- This event has passed.
Call for Proposals: The 2021 Medworlds Workshop: “Coexistence in Practice: Politics, Trade and Culture in the Late Medieval Anatolia and Iberia,” Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, July 1-2, 2021
February 28, 2021
Proposals are being sought for “Coexistence in Practice: Politics, Trade and Culture in the Late Medieval Anatolia and Iberia,” the 2021 Medworlds Workshop, to be held in Istanbul on 1 & 2 July 2021.
Stretching along continents, the Mediterranean Sea has played an important role in creating an environment of, voluntary or otherwise, cultural interactions among distinct groups throughout its history. Through the practices of coexistence, peoples of the Mediterranean have built up a common cultural repertoire and tradition. In the late Medieval Mediterranean coexistence was a way of life, as Brian Catlos stated, “encouraging acculturation and communication, but also provoking anxiety and defensiveness” (2014). One can easily find the effects of these interactions in everyday practices of culture, such as in religion, commerce, art, and education. Coexistence sometimes manifested itself as codependency and collaboration; a way of coping with the complexities in times of wars, epidemics, and various other crises. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Iberian Peninsula and Anatolia were places of conflict, but also of exchange and collaboration between the Islamic and Christian powers that ruled over those territories. Objects, ideas, scripts and people moved beyond cultural and religious borders as booty of conquest and items of trade.
“Coexistence in Practice: Politics, Trade and Culture in the Late Medieval Anatolia and Iberia” is organized by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University’s Middle East and Africa Studies Application and Research Center (ORDAM) and The Society for the Mediterranean World Studies (MEDWORLDS), to be held in Istanbul on 1-2 July 2021. The workshop aims to provide a platform for medieval history researchers to discuss topics related to broadly defined practices, experiences and spaces of “living together” in geographically distant but experience-wise similar societies in Anatolia and Iberian Peninsula in the 13th – 15t h centuries. More importantly, this workshop enables participants to learn from other approaches and research experiences. We especially seek interdisciplinary contributions to open up discussions and share thoughts on issues about the theme of the workshop.
Some of the themes we want to explore include: Modes of coexistence, especially in times of crises and catastrophes, Convivencia; Local and cross-border trade; Transfer of knowledge, texts, music, arts and architecture; and Cross-confessional communities. Contributions will be collected in an edited book.
We invite applications for 20 minute presentations. Abstracts (no more than 300 words) and brief résumés should be sent to the organisers. Language of the workshop is English. The attendance is free of charge. Accommodation will be provided for the successful applicants. Details of the accommodation will be announced on our website. We will then contact successful applicants to make arrangements for travel, accommodation and other logistics.
Among our other sponsors are The Mediterranean Seminar (University of Colorado, Boulder), The Mediterranean Knowledge (Salerno University), and Society for the Medieval Mediterranean (UK). As the Organizing Committee, we are happy to announce that keynote speeches will be delivered by Brian A. Catlos ( University of Colorado, Boulder ), Andrew C.S Peacock (University of St. Andrews), and Emrah Safa Gürkan (Istanbul 29 Mayis University).
Important Dates:
Deadline for abstract submissions: 28 February 2021
Announcement of the successful applicants: 15 March 2021
Workshop Dates: 1-2 July 2021
Venue:
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Valide-i Atik Mh. Eski Toptaşı Cd. No: 91 Uskudar, Istanbul / Turkey
Queries and contact: medworlds@fsm.edu.tr<mailto:medworlds@fsm.edu.tr>
