The Program in Islamic Material Culture

The "Program in Islamic Material Culture” addresses the problematic situation of the field and attempts to find practical and fruitful solutions for this state. Material culture is becoming increasingly important for the study of the history and culture of the Middle East. This is especially true for the early and middle Islamic periods where literary sources are rarer. This makes the information provided by the study of material culture even more valuable for our understanding. At the same time, however, the knowledge of the various subjects of material culture is thinly spread among the universities and only few students have the interest and the abilities to engage in the study of material culture in the Middle East.

In this sense, the "Program in Islamic Material Culture" and the Webinar Initiative are a reaction to this state of the field. The aim is to broaden the field and to establish a network among students and researchers from various countries.

The program offers four courses spread over two academic years and brings together four leading scholars from different backgrounds, i.e. papyrology, numismatics, material culture and art, and archaeology, in one joint program.