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Home , Elgiz Museum, Fener, Golden Horn, Kadir Has University, Levent, Pera Museum

Proposal for as the site for the ICFAD 2014 Triennial International Symposium Late June to Mid-July

Submitted by: Sue Ott Rowlands, Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences, Virginia Tech

Proposed location: , Turkey

What is unique about the setting including special events during mid-July?

"There, God and human, nature and art are together, they have created such a perfect place that it is valuable to see." The French poet, Alphonse de Lamartine, revealed his love for Istanbul in this line, which also provides a compelling reason for ICFAD to hold its 2014 Triennial International Symposium in the city that embraces two continents, one arm reaching out to Asia and the other to .

Istanbul, once known as the capital of capital cities, has many unique features. Not only is it the only city in the world to straddle two continents, it is the only one to have been a capital during two consecutive empires - Christian and Islamic. Once capital of the , Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural pulse of Turkey, and its beauty lies in its ability to embrace its contradictions. Ancient and modern, religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly all co-exist in Istanbul. Its variety is one of Istanbul’s greatest attractions: the ancient mosques, palaces, museums and bazaars reflect its diverse history. A number of festivals are held each year in July, including:

International Istanbul Jazz Festival, which presents a remarkable variety of music, ranging from traditional and contemporary jazz to rock, electronica and world music (held in venues throughout the city)

International Istanbul Opera Festival, held annually in July presents opera at various venues, including the Topkapi Palace in Sultahnamet, the ‘Old City.’

Eurasia Culture Festival, which celebrates cultures from around the world and brings people together through the arts. Held in annually in July, the festival encompasses dance, music, ballet and other artistic disciplines by groups from as far afield as Mexico and South Korea.

Tünel International Art Festival, tentative dates are July 3-19, 2013. This art festival opens the larger Istanbul Jazz Festival and is celebrated in one of the city’s main pedestrian areas. Already renowned for its bohemian spirit, Tünel Square, situated next to Tower, fills with international and local artists exhibiting their works in the street and in the coffee shops around the square.

What institutional or additional institutional connections are available?

Our College, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (which includes the School of Performing Arts and Cinema), Virginia Tech has close partnerships with two major universities in Istanbul: and Koç University. Both have agreed to assist with arrangements and co-sponsor events for the symposium. If this proposal is accepted, I will secure partnerships with other Istanbul arts organizations, such as the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV).

Opportunities for co-sponsorship with another organization or institution?

The Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kadir Has University, Dr. Zuhal Ulusoy, has offered her assistance in planning the symposium. Dr. Ulusoy is an architect and designer with particular knowledge about the architecture of Istanbul, both ancient and modern. As well, the Director of the International Office will provide organizing support for the symposium. These matters were confirmed in meetings during my visit in February.

The arts faculty at Koç University have agreed to collaborate with us in presenting the symposium, and we have enthusiastic supporters in the International Office at the university. Aysa Inan, director of international partnerships, and Burcu Sarsilmaz, assistant director, are my contacts and have already been extremely helpful in sketching out a possible program for the symposium. During our meetings in February, Burcu and many faculty members pledged support in organizing the symposium.

My Turkish colleagues have encouraged me to contact IKSV (the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts) for programming advice, ticket coordination, and possible conference support. The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) was founded in 1973 with the goal of offering the Turkish public opportunities to experience the finest examples of cultural and artistic production from around the world and learn about new initiatives and movements. Further objectives included introducing the world to Turkey's cultural and artistic assets and transforming Istanbul into a major international center for culture and the arts. The general objectives of the Foundation are: to make Istanbul one of the world's foremost capitals of culture and the arts; to create continuous interaction between national and universal values and traditional and contemporary values via culture and the arts; and to contribute actively to the development of cultural policies. In addition to organizing festivals, biennials and events in Turkey and abroad, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is involved in conserving traditional arts and cultural heritage, encouraging and facilitating artistic production in diverse disciplines, and contributing to the development of cultural policies.

Should this proposal be accepted, I will pursue a partnership with Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Istanbul. The Rector of Mimar Sinan, Yalçin Karayağiz, is also Director of the Fine Arts Institute in Higher Education in Ankara. He oversees the work of fine arts faculties at universities throughout turkey.

Any additional information

Istanbul is a city divided by the Bosphorus Strait and is made up of many districts. Our program would take us to many parts of the city, but would be concentrated in the ancient district of Sultahnamet and in the newer areas of Galata and . Sultahnamet houses the most famous historical sights of Istanbul and was named for the Roman, Byzantine, and much of the Ottoman periods. Sights include the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, Haja Sophia, the Spice Market, and Topkapi Palace. Galata and the New City districts house modern museums, the main business district, restaurants and nightclubs, and Dolmabahçe Palace, the final palace of the Ottoman Empire.

Program ideas:

Possible theme(s) for the symposium: “The Creative Process: Inspirations from Istanbul”

Suggested presenters/speakers/performers and their areas of expertise

Note: During a recent trip to Istanbul on Virginia Tech business in February, I met with most of these individuals to discuss preliminary plans should the symposium be sited in Istanbul in summer 2014. An asterisk (*) indicates those who participated in the planning sessions.

*Ilgim Veryeri Alaca, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Visual Arts, Koç University: Veryeri Alaca received her BFA in Painting from Mimar Sinan University in İstanbul. She then worked on her Master's degree at California State University in Studio Arts. In 1999, she received a scholarship from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design. She then worked on a PhD degree at , Department of Fine Arts, focusing on the synthesis of intaglio print process with the marbleizing technique. She has participated in exhibitions in the United States, , Georgia, Turkey, Germany, Poland and Bulgaria. Veryeri has received the 64th State Competition and 30th DYO Competition Printmaking awards. She is also represented at various museums in Italy, Poland, Georgia and Turkey, including at the Museum of Painting and Sculpture (İstanbul). She has taught at UIUC (USA), (Ankara) and the University of Richmond (USA). Note: Ilgim has agreed to present a workshop on book design for the symposium.

*Oğuzhan Özcan, Professor in the Department of Media and Visual Arts, Koç University: Oğuzhan Özcan is the professor in interactive media design. He has founded one of the first interactive media design school around the world. Ozcan is known in the field with his design methods named as "breaking the rule" and " re-reading the culture". His articles are published in leading journals such as Design Issues, Leonardo, Digital Creativity, Computers and Education. Note: Oğuzhan has agreed to present a session on his research at the Design Lab at Koç University during the symposium.

*Lucienne Şenocak, Associate Professor of Archaeology and the History of Art in the Department of Media and Visual Arts, Koç University: Lucienne Şenocak teaches cultural heritage management, museum studies, visual culture, Ottoman architectural history, and gender and the history of art and architecture. Her recent research focuses on the areas of Ottoman architectural history and archaeology, architectural patronage of imperial Ottoman women, cultural heritage management and museum studies, landscape history and the history of Ottoman fortifications. Note: Lucienne has agreed to serve as point person for symposium programming related to Arts History and Architecture.

*Dilek Barlas, Professor of History, Koç University: Professor Barlas teaches diplomatic history, modern European history, history of the Turkish Republic, and Balkan history. She has been at Koç University since 1993; prior to that she taught at the University of Chicago. She has been a visiting scholar in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago and in the Center for International and Comparative Studies at Northwestern University.

*Yonca Köksal, Assistant Professor of History, Koç University: Professor Köksal conducts research in various areas of history and historical sociology. She studies state transformations and social networks in the 19th century Ottoman Empire. Her recent research is on Muslim/Turkish minorities in the Balkan States during the interwar era.

*Nazmi Agil, Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Comparative Literature, Koç University: Nazmi Agil works on the relationship between images and texts, comparative studies between English and Turkish literature and the theory and practice of translation. He received his PhD from Boğaziçi University in 2001. He has published a translation of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in Turkish (1993), as well as translations of The Prelude and works by Julia Bachstein, Aharon Appelfield, Gerard Donovan, Alexander Pope, and a profile of John Ashbery. His poems have been widely published: books in Turkish include Beni Böyle Değiştiren (The One that Changes Me Like This), Boşanma Dosyası (Divorce File) and Kokarca Aramak (Looking for the Skunk). He has also translated the English poet Richatd McKane's Coffeehouse Poems - with a specifically Turkish theme - into Turkish (2003). Note: Nazmi has agreed to do a reading of his work at one of our receptions.

*Zuhal Ulusoy, Dean of Faculty of Art and Design, Kadir Has University: Dean Ulusoy received her PhD in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and taught there for a year (2003-2004). She has been at Kadir Has University since 2008 where she serves as a Professor of Architecture and Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design. Her research focuses on urban design, spatial and social relationships, and space and culture. Note: Zuhal will be a key partner in organizing the symposium.

Çetin Sarikartal, Department Head, Department of Theatre, Kadir Has University, along with other theatre faculty: The Kadir Has Theatre Department, which was founded in 2006, is the youngest department of Faculty of Fine Arts in Kadir Has University. The department offers a four-year undergraduate program, which leads the graduates to Bachelor of Arts degree. The program aims to help student to develop their knowledge and creativity, as well as their skills that they need in their future profession as theatre artists. The curriculum is designed to provide our students wide range of possibilities to specialization for the professional life. It serves an optimal combination of theory and practice. Students begin their education by training the fundamental elements of theatre and get then focusing attention on a particular area of interest, such as acting, dramatic writing, directing, theatre management, etc. The academic staff of the department consists of prominent actors, directors and theatre managers of well-known theatre companies and academicians. Our lecturers have international experience and they have great theoretical and practical knowledge of theatre. Besides their career as artists, they have also long years of experience as lecturer. The department gives special importance to the international education and enables its students to have international experiences through Erasmus (Şafak Bilge Suppan, Coordinator) and other exchange programs, as well as international academic events and workshops.

Inci Eviner, Associate Professor of Art, Kadir Has University: Inci Eviner, born 1956 in Polatli, to the southwest of Ankara, completed her artistic education at the national academy of fine arts and the Mimar Sinan University. Her international career took off in the mid-1990ies. In individual exhibitions and during residencies her work was displayed in Paris, New York, Rotterdam, Bellagio and Tokyo, by reputed galleries and institutions, furthermore she participated in numerous group exhibitions around the globe. Currently the artist resides and works in Istanbul, where she holds a professorship for combined art at the Yildiz University.

Levent Çalıkoğlu, Chief Curator at Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Çalıkoğlu has degrees in art history and museum studies and is a lecturer at the Art Management Department, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul. He has written extensively and published both articles and books on Modern and Contemporary Turkish Art. Since 1998 he has curated exhibitions on a national and international scale for institutions and museums. Recent projects include Sarkis: Site and the New Works New Horizons at Istanbul Modern (2009). Previous exhibitions include: Istanbul: New Continent (2009), Seoul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul Modern Berlin (2009), Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin, Held Together with Water (2009), Istanbul Museum of Modern Art; Cihat Burak Retrospective (2008);, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Hybrid Narratives (2007), Akbank Cultural Centre, Istanbul; Twilight Notebook (2006) Yildiz Technical University Art Gallery, Istanbul; Strangers with Angelic Faces (2006) Space Studios, London and Akbank Cultural Centre, Istanbul. He is also an art consultant for Dr. Nejat F. Eczacibasi Foundation and the Akbank Cultural Centre.

What cultural opportunities could be included in the programming?

Cultural opportunities could range from contemporary art to ancient archeological exhibits; a few suggestions follow (descriptions are copied from a number of sources):

Historical Sights • Sultanahmet District This World Heritage-listed district is crammed with historic buildings and enough magical atmosphere to keep you enthralled for days. Drink in the majesty of Aya Sofya, a museum-church-mosque all in one, and admire the Blue Mosque that mirrors it. Spend days amid the riches of Topkapi Palace, and discover the underground world of the Basilica . Then shop for everything from curly-toed slippers to magic lanterns in the massive Grand Bazaar.

• Blue Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camii, the Blue Mosque, was built by the sultan of the same name to out- wow the adjacent Aya Sofia. Built in the early 1600s, on the site of Constantinople’s Great Palace, the ‘blue’ comes from the blue tiled walls and dome. The blue tiles, latticework and carved marble are highlights of the interior. Outside, the mosque’s sequence of flattened domes is circled by six pointed minarets. • Justinian constructed the Basilica Cistern, also known as the Sunken Palace “or” Yerebatan sarayi in Turkish, in 532 to supply water to the Byzantine Palace. The underground waterway was used as a reservoir for water storage for the Great Palace and other buildings. It is 132m in length by 65m wide. There are 336 columns in the cistern. Most of the column capitals are either in Corinthian or Doric Style. • Grand Bazaar The Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi in Turkish) is one of the the largest covered markets in the world with its 4400 shops in 64 streets and with 22 gates. The Bazaar was first constructed in 1464 with the order of Mehmed II and had many restorations over the years due to the extensive fires and destructive earthquakes. There are tens of cafés, a police station, and little mosques in the bazaar. • Dolmabahce Palace When the Ottoman sultans wanted to update their living space, they moved from the sprawling Topkapi complex on Seraglio Point to the more classically proportioned Dolmabahce Palace, also known as Dolmabahce Sarayi. The sultans lived here from 1856 to 1922. The palace has a special place in the hearts of modern-day Turks, as the leader Atatürk made the palace his home and it was here that he passed away in 1938. • The and the Bosphorus Strait The Golden Horn, or Haliç in Turkish, is a horn-shaped fiord on the European side of Istanbul and is fed by two small streams. It is a natural harbor where Byzantine and Ottoman fleet and commercial ships were anchored. Its name comes from the color of the water when at sunset it shines with a gold color because of the reflection of the sun. Golden Horn was an old trading harbor and a popular residential area during the Byzantine period. A huge chain to stop unwanted ships blocked its entrance. During the Ottoman period it was largely inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Spain. The mixtures of Armenians, , Gypsies and Turks living along its shores reflected the city's colorful ethnic mosaic. and Balat are old neighborhoods of the Golden Horn, with traditional old wooden houses, Byzantine churches, and a couple of old synagogues belonging to the first Jewish community who was settled here. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides here as well. The Eyup neighborhood towards the end of the Golden Horn is an important site for who come to pray at the tomb of Eyub El Ensari, who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and died during the Arab siege of Constantinople in the 7th century. Around the mosque and the hills are covered with cemeteries from the Ottoman period. The Pierre Loti Cafe on top of the hill overlooking the shrine is a peaceful place to enjoy the view of the Golden Horn having a traditional Turkish coffee or tea. Museums • Chora Church (Kariye Camii in Turkish) is the most interesting Byzantine church after in Istanbul. Frescoes and mosaics are superb and reflect the magnificent heritage of Byzantine Art. Maria Doukaina, mother-in-law of Alexius Comnenos I between 1077-1081, founded the church. Early in the 16C, Attic Ali Pasha converted the church to a mosque and the mosaics were covered with plaster. In 1948, it was restored by the Byzantine Institute of America and opened as a museum in 1958.

• Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Once a church and probably one of the most interesting spots of Istanbul, it is called St. Sophia, Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya, the difference attributed to the varying languages. Ayasofya is one of the most extraordinary buildings in the history of architecture. It is the fourth largest Cathedral in the world with its 56m high dome, after Saint Paul’s in London, Saint Peter’s in Rome and the Duomo in ; however, it was built more than 1000 years before the others. The interior of the museum is decorated with splendid Byzantine mosaics. The Church of the Holy Apostles was the first name of the church when it was built in 360 AD. In 1453 when Constantinople fell, Sultan turned the church to a mosque and it remained so for nearly 500 years. Ataturk, the Founder of Turkish Republic, turned Ayasofya into a museum in 1935. • Topkapi Palace Topkapi Palace was the home of the Ottoman Sultans, and is now a perfect place to reflect the glory of Ottoman Empire, the sultans and their way of living. When Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople in 1453, he constructed a great complex of buildings and gardens that came to be known as "Eski Saray" which means "The Old Palace.” A few years later, he expanded the palace to the site of the acropolis of ancient and constructed a massive wall surrounding the area along the Sea of to the Golden Horn. This took place during the period 1459-65 after the Sultan left the former palace to the women of his father's harem. The Harem in Topkapi Palace in its present state dates back to the reign of Murat III (1574-95). Topkapi Palace continued to be the principal residence for four centuries until in 1853 when Sultan Abdul Mecid I moved into the new palace of Dolmabahce on the Bosphorus. The old palace was used as house for the women of the departed sultans and their servants until the Harem was officially disbanded in 1909. In 1924, Topkapi Palace was converted to a museum with the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The final step was the opening of the Harem to the public in 1960. • Archeological Museum Crammed with artworks and artifacts from over the millennia, Istanbul’s Archaeology Museum is housed in a complex of three buildings in gardens formerly belonging to Topkapi Palace. Opened in 1891, the museum features archaeology in the main building, a grand classical affair with columns and pediments. The art of the ancient orient is housed in a separate building, and the historic Tiled , commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II in 1472, houses a museum of Islamic art. The Greek and Roman statues are the highlights of this massive and important collection, including the ornately carved .

Visual Art

Akbank Art Center Akbank Art Center is a prestigious institution that supports the most prominent contemporary art activities in Turkey since 1993 and has hosted many highly acclaimed events in visual arts, music, theater and dance. Akbank Sanat has established a permanent role in the cultural and artistic life in İstanbul. Web Site: http://www.akbanksanat.com

ARTER - Space for Art Initiated by the Vehbi Koç Foundation, "ARTER - Space for Art" is conceived as an exhibition space and its programmes are created with the aim of encouraging production of contemporary artworks, providing a platform of visibility for artistic practices, producing and presenting exhibitions curated from the VKF Contemporary Art Collection, as well as from private collections and archives. Web Site: http://www.arter.org.tr

Borusan Culture and Arts ArtCenter/Istanbul is a contemporary art venture launched in 2008 by the Borusan Center for Culture and Arts with a view to contribute to the progress of contemporary art production and appreciation in Istanbul. ArtCenter/Istanbul provides studio space under favorable economic conditions to young and promising artists during the embryonic stages of their careers. Web Site: http://www.borusansanat.com

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) was founded in 1973 with the goal of offering the Turkish public opportunities to experience the finest examples of cultural and artistic production from around the world and learn about new initiatives and movements. Further objectives included introducing the world to Turkey's cultural and artistic assets and transforming Istanbul into a major international centre for culture and the arts. Web Site: http://www.iksv.org

The İstanbul Archaeological Museums The İstanbul Archaeological Museums, a museum affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is located in İstanbul's Sultanahmet neighborhood, on the slope connecting the Gülhane Park with the Topkapı Palace. Its name is plural, since there are three different museums under the same administration: The Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Orient Museum (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) and Museum (Çinili Köşk Müzesi). Web Site: http://www.istanbularkeoloji.gov.tr

The İstanbul Museum of Modern Art The İstanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey’s first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions, was founded in 2004 and occupies an 8,000 square meter site on the shores of the Bosphorus. İstanbul Modern embraces a global vision to collect, preserve, exhibit and document works of modern and contemporary art and make them accessible to art lovers. Web Site: http://www.istanbulmodern.org

KUAD Gallery KUAD Gallery is a new space for contemporary art and culture situated in the heart of the business and culture district of Istanbul.The main concern of KUAD Gallery is to host and promote local and international artists and interdisciplinary exchange; to create a mutual perceptive communication between the audiences and the artists; to open a new platform for socio- cultural discussion, critical theory, visual thinking and art making. Web Site: http://www.kuadgallery.com/

The The Pera Museum, which opened its doors in early June 2005, is the first step of a comprehensive cultural endeavor that the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation has launched at this distinguished venue in the city for the purpose of providing cultural service on a variety of levels. An historical structure which was originally constructed in 1893 by the architect Achille Manoussos in Tepebaşı (İstanbul's most prestigious district in those days) and which was, until rather recently, known as the Bristol Hotel, was completely renovated to serve as a museum and cultural center for the project Transformed into a fully-equipped modern museum, this venerable building is now serving the people of İstanbul once again. Web Site: http://en.peramuzesi.org.tr

Project 4L / Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art is a private collection museum, founded by Sevda and Can Elgiz in 2001. Formerly, under the name of 'Proje4L-Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art', the space provided three years of useful exposure for the works of established and emerging artists, in order to encourage wide spread progressive developments throughout the Turkish contemporary art scene. Web Site: http://www.proje4l.org

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum The Rahmi M Koç Museum is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications. Housed in magnificent buildings - themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology - on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft. Web Site: http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr

Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations The Center aims to develop and facilitate research projects that are dedicated to the history, art, architecture and archaeology of civilizations in Turkey. The Center aims to take a leading role in investigating and preserving Turkey's cultural heritage by supporting the work of outstanding senior scholars and promising junior scholars and by bringing together persons working in a range of disciplines dealing with the cultural heritage of Turkey. Web Site: http://rcac.ku.edu.tr

Sakip Sabancı Museum 's Sakıp Sabancı Museum is located in , at one of Istanbul's oldest settlements on the Bosphorus. With the annex of a modern gallery, the exhibition areas of the museum opened to visitors in 2002; with a further extension of the layout in 2005, the technical level of the museum reached international standards. Today Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum presents a versatile museological environment with its rich permanent collection, the comprehensive temporary exhibitions that it hosts, its conservation units, model educational programs and the various concerts, conferences and seminars held there. Web Site: http://muze.sabanciuniv.edu

Sadberk Hanım Museum Sadberk Hanım Museum opened on 14 October 1980 as Turkey’s first private museum, established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation to exhibit the private collection of Sadberk Koç, the wife of Vehbi Koç. Today the museum holds over 18,000 items in its Turkish Islamic and archaeological collections. The museum gives priority to collecting outstanding examples of Ottoman period works. In particular its collections of İznik tiles and ceramics and Ottoman period women’s costume and embroidery rank among the best in the world. Web Site: http://www.sadberkhanimmuzesi.org.tr SALT SALT explores critical and timely issues in visual and material culture, and cultivates innovative programs for research and experimental thinking. Assuming an open attitude and establishing itself as a site of learning and debate SALT aims to challenge, excite and provoke its visitors by encouraging them to offer critique and response. SALT Research sources diverse fields of knowledge and provides outlets for thought within the fissures and crossovers of different disciplines. Web Site: http://www.saltonline.org

TIEM-Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum is a museum based in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul. Constructed in 1524, the building houses a collection of Islamic callibraphy, riles, and rugs as well as ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey, particularly nomad groups. Web Site: http://www.tiem.gov.tr

Music and Dance • Mevlevi Monastery and the Mevlevi (“Whirling Dervishes”) Ceremony The Museum of Court Literature in the Mevlevi Monastery, is one of only a handful of functioning tekkes (dervish lodges) remaining in İstanbul. As you approach the tekke, notice the graveyard on the left and its stones with graceful Ottoman inscriptions. The tomb of Galip Dede, the 17th century Sufi poet, lies here. Inside the semahane (ceremonial hall), the central area was for the whirling sema (ceremony), while the galleries above were for visitors. Separate areas were set aside for the orchestra and for female visitors (behind the lattices). In the display cases surrounding the central area there are exhibits of Mevlevi calligraphy, writing and musical instruments. • Several venues provide all types of music and concerts. Depending on performance schedules, the following might be of interest: o Arbank Culture and Arts Centre, chamber music o Atatürk Cultural Centre, classical music o Bosphorus University Albert Long Hall Cultural Centre o Cemel Reşit Rey Concert Hall, classical and traditional o Enka Ibrahim Betil Auditorium, theatre, music, and dance o International Istanbul Jazz Festival o International Istanbul Opera Festival o Nardis Jazz Club Theatre • There are numerous theater stages in Istanbul, including: o Ada Culture Center o Aksanat Production Theatre o Dusun Stage o Muammer Karaca Theatre o Orta Oyuncular, Oyuncular o Ali Poyrazoğlu Theatre o Ataturk Culture Center o Istanbul Stage Theatre o Taksim Stage

Any additional information Like any major world city, Istanbul has numerous venues, restaurants, and clubs for arts activities. Once a decision is made to hold the 2014 symposium in Istanbul, we can begin to identify the events taking place at that time.

Logistics:

Provide an overview of travel sites (nearest international airport, train, where closest cities are for connection)

Istanbul is served by Ataturk International Airport with easy connections through major cities in Europe and Asia and some direct flights from the U.S. The airport is 14 miles west of Sultanahmet and the most common point of entry for most visitors. The modern International Terminal is spacious and efficient with all expected services, including cash machines, currency exchange offices, shops, restaurants and cafes. Transportation can be arranged with the hotel at which you are staying or by hiring a taxi. Most hotels provide at least one-way transfer to or from the airport at no cost.

Accessibility to lodging (can suggest hotel(s)

There are dozens of hotels in Sultanahmet ranging from the modestly priced, boutique types to 5-star luxury hotels. Suggested accommodations include:

• Historia Hotel, www.historiahotel.com: modest pricing, simple rooms, • some sea views

• Sultanahmet Palace Hotel, www.sultanahmetpalace.com: a pleasant, older hotel directly adjacent to the Blue Mosque

• Grand Yavuz Hotel, www.grandyavuzhotel.com: beautiful, comfortable hotel overlooking the Marmara Sea

• Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet, www.fourseasons.com/istanbul: luxury hotel housed in a century-old neoclassical Turkish prison

Potential costs for ICFAD (ex. Meeting room, A/V equipment, speakers)

Our partner institutions will provide meeting rooms, both in Istanbul centre and also just outside of the city. Facilities can probably done for no cost to ICFAD; modest equipment fees might apply, but it’s doubtful. The universities are well equipped with technology and meeting spaces. A complete budget, including dinners and receptions can be devised if the conference proposal is approved. I have arranged to hold our meetings/sessions at either Kadir Has University or at Koç University’s Center for Anatolian Studies, a beautiful contemporary space in central Istanbul. Receptions and dinner locations have also been discussed with our partners during meetings in Istanbul in February 2013.

Any additional information

A post-conference study tour of other parts of Turkey could easily be arranged using the model of the post-Florence trip to Malta. I would suggest that the area of central Turkey called Cappadocia would be an excellent opportunity to explore ancient underground cities and the frescoes in the chapels and churches carved from the rock. Accommodations can be arranged at the Gamirasu Cave Hotel, an extraordinarily comfortable, beautiful hotel where the rooms are carved into the rock. See www.gamirasu.com for more information about the hotel. See www.cappadociaturkey.net for more information about the Cappadocia region of Turkey.

IKSV will work with us to create an educational tour of the region with an emphasis on Anatolian history and archeology. Accomodations will be at the Gamarisou Cave Hotel. I also have an agency that I work with to arrange flights, tours, transportation, and accommodations.