[Discussion] The Turks and Palestine

[Gonul]

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Institute for Asian and African Studies
and
The Itzhaq Ben-Zvi Institute For the Study of Eretz-Israel and the
Heritage of Sephardi and Eastern Jewry

Call for Papers: "The Turks and Palestine: A 1000 years of relations"

An international conference to be held in Jerusalem, 22-24 June 2004

Since the ninth century C.E., Turkish military and political elites have
played a key role in the history of Palestine.  The centuries of Turkish
presence and rule in the region have left a rich heritage in many realms,
such as politics, economics, social history, law, language, material
culture, daily life, and collective and individual memory.  The best known
time of Turkish influence over the country is, of course, the Ottoman period
(1516-1917/8), but previous “Turkish” dynasties have left their mark on the
history of the country: Tulunids, Ikhshids, Seljuqs, and most notably the
Mamluks.  Even at other intervals, i.e. the Crusader and Ayyubid periods,
the presence of Turkish soldiers in Muslim armies was decisive in deciding
the ultimate fate of Palestine and the surrounding territories.  With the
abolishment of the Ottoman Sultanate and the emergence of the Republic of
Turkey after World War I, Turks have continued to play a certain part in the
affairs of the region, during the time of the British Mandate, after the
creation of the State of Israel and up to today; recent years have witnessed
a growing role for Turkey in the area.

The aim of the conference is to examine the role of the Turkish rulers,
elites and peoples in the history of the country, both in the specific
periods and in the longue dur?e.  The focus of the conference will be on the
Ottoman period, but sessions will also be devoted to both the pre-Ottoman
times, as well the role of modern Turkey.  Special emphasis will be placed
on relations between the Turks and the local population, Muslim, Christian
and Jewish.

We invite the submission of titles of papers which deal with the above
subjects from a variety of disciplines: history, art history, archeology,
literature, folklore, linguistics, law, historical geography, international
relations, economics and other fields in the humanities and social sciences.
Papers should combine original research with an engagement with broader
issues in the history of the country, the larger region and beyond.
Comparative approaches (e.g. with other areas of the Ottoman Empire, or
other Turkish states) will be welcome.  Some subsidies for travel and stay
in Jerusalem should be available.  The language of the conference will be
English, although we are investigating the possibility of simultaneous
translation to enable papers in Hebrew and Turkish.

For further information, and the submission of titles and abstracts (ca. 250
words), contact:


Prof. Reuven Amitai, Institute of Asian and African Studies, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel

tel: 972-5883659; fax: 972-2-5883658  email: amitai@h2.hum.huji.ac.il



Deadline for proposals: 1 December 2003