 Possible Themes
- Religious diversity and tolerance
- Religious syncretism and mysticism
- Dynamics of tolerance/ multiculturalism
- Knowledge transfer and transformation
- Urban experiences
- Borderlands
- Emigration and immigration
- Trade
- Cultural interaction: arts, architecture,literature
- Family life and marriage
- Gender relations
Conference Schedule
Saturday, March 24
Conference Location:
Thompson Conference Center
The University of Texas at Austin
2405 Robert Dedman Drive
Austin TX 78712
9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Conference Welcome
Kamran Scot Aghaie, Director, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas, Austin
9:30 - 11.30 a.m.
Ottoman Legacy
Living Together in the Ottoman Empire
Mustafa Armagan, Writers and Journalists Foundation
Turkish Jews
Nisya Ishman Allovi, the Jewish Museum of Turkey
The Analysis of the Millet System in Light of Contact Theory
Yetkin Yildirim, the Institute of Interfaith Dialog and Maria Curtis, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin
The Ottoman Spirit and the Multicultural Debate
Bernadette Andrea, Department of English, Classics, and Philosophy, University of Texas, San Antonio
11.30 - 1.00 Break
1.00 - 2.45
Cultural Interactions: Ottoman Borderlands
Living Together: Cultural Diversity in the Ottoman Empire
Rhoads Murphey, Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham
Christian-Muslim Interaction on the Ottoman Frontier: Ghaza and Accommodation in Early Ottoman History
Linda Darling, Department of History, University of Arizona
Remarks on Ottoman Peace and Presence in the Balkans
Mehmet Ipsirli, Department of History, University of Fatih
2.45 - 3.15 Break
3.15 - 5.00
Demise of Ottoman Diversity: From Pax-Ottomanica to Nationalism
From Ottoman Cultural and Religious Diversity to Turkish National Identity and Uniformity
Kemal Karpat, Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Facing the Threat of Separatism in a Multi-Cultural Empire in the Age of Nationalism, - an Ottoman Solution-
Azmi Ozcan, Department of History, Sakarya University
Pax Ottomana
Mehmet Akif Aydin, School of Law, Marmara University
Sunday, March 25
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Ottoman Empire and its non-Muslim Subjects: The Millet System
Diversity, Legal Pluralism and Peaceful Co-existence in the Ottoman Centuries
Ihsan Yilmaz, Law Department, SOAS, University of London
Is Millet System a Reality or a Myth? An Alternative Approach to the Administration of the non-Muslim Subjects in the Ottoman Empire
Macit Kenanoglu, Department of Public Administration, Fatih University
The Ottoman Administration and Non-Muslims
Safsafi Ahmed Al-Katury, Department of History, Ain Shams University
The Roots of Religious Tolerance in the Ottoman Empire
Abdel Rahman Ahmad Salem, Department of History, Cairo University
11:30- 01:00 Break
1:00 - 2.45
Cultural Life: Literature, Architecture, Science
Ottoman Palimpsests: The Past Reviewed in Architecture and Literature
Tom Gage, Department of English, Humboldt State University
Ottoman Tolerance Reflected in Classic Turkish Poetry
Iskender Pala, Department of Turkish Literature, Kultur University
What contribution did Turks do to the science and technology of the Modern
Western Civilisation?
Salim Ayduz, FSTC, Manchester University
2:45 - 3:15 Closing Remarks |
Fortunately for the optimistic, however, history does not fall short of providing examples that defy the selective memory of the advocates of the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis. The Mediterranean basin, the cradle of the world’s greatest civilizations, has presented us with the most vivid and productive instances of cultural interaction and peaceful coexistence. While the cultural impact of convivencia in medieval Spain paved the way for the intellectual transformation of Europe that changed the world forever, Ottoman rule in the Middle East and southeastern Europe created one of the most successful models of plural society in the early modern world.
While maintaining active interest in the artistic, architectural, and technological advancements of other civilizations and establishing strong commercial ties with them, the Ottomans also paid special attention to the safeguarding of legal, political, and cultural mechanisms that ensured the harmonious coexistence of the diverse population of the empire. Historians agree that the Ottoman rule transformed Middle Eastern, North African, and Southeastern European societies and created a permanent impact on them that continues to shape the lives of the people living in these regions today. Interestingly, however, this transformation perpetuated the reproduction of the identities of most of the ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups rather than obliterating them. The fact that the Ottomans had given official recognition to all three Abrahamic religions certainly played an important role in this continuation. Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived, worshipped and studied side by side, enriching their distinct traditions. During their heyday, the Ottomans created a society that fostered a great degree of peaceful interaction among various religio-cultural groups.
The objective of the proposed conference is to investigate the patterns and dynamics of peaceful coexistence driven primarily from the Ottoman model. The Institute of Interfaith Dialogue hopes to bring to forefront the historical experience of the Middle Eastern people which provides ample examples that counter the “clash of civilizations” theory that is so frequently imposed on the policy makers and the public opinion today. We aim to inspire practitioners of conflict management and researchers to explore new approaches and paths to peace not only in the Middle East but also on the larger global scene. Proceedings of this conference will be published by the Raindrop Foundation.