish Tolerance and Peaceful Coexist-ence in the Holy Land”, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Washington, DC, 17 February 2026, 18:00 – 20:00 CET

This forum will examine the historical foundations, moral traditions, and contemporary challenges shaping relations among the three Abrahamic faith communities in Israel and Palestine. Bringing together leading Jewish, Christian, and Muslim thinkers, the discussion will explore what justice, dignity, and equal rights require today, and how religious and ethical traditions can contribute to a future grounded in coexistence rather than exclusion.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/2rjb3tsj

 

 

 

 

 

19. ONLINE Lecture “Literature’s Refuge: Rewriting the Mediterranean Borderscape” by William Stroebel (University of Michigan), University of Texas, Austin, 17 February 2026, 23:00 – 24:00 CET

The Greco-Turkish Population Exchange of 1923-1925 was the final nail in the Empire’s coffin, up-rooting and swapping nearly two million Christians and Muslims between Europe and West Asia. William Stroebel will recover something of the rich refugee literatures that fell through the cracks of the modern border regime, straddling Greek Orthodoxy and Sunni Islam, Greek-script, Arabic-script, and Latin-script literary traditions.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/4us88mmy

 

 

 

 

 

20. ONLINE Webinar „Excavating Hope in a Time of Cynicism: A New Reading of the Iranian New Wave” by Sara Saljoughi, Center for Middle East Studies, Brown University, Provicence, 4 March 2026, 18:00 – 19:00 CET

Sara Saljoughi (University of Toronto) offers a fresh interpretation of the Iranian New Wave of the 1960s and 1970s. She argues that New Wave cinema carries an anticipatory vision of a better future that ultimately never came to fruition. She suggests that this unrealized potential continues to resonate today, providing new insights into both the films themselves and the ongoing revolutionary strug-gles in Iran.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/557kzf26

 

 

 

 

 

21. American Association of Teachers of Turkic Languages (AATT) Graduate Student Conference, 8 May 2026

This conference aims to support and promote research that significantly utilizes sources in Turkish or other Turkic languages by graduate students from fields including but not limited to literature, history, linguistics, language education and related fields at North American academic institutions. It also offers a collaborative platform for the student presenters to share their work and exchange re-search ideas with their peers and the colleagues in attendance from the field.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mryevjyb

 

 

 

 

 

22. Interdisciplinary Symposium “Illuminating the Dark! Night Histories from Byzantion to Istanbul“, Pera Museum Auditorium, Istanbul, 4-5 June 2027

This interdisciplinary symposium will explore Istanbul’s night histories across three pivotal periods; Byzantine Constantinople, Ottoman Istanbul, and republican/contemporary Istanbul, examining con-tinuities, ruptures, and transformations in nocturnal urban life. We seek to foster cross-fertilization between history, urban studies, anthropology, geography, literature, art history, ecology, and the broader emerging field of night studies.

Deadline for abstracts: 13 July 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4rrue7sx

 

 

 

 

 

23. Journée d’étude « Construire la déviance religieuse en Islam et dans les Chrétientés mé-diévales. Histoire des représentations et approches sémantiques », Lyon, 12-13 novembre 2026

Cette journée d’étude propose d’analyse du vocabulaire et des représentations discursives et pic-turales de l’exclusion religieuse. La discrimination s’appuie en effet sur un lexique de la stigmatisation et de la différenciation qui prend racine dans le registre de la polémique, se diffuse dans différents domaines de la culture écrite et visuelle, mais peut aussi gagner le domaine du droit.

Propositions de communication avant le 30 avril 2026. Information : https://tinyurl.com/yvnd645h

 

 

 

 

 

24. Library Traineeship (Civil Service, “Bibliotheksreferendariat”), Profile “Arabic and Islamic Studies” at the Bavarian State Library, Bayreuth and Munich

The two-year preparatory service (A13h) is starting 1 October 2026 with a practical year in Bayreuth, followed by a theoretical year in Munich. Field profile C: Arabic and Islamic Studies; Master’s degree required, PhD desirable. Full-time, on-site; appointment as civil servant on probation.

Deadline for applications: 25 February 2026.

Information: https://interamt.de/koop/app/stelle?0&id=1393142

 

 

 

 

 

25. Visiting Assistant Professorship (2 Years) in International Studies (Focus Middle East), Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

Qualifications: All applicants must have either received a bachelor’s degree or lived for a substantial period in Africa, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean. They must have earned a Ph.D. in the humanities and/or social sciences after 2021.

Review of applications will begin on 18 February 2026 until the position is filled.

Information: https://trincoll.peopleadmin.com/postings/3749

 

 

 

 

 

26. Appeal for the Reopening of the French “Institute for the Near East (Ifpo)” in Syria

Since 2011 two Syrian centers of Ifpo in Damascus and Aleppo have been closed. They brought an internationally recognized input to Near East archaeological research and to studies in humanities and social sciences on the Arab and Muslim world. We firmly call for the swift and full reopening of this historical and unique institution. The more people who sign, the more likely our message will be heard.

Please see the full appeal and sign at https://forms.gle/R68WRCD5W42VJhhy8

 

 

 

 

 

27. “DECRIPT Program”: Call for Applications for 20 International Research Residencies (1 Month, Focus Middle and Near East), INALCO, Paris

During their stay, researchers must propose to conduct or formalize high-level academic research related to the program’s core scientific question on civilizational narratives and/or civilizationism, in connection with the Middle and Near East or its methodological area. Compensation: €3,400 covering transportation and living expenses. Location: Paris, Bordeaux, Lille.

Deadline for applications: 28 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2nmn5nyk

 

 

 

 

 

28. ONLINE Seminars of the Historians Association (Tarihçiler Derneği) in Ottoman and Karamanli Turkish

Historians Association (TAD) is pleased to announce its 2026 Spring Semester online seminar pro-gram, designed to strengthen methodological, linguistic, and paleographic skills in historical and hu-manities research. Delivered by scholars with recognized expertise in their respective fields, the seminars address a diverse audience from students to professional researchers.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/4589s329

 

 

 

 

 

29. Summer School “Reading and Analysing Ottoman Manuscript Sources”, Ifpo and Seven 0ther Institutions, Amman, 13-17 September 2026

The five-day program will introduce young researchers (mostly MA and Ph.D. candidates, though postdocs may also apply) to reading, combining and analysing manuscript sources from various archives of the Ottoman era, produced at the local, provincial and imperial levels. Materials from the 16th through the 20th centuries will receive most of our attention, but explorations into earlier ar-chives are welcome. No tuition fees will be charged.

Deadline for applications: 15 March 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/432xt9rt

 

 

 

 

30. Sībawayh et les savoirs de son temps 

Influences, dialogues, critiques & héritages

Figure fondatrice de la grammaire arabe, Sībawayh (m. vers 180/796) occupe une place singulière dans l’histoire intellectuelle de l’islam médiéval. Axes thématiques : – Les savoirs reçus par Sībawayh : traditions, maîtres et contexts. – Les éventuelles influences extra-arabes dans le Kitāb de Sībawayh. – Sībawayh comme fondateur : concepts, méthodes et innovations. – Critiques, con-troverses et savoirs concurrents. – Postérités et circulations interdisciplinaires.

Les articles sont à envoyer avant le 31 décembre 2026. Information : https://tinyurl.com/2e8676yk

 

 

 

 

 

31. Chapters for Edited Volume on “During the Ottomans, After the Outlaws: Histories of Banditry, Memory, and Heritage in Balkans and Turkey” in Routledgs`s Book Series “Outlaws in Literature, History and Culture”

We especially value contributions that follow the full circuit of representation – from administrative and judicial production (policing, court files, petitions, press) to oral tradition and performance, and onward into museums, monuments, politics, nationalism, curricula, festivals, tourism, and digital af-terlives – while developing concepts and methods that travel across post-Ottoman settings.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 April 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/459nanb6

 

 

 

 

 

32. New books:

New Book: “Satellite Ministries: The Rise of Christian Television in the Middle East,” by Febe Armanios, Oxford University Press, 2025, 368 Pages

The book draws on extensive oral history interviews and archival research conducted in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. It examines the history of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian Christian channels in the Middle East for the first time, and it describes the historical links between evangelical media missions and the rise of indigenous Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant channels that launched across the Middle East over four decades.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/3y66fsz7

 

New Book: “Torn is the Curtain: Early Film Cultures in Istanbul” by Canan Balan, New York and Oxford, Berghan Books, Dec. 2025, 234 Pages

Offering a feminist history of cinema at the edges of empire and the nation-state, this book explores how gender, class, and ethno-religious divisions were projected, performed, and entangled. It fo-cuses on the former Ottoman capital from the late nineteenth century to the early 1930s and inves-tigates how cinema both reflected and shaped Istanbul’s complex social fabric. The analysis reveals how religious and cultural practices informed emerging notions of cinematic modernity and cross-cultural exchange in the region.

Information: https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/BalanTorn

 

LATIN AND EASTERN CATHOLICISM IN OTTOMAN ANATOLIA: SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND RELIGIOUS INQUIRIES FROM 14th-20th CENTURIES

Edited by Vanessa R. de Obaldía, Radu Dipratu, Anaïs Massot, Padraic Rohan

This book brings together thirteen chapters that examine a variety of primary sources that shed new light on the often-ignored history of Catholicism in Anatolia, from the dawn of the Ottoman Empire to the early Republican era. We are grateful to all contributors whose scholarship and collaboration made this project possible.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/yhbtj3sm