Sabancı University Participates in Mediterranean History Seminar at Venice International University

The international postgraduate seminar titled “Mediterranean History and National Historiographies,” coordinated by Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences faculty members Abdurrahman Atçıl and Tommaso Stefini, was successfully held at Venice International University. Sabancı University faculty member Banu Turnaoğlu also contributed to the seminar with her lectures.

The week-long program addressed the emergence of Mediterranean historiography, its relationship with national historiography, methodological approaches, fundamental sources, and new research perspectives on its future. Participants had the opportunity to discuss the Mediterranean as a dynamic historical research area that allows for understanding the interactions between different societies, political structures, and cultures.

As part of the seminar, participants visited the Venice State Archives (Archivio di Stato di Venezia), one of the world's most important historical research centers, and gained firsthand experience with its rich archival collections relating to early modern Mediterranean history. Furthermore, a field trip to Lazzaretto Nuovo, a site formerly used as a monastery and quarantine island and now a significant archaeological and cultural heritage site, provided on-site research into Venice's maritime, trade, and epidemic management history.

The seminar was also attended by Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences graduate students Emine Dikmen, Fatih Doğan, Sevde İslamoğlu, Eren Öztürk, and Ahmet Kaan Özbek. The students had the opportunity to participate in seminar discussions and share their research with graduate students and academics from different countries through presentations.

The seminar, held within the framework of Venice International University, strengthened Sabancı University's international connections with Venice International University and contributed to young researchers' interaction with international academic networks.