COEXISTENCE OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL DIVERSITIES: THE EXPERIENCE OF ISTANBUL

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

CALL FOR PAPERS

MAIN THEME

As well-known Istanbul has been the capital of various empires, and hosted many civilizations in ages. Religious tolerance which has been practiced throughout the history in Anatolia was institutionalized in this city right after being conquered by the Ottomans. That religious and cultural pluralism which was established as an institution in this city on a legal ground has been the most crucial source of the cosmopolitan social structure persisting to the modern Istanbul. The traditional plurality concerning social diversity still continues to alive in its architectural and cultural milieu of the city. Istanbul has been able to establish a ground of toleration for different beliefs and cultures in which they could interact with daily life in the various fields such as fine arts, culture, architecture, city customs and the sentiment of belonging. Being built by this pluralistic perspective, Istanbul means as a center of culture and history which has been gradually flourished by the contribution of this historical diversity. Because of that, Istanbul signifies a heritage that needs to be rediscovered by the means of multicultural perspective. This heritage may give an unrivaled model for the need of the coexisting in our globalizing world.

MAJOR TOPICS

· Istanbul as the meeting point of different religions

· Istanbul in the development of monotheistic religions

· Istanbul as the center of religious and cultural pluralism

· The non-Muslim communities at the time of the Conquest

· Ottoman policy towards non-Muslim communities in the post-Conquest era

· The process of institutionalization of non-Muslim communities in Istanbul

· Different religious communities in Istanbul

· Historical reflections of multicultural life in Istanbul

o architecture

o arts

o literature

o science

o medicine

· Daily life and social interaction in the multicultural structure of Istanbul

· Istanbul faces a modernity that threatens the pluralistic cultural life

· Changes in the pluralistic religious life of Istanbul during the transformation from a

multicultural city to a metropolis

Besides above themes, the committee will accept other relevant topics as well.

SCHEDULE

Deadline for application 15 September 2009

Announcement of Approved Applications 15 October 2009

Deadline for Submission of the papers 15 January 2010

Symposium Dates 15-16 April 2010

REQUIREMENTS

Proposals concerning the themes must contain at maximum 300 words and should be submitted with CV via e-mail in Word format.

Each presentation will be 20 minutes.

Please kindly notice that because of limited budget, only accommodation will be provided. The budget does not cover travel expenses of the participants.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz

Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören

Prof. Dr. Cafer Sadık Yaran

Prof. Dr. Ömer Aydın

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahsin Özcan

Dr. Necmettin Gökkır

Dr. Hakan Olgun

Mehmet Alıcı

Osman Sacit Arı

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kal’a (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tabakoğlu (Marmara University)

Prof. Dr. Bülent Uçar (Universität Osnabrück)

Prof. Dr. Cafer Sadık Yaran (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Cemal Kafadar (Harvard University)

Prof. Dr. Feridun M. Emecen (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Kemal Beydilli (Yeditepe University)

Prof. Dr. Mehmet İpşirli (Fatih University)

Prof. Dr. Ömer Aydın (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz (Istanbul University)

Prof. Dr. Yasin Aktay (Selcuk University)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas (Istanbul University)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahsin Özcan (Istanbul University)

SYMPOSIUM SECRETARY

Dr. Hakan Olgun

COMMUNICATION

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Postal Address

İstanbul Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi

Baba Hasan Alemi Mah. Kavalalı Sokak No: 1 A

Horhor

Fatih - İstanbul

Phone

00 90 212 532 60 11

00 90 212 532 60 20

Fax

00 90 212 532 62 07

Web

www.istanbul.edu.tr/ilahiyat/intsempozyum.html