Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies

25/09/2026

Last evening, CEMS hosted a terrific talk by Dr. Federico Montinaro titled "What Was the First Crusade about?," connecting the Schism of 1054 and the First Crusade and restoring "Byzantium to its proper place as the uneasy bulwark of Orthodoxy at the origins of crusading."

Warm thanks to Dr. Montinaro and to everyone who came!

22/09/2026

Do not miss out CEMS opening public lecture by Dr. Federico Montinaro, "What Was the First Crusade about? Some Byzantine Ideas on Schism and Holy War," taking place this Thursday, September 24, onsite or online.

For full information, see below.
https://events.ceu.edu/2026-09-24/what-was-first-crusade-about-some-byzantine-ideas-schism-and-holy-war?

What Was the First Crusade about? Some Byzantine Ideas on Schism and Holy WarLectureThursday, September 24, 2026 · 5:30 – 7:00 pmSpeakerFederico MontinaroABSTRACT: Few subjects have attracted as much attention as the Schism of 1054 and the First Crusade. Separated by more than half a century, the...

14/09/2026

CEMS director Baukje van den Berg will give an online talk "Why Read Homer? Byzantine Scholars on the Value of Ancient Literature" on September 23 in which she will discuss the enduring power and allure of Homeric poetry over the later cultures by focusing on Byzantine responses to Homeric epics in particular!

For full information, please see below

Founded in 2010 through a generous gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation, the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of knowledge about the rich heritage of Byzantine art and culture.

10/09/2026

Join us on September 24 for our opening public lecture by Dr. Federico Montinaro "What Was the First Crusade about? Some Byzantine Ideas on Schism and Holy War," onsite or online.

For full information, see below.

25/08/2026

CEMS is proud to announce that, starting September 1, it will host the four-year FWF project Rhetorical Thought in Byzantium (11th–14th c.), led by its director, Baukje van den Berg.

Warmest congratulations to Baukje!

For more details about the project, see below:

Rhetoric profoundly shaped the worldview, intellectual culture, and literature of the Byzantine Empire throughout its millennium-long history. Rhetorical education—and literary education in general—was central to elite identity: it enabled social mobility and allowed its graduates to pursue care...

22/06/2026

CEMS is proud to announce that this year's CEMS Best MA Thesis Award goes to Ahmet Baran Demir for his thesis “Debating Cash Waqfs: A Case Study on Scholarly Communication in the Ottoman Legal Sphere in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.”

We warmly congratulate Ahmet for his past academic achievements and wish him the absolute best for this future academic and personal endeavors!

CEMS is delighted to announce that this year's CEMS Best MA Thesis Award goes to Ahmet Baran Demir for his master's thesis titled “Debating Cash Waqfs: A Case Study on Scholarly Communication in the Ottoman Legal Sphere in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries” and supervised by Professor Tija...

20/05/2026

If in Vienna, do not miss out the 4th International Late Antique and Byzantine Studies Graduate Conference "Otherness in Byzantium: Imagining, Encountering, Excluding" taking place this Friday and Saturday, May 22-23, that will feature two key not lectures by professors Koray Durak and Ingela Nilsson, and numerous talks by graduate students showcasing their outstanding research.

For full information, see below.

Abstract: How the Other is constructed has been extensively explored within post-structuralism and deconstructive theory, starting with the seminal works of Derrida and Foucault. In this conference, we wish to approach the concept of otherness from two complementary perspectives. On the one hand, we...

12/05/2026

OTUGRAD---Ottoman and Turkish Studies Graduate Workshop, taking place on June 1 at CEU, is thrilled to announce its program!

Check it out on CEMS's website!

Triangle of Morality, Beauty and Health: Constructing Beauty Discourse through Health to Regulate Morality for Ottoman Women between 1895-1927

07/05/2026

In anticipation of the 4th International Late Antique and Byzantine Studies Graduate Conference "Otherness in Byzantium: Imagining, Encountering, Excluding," please check out the slightly updated and final conference program.
Check it out below!

Abstract: How the Other is constructed has been extensively explored within post-structuralism and deconstructive theory, starting with the seminal works of Derrida and Foucault. In this conference, we wish to approach the concept of otherness from two complementary perspectives. On the one hand, we...