School of Mamluk Studies 2026 Conference - Philadelphia

We are pleased to announce that the Twelfth Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies will be held at the University of Pennsylvania (aka “Penn”) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 23-25, 2026.

The conference will be conducted in two parts: a themed day on “The Mamluks and the Crusades” (July 23) and two days of panels with open themes (July 24-25). The conference will be preceded by a three-day intensive course on “The Crusades and Islamic History” (July 20-22). See below for more information about this course.

Location: The conference will take place in the Orrery Pavilion in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, Van Pelt Library 6th Floor, University of Pennsylvania.

Penn’s campus is well-served by buses, trolleys, and Philadelphia’s modest subway (34th Street is the nearest stop).

Fees: The conference registration fee will be $60 for participants and attendees. Graduate students will be offered a discounted fee of $45, subject to availability. An optional farewell dinner will take place on the last day (Saturday, July 25) at a cost to be determined. Payment of the fees (registration and farewell dinner) must be received by April 15, 2026.

Accommodations: Participants must make their own travel arrangements and secure their own accommodations. The intensive course and the conference will be held in Van Pelt Library in the center of Penn’s campus.

A list of nearby hotels will be provided shortly, and, if possible, blocks of rooms will be reserved at a special rate in some cases.

INTENSIVE COURSE: The Crusades and Islamic History (July 20-22, 2026)

This three-day intensive course will focus on reading medieval primary sources for the social, economic and religious history of Egypt and Greater Syria, including Palestine during the period of the Crusades, roughly 1050-1500. It is intended for advanced graduate students and other qualified participants and will be offered by Professor Paul M. Cobb (University of Pennsylvania) in collaboration with Prof. Ann Zimo (University of New Hampshire) and Prof. Reuven Amitai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). The course will include close reading and historical analysis of published Arabic literary sources (chronicles and the like), Frankish sources in translation, and modern secondary literature. The overall goal is to provide students with in-depth understanding of the conventions and genres of historical writing on the Crusades and what we gain (and lose) by understanding the Crusades in their Middle Eastern context.

The number of participants will be limited to a maximum of 12.

Applications for the intensive course should include a CV, a statement of purpose (up to 750 words), and a letter of recommendation by someone familiar with your work. These should be sent to [email protected] by the end of January 2026. Those who are selected for the course will be notified by the end of February 2026, at which time information about the method of payment for the course fees and a syllabus will be provided.

The course fee is $250, which also includes the registration fee for the subsequent conference (July 23-25). The fees must be paid by April 15, 2026. Registration and participation will not be confirmed until payment is received. Participants must make their own travel arrangements; the local organizer will provide suggestions for accommodation.

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Host or Publisher Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania