ISAP Online Conference 2021Connecting Distant Worlds: The International Society for Arabic Papyrology (ISAP) Online Conference (Online, 15-18 March, 2021)

18 February 2021

Photo: LMU/A. Kaplony

Scholars working in pre-modern Arabic and Islamic studies are keenly aware of the importance of original documents. Yet, relevant documents have survived not only in Arabic, but also in Iranian languages, Coptic, Greek, Judaeo-languages and the other scribal idioms that mirror the multilingual past of the Islamic world. The International Society for Arabic Papyrology Online Conference (ISAP ONLINE 2021) will provide a platform to showcase the state of the art of Arabic papyrology, with an emphasis on the edges, connectivity and multilingualism of the Islamic world.

ISAP’s original plan was to hold this conference at Fayyum University, but the pandemic requires us to hold the conference online. As soon as possible, the society will also move ahead with the Fayyum conference.

The conference will consist of a series of afternoon panels and evening lectures (Central European Time) from Monday, 15 March 2021 to Thursday, 18 March 2021. The program will include 20-minute presentations, an evening lecture, as well as an introductory-level student workshop. All lectures will be in English, but questions and discussion can take place in English, Arabic, French or German.

Proposing a presentation
Please send a 400-word abstract to Andreas Kaplony (andreas.kaplony at lmu.de) no later than 4 November, 2020. Due to time restrictions, we probably will not be able to accept all proposals; we will give preference to scholars newer to the field and to presentations focusing on texts in Arabic and one other language. Notification regarding the acceptance of proposals will be made by 1 December, 2020.

Conference fees
Presenting and participating in discussions will require membership in the ISAP (annual fee of 25 Euros, 15 Euros for students). Information on membership can be found on the ISAP website (www.naher-osten.lmu.de/isap).

Participation with no presentation
Pure attendance will be free. Please send a notice of intent to participate to Manuella Wangert (m.wangert at lmu.de) no later than 1 March, 2021.

Conference organizers
Lajos Berkes (New Testament Studies, HU Berlin); Ursula Bsees (Arabic and Islamic Studies, LMU Munich); Maher A. Eissa (Egyptology, Fayoum University); Andreas Kaplony (Arabic and Islamic Studies, LMU Munich); Marie Legendre (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh); Matt Malczycki (History, Auburn University); Marina Rustow (Near Eastern Studies and History, Princeton University); Naïm Vanthieghem (IHRT, Section arabe, CNRS Paris); Khaled Younes (University of Sadat City/Austrian National Library Vienna).

Further questions
If you have any further questions about the conference, please contact Andreas Kaplony (andreas.kaplony at lmu.de).
For further information and the program, please refer to the conference's website.