Biennial Conference of the School of Abbasid Studies

The School of Abbasid Studies organises two-yearly conferences that are hosted by the Universities of its directors. Since 1992, fourteen conferences have been held at St Andrews, Cambridge and Leuven. The thirteenth conference took place in 2016 at the Leiden University (The Netherlands), the fourteenth in 2018 at Yale University (New Haven, USA) and the fifteenth in 2022 at Oxford University (UK).

Recent Conference

The fifteenth conference was successfully held in 2022 at Oxford University, UK, from Tuesday July 12 till Sunday July 17.

Organisation

Participation of the conferences is on invitation only. Read all about how and when the conferences are organized.

Past Conferences

See programs and participants of the past conferences (information available of the seventh till the fourteenth conference).

JAS

Now available:
Journal of Abbasid Studies 8/1 – 2021
Special Issue: Animals, Adab, and Fictivity
Edited by Matthew L. Keegan

Coming soon:
Journal of Abbasid Studies 8/2 – 2021
With contributions by Devin Stewart and Estrella Samba Campos

Awards

Alastair Northedge, Paris-based British professor, researcher and archaeologist best known for his surveys of Samarra, is 2020 laureate of Tamayouz Excellence Award’s Special Recognition Award.
The Special Recognition Award aims to celebrate and recognize contributions to humanity, architecture and the built environment and is presented annually to individuals or organizations.
Read more »

Michael Cooperson, professor of Near Eastern languages and cultures, has received the Sheikh Zayed Award for his Arabic-to-English translation of “Impostures” by Maqamat Al-Hariri.
Read more »

New publication

Popeye and Curly: 120 Days in Medieval Baghdad
Written and Illustrated by Emily Selove

Popeye and Curly is a book of cartoons about Abbasid Baghdad, starring book-loving author Popeye (al-Jahiz) and winebibbing poet Curly (Abu Nuwas), along with their friends Coral (a singing girl) and the Caliph of one of the world’s most influential empires in history. Each episode is derived from historical sources, and designed to entertain, educate, and amaze.

It includes a short preface by Geert Jan van Gelder, as well as a bibliography and index. The full-colour pictures are inspired by illustrations of al-Hariri’s Maqamat.