MEMOs INTERN EVENTS CURATION POST: Art and Culture in the Medieval Period
LECTURE: SOAS: The Zoroastrian Sanctuary of Ādur Gušnasp (Takht-e Solayman) in the Light of New Archaeological Excavations
Excerpt: In this lecture Yousef Moradi will present the story of how he discovered large quantities of Sasanian clay bullae at Takht-e Solayman and elaborates on the iconography, style, and the symbolic significance of selected seal impressions in the multicultural, multiethnic, and multireligious society of Sasanian Iran.
Schedule: 23 March 2023, 18:00 GMT.
Location: SOAS University of London WC1H 0XG (Khalili Lecture Theatre)
The Sasanian Empire is often named in passing when studying the pre-Islamic era yet historians often fail to explore how the culture was created and sustained throughout the post-classical period. Recent scholarship has expressed a far greater interest in the Zoroastrian religion irrespective of its later linkage with Islam. In the lecture, Yousef Moradi will also discuss the religious significance of the Fire of Ādur Gušnasp, one of the three most sacred fires of Sasanian Iran (224–651 CE), and how the Zoroastrian sanctuary of Ādur Gušnasp was first transformed into a Mongolian summer royal residence and then into a town inhabited by commoners. The significance and probable location of the other two great Sasanian fire temples (Ādur Farnbag and Ādur Burzen Mihr) will also be explored together with their architectural remains. As a student, I have allowed my curiosity to flourish whilst taking it upon myself to broaden my knowledge. Although it is somewhat rare for academics to cover topics such as the Zoroastrian faith given the popularity of other contextual empires, it is not impossible. By actively seeking events like this or books, I am able to develop my understanding of this period or region, which only strengthens my writing.
LECTURE: NYU: Encounters in the Medieval Mediterranean World
Excerpt: The past century of scholarship has offered two competing views of the medieval Mediterranean: a zone of intense conflict or, alternatively, one of intense contact. Grounded in Latin, Romance, and Arabic sources, this lecture traces the activities of impostors (people who crowded the thirteenth and fourteenth-century Mediterranean), forcing us to think beyond metaphors of contact and encounter to explain the relationships between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Schedule: 24 March 2023, 17:00-18:30 GMT.
Location: Online
https://isaw.nyu.edu/events/encounters-medieval-mediterranean-world
Interactions between the Western and Islamic world are often confined to events that surround conflict; gruesome deaths, hyperbolic descriptions of the other, and the belief that this interaction is a blessing for the other nation. Thus, it is a means to an end, with the end being a reformed, modern and civilised society. The infamous Crusades, Reconquista, and Conquest of Sicily are all events flagged when discussing interactions between the two worlds. Academics and eager historians often gloss over the events that truly revolutionised the world, and functioned as the true means to an end. The Enlightenment and Renaissance was a global experience, an interaction and appreciation of art, culture, and religion which was shared by all. It was through this period that the two worlds collided, learning from one another and rapidly leading to the scientific and technological revolution faced in the early modern period. In fact, we still reap the rewards today, be it through adopting social distancing measures during COVID or exploring ways to make our coffee taste better. Though much of my research situates itself within the modern period, I find the medieval era to be extremely fascinating. Such events allow academics to venture beyond cliches attached to periods or themes and enable one to explore more of what history has to offer.
WEBINAR: National Museum of Asian Art - Online Talk with Ali Ferdowsi
Excerpt: Ali Ferdowsi is a professor emeritus in history and political science at Notre Dame de Namur University. In addition to authoring dozens of papers in Persian and English, he is a translator of more than a dozen books into Persian, including Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise. In this presentation, Ali Ferdowsi takes a peek into these convivia as reflected in Sultan Ahmad’s poetry.
Schedule: 28 March 2023, 17:00 GMT
Location: Online
https://asia.si.edu/events-overview/talks/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D165137779
Sultan Ahmad (reigned 1382–1410), the last of the Jalayerid rulers, is among the most enigmatic figures in the long and eventful history of Iran. Although menaced by the world-conqueror Timur, and often at war or on the run, he maintained an astonishingly active artistic circle. A warrior of legendary courage and prowess, he also composed more poems than almost any other ruler. He was cunning, paranoid, and merciless with his enemies, both real and perceived, but incongruously, he wooed and gathered some of the best artists—calligraphers, painters, musicians, and more—at his court and treated them with generosity and even humility. The primary venue in which he and his artistic peers gathered to present their creations was a form of convivium (or symposium) called majlis-i khass (private banquet) or bazm-i ushshaq (lovers’ banquet). Though Sultan Ahmad ruled over Baghdad, one of the most significant cultural, social and economic hubs of the millennium, his name is often overlooked, and his poetry even more so. This event gives light towards those who contributed significantly to Iran’s history and culture. Iran plays a critical role in the medieval Islamic period, attendees can expect to gain a wider understanding of smaller Islamic sultanates and how they contributed to the overall Islamic empire which, as stated above, distinguishes you as a budding academic!
BOOK LAUNCH: Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean
Excerpt: To celebrate AKU-ISMC’s publication of Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean: Diversity and Pluralism, Past and Present, please join Professors Stéphane Pradines and Farouk Topan and their guests Dr Farah Faizal, High Commissioner of the Republic of the Maldives, and Dr Annabel Teh Gallop, Head of Southeast Asia at the British Library, for a discussion of this rich crossroads of Muslim cultures.
Schedule: 27 Apr 2023, 17:30 - 19:00 GMT
Location: Aga Khan Centre (1st floor) 10 Handyside Street London N1C 4DN
Scholars are increasingly recognising the centrality of the Indian Ocean in the study of Muslim cultures. This volume, edited by AKU-ISMC's Professors Stéphane Pradines and Farouk Topan, explores the expanding and changing roles of these Muslim communities across the Indian Ocean world, from the seventh century to the medieval period, and also to the present day. The book goes beyond the usual focus on geographical sub-regions to highlight different aspects of interconnectivity in relation to Islam. By analysing textual and material evidence, the fifteen papers in this volume examine identities and diasporas, manuscripts and literature, as well as vernacular and religious architecture. It explores the networks and movements of peoples, ideas, and ideologies, in addition to art, culture, religion, and heritage. Throughout my time in university I have become increasingly open towards challenging my ideas and perspectives regarding history and historiographical methods, whilst simultaneously ensuring my understanding of a historical period, or of history in general, is as broad as possible. The panellists contributing aim to provide an insight on how a process of Islamisation conflicted with contextual cultural norms to create a distinctive culture in the Indian Ocean.
CFP: Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies: Travel and Wonder, 1450-1750
Excerpt: The centre has invited proposals for conference papers on wonder in early-modern travel writing. Papers are welcome to discuss any geographical area. Questions primarily centred upon the theme of 'Travel and Wonder' will be explored.
Schedule: April 27 2023 - April 28 2023, 09:00-17:00 GMT.
Location: University of York, Berrick Saul Building, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK (The Treehouse)
https://www.york.ac.uk/crems/events/2022-23/travel-and-wonder/
Travel-writing forms a core component of a historian’s understanding of earlier periods. It is through the likes of Ibn Khaldun, William of Tyre, and al-Idrisi that we are privileged to form assumptions of past lives and eons previously lived. The medieval period appears to be a time when travel writing populated shelves. Throughout this period curiosity piqued, the West were eager to understand the so-called Orient, and the East were keen to discover the other parts of the Islamic Empire and the West. As conquests and pillages were called for, eager writers took the opportunity to document their interactions with “the other side”. This event provides academics with the opportunity to appreciate this form of literature whilst encountering both well-renowned and lesser-known writers. I have chosen this event as I view travel writing to be a direct lens into the past. Having studied and read from all of the aforementioned writers, their perspectives, attitude and description of areas, people and events are truly intriguing. Travel-writing has become a rarity in today’s age, often replaced by vlogs or pictures - I think it is a reminder of how strong and impactful writing can be, as well as how it inspires others to want to travel to these areas.