Shii News – Academic Items

1.Open Access Book – “Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa”

This book explores the interconnection between housing, heritage and urbanisation. Bringing together architects, archaeologists, urban sociologists, urban designers, urban planners and landscape architects, this multi-authored and interdisciplinary volume presents diverse case studies from the Middle East and North Africa, shedding light on the past, present and future of residential spaces.

With its focus to traditional, modern and contemporary housing in Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia, Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa explores the correlation between architecture, urban planning and society. The contributors critique the impact of rapid urbanisation and global architectural standardisation, which often goes beyond local identity. Instead, they advocate for a sustainable urban development rooted in community needs and cultural heritage.

Ultimately, this volume argues that successful urban planning must balance modernity with tradition, ensuring that housing reflects the lived experiences of its inhabitants. A crucial read for scholars and practitioners, it reaffirms that sustainable cities must be shaped by local needs, not just global trends.

Read and Download for Free: We are pleased to inform you that Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa is freely available to read and download in both PDF and HTML formats. Access the full text here and explore the wealth of knowledge this publication has to offer.

Secure Your Copy: For those who prefer a tangible edition or who are interested in acquiring the book in ePub format, you can do so at https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0460

URL

https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0460

2. Untold Stories: Recognizing the People Behind the Art and Archaeology of the Ancient West Asian, Ancient Egyptian, and Islamic Worlds.

The Charles K. Wilkinson Lecture Series. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. June 30. Presentations: 2:00-5:00pm. Reception: 5:00-6:00pm.

Join the Met for a series of lectures highlighting little-known stories and contributors to the fields of Egyptian, Islamic, and Ancient West Asian art and archaeology.

2pm. “Unearthing Legacies: Egyptians Who Worked on The Met’s Early Twentieth Century Excavation,” with Isabel Stünkel, Curator, Department of Egyptian Art, The Met

3pm. “The Campfire Excavation: Bedouin Stories, Memories, and Archaeological Knowledge,” with Allison Mickel, Associate Professor, Lehigh University

4pm. “Celebrating the Uncelebrated: Craftsmen and Designers in Islamic Art and Architecture,” with Bernard O’Kane, Professor, American University in Cairo

This program is made possible by the Charles K. Wilkinson Lecture Series Fund. Free with Museum admission, though advance registration is required. Please note: Space is limited; first come, first served. Priority is given to those who register.

Watch the livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@metmuseum/streams (note: No registration or log in required to view the livestream).

URL

https://engage.metmuseum.org/events/education/talks/public-programs/grr/fy25/th…

3. The Idea of Persia: A Philosophical Enquiry

Ramin Jahanbegloo

Gingko, 2025

https://www.gingko.org.uk/publishing/books/the-idea-of-persia/

4. IIS: Hybrid event: ‘The abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924’

London, 26.6.25, 17.00 UK time

https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/the-abolition-of-the-ottoman-caliphate-in-1924-debates-controversies-and-implications/

5. IIS: In person: “But none sought out my secrets from inside”

Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series

3 July at 17.00 BST | Aga Khan Centre
Mawlana Jalal al-Din Mohammad Balkhi Rumi (d. 1273) is very often viewed among non-Muslims in isolation from his own background, largely because bestselling translations of selections of his poetry are much more widely read than any other sources for Sufism, and they provide little context. In this talk, Professor Mojaddedi examines Rumi’s writings both to situate him within the Sufi tradition and to highlight what that implies about the wider Islamic context which has too often been underappreciated

https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/ihtls-but-none-sought-out-my-secrets/

6. Call for Applications: BIRI Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The British International Research Institutes (BIRI) – British Institute at Ankara (BIAA), British School at Athens (BSA), British Institute for Libyan and North African Studies (BILNAS), British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA), British School at Rome (BSR), British Institute for the Study of Iraq (BISI), British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL) and Egypt Exploration Society (EES) – invite applications for postdoctoral research fellowships as part of the project “Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions“. These full-time positions are funded until the end of March 2026, with the potential for this to be extended dependent on a successful internal funding bid application.

Applications must be submitted by 14 July 2025 .

More at:

https://biea.ac.uk/call-for-applications-postdoctoral-research-fellowships/

7. Ancient Civilizations of Afghanistan, From the Earliest Times to the Mongol Conquest