CfP: “Channels of Transmission of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ottoman World (14th-18th centuries)” in Istanbul, Türkiye, November 21-24, 2023
The international congress entitled “Channels of Transmission of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ottoman World (14th-18th centuries)” will be held on 21-24 November 2023 in Istanbul (Türkiye), being co-organized by The Department of the History of Science (Istanbul University) and Institut Français d’Etudes Anatoliennes (IFEA).
This international colloquium aims to investigate the history of the development and choice of methods and the production of astronomical techniques in the Ottoman world from the 14th to the 18th century, including the Mediterranean and all the territories that were part of the Ottoman Empire.
Aiming for a broader audience, the colloquium will welcome scholars and colleagues in Hellenic, Byzantine, Iranian, Arabic, Ottoman, and Turkish studies, as well as specialists in the history of astronomical techniques in Europe.
We wish to retrace the path of the transmission of astronomical techniques and methods through time and space and to highlight the key moments of contact between the holders of knowledge and the patrons who will ensure the historical continuity of this knowledge through an antique and medieval network going from China to Europe, assimilated then developed synthetically and extensively during the Ottoman period.
Furthermore, this conference will make accessible a series of sources in various languages, the plurality of which (Turkish [Chagatay and Ottoman], Arabic, Persian, Greek, Chinese, Syriac, Armenian, Sanskrit, Middle Persian) is yet to be adequately acknowledged and systematically analysed.
Ultimately, we wish to try to reconstruct part of the complex puzzle of the development of astronomical techniques and methods in different cultural and historical areas that contributed to the development of astronomical sciences.
To enhance the collaborative spirit and foster a fruitful exchange, we will set up round table discussions after each day of the colloquium and reduce the presentation sessions to a "classic" colloquium format.
We will proceed by a thematic division of the sessions and will make a call for contributions in order to open the perspectives and the possibilities to reflections of researchers at the international level.
The preliminary themes for the sessions can be seen as follows:
Theme 1: Tracing the Astronomical Heritage Through Libraries, Archives and Museums
Theme 2: Politics, Religion and Power in Relation to Astronomy and Astrology
Theme 3: Astronomical Theories and Practices
Theme 4: Mysticism, Astrology and Magic
Theme 5: Botanic, Medicine and Agriculture in Relation to Astronomy and Astrology
The deadline for submitting an abstract is by June 25, 2023. We plan to announce for accepted papers by July 20.
We have a limited number of fixed-amount travel and accommodation grants for PhD students, postdoc researchers and early career scholars (within 5 years of completion of studies) from outside Türkiye. Since we are particularly keen to encourage people to join in person, the opportunity for virtual participation will be restrained by strict conditions, such as being unable to get a visa or having support to travel. If you wish to apply for a grant to attend the congress in Istanbul, please fill out the form on web site by June 15, 2023.
For more information and to submit your abstracts, please see the Conference website: https://
In case of questions about the Conference, please email to ottomanastronomy@istanbul.