Call for Papers

Early Modern Ottoman Studies (EMOS) – Conference IV

Call for Papers:

Entangled Histories in/of the Mediterranean:
Ottoman and Wider Perspectives, 14th – 18th Centuries

Date: 11-12 September 2026
Host Institution: University of the Aegean; Department of Social Anthropology and History
Location: Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece

The EMOS conference series was launched in 2023 as a recurring initiative designed to bring together a wide community of scholars. While the series embraces a broad range of themes, it structurally alternates between general gatherings and theme-oriented meetings to encourage both inclusive participation and specialized depth. Following the success of the general congresses held in 2023 and 2025, and a thematic conference on economic history in 2024, the EMOS IV conference is going to be held within the framework of Ottoman & Mediterranean Studies. This year, we turn our gaze to the Mediterranean, exploring it not merely as a boundary, but as a space of profound connectivity and confrontation.

Scholars, historians, and researchers are invited to contribute papers that explore the Ottoman presence, interaction, and integration within the Mediterranean world from the 14th to the 18th century. The conference seeks to move beyond isolated narratives to explore the reciprocal dynamics of the region: how Mediterranean ecologies, mobilities, and circuits of interaction molded the Ottoman political and social body, and conversely, how Ottoman involvement transformed cultures, practices, and power relations in the Mediterranean.

The conference aims to examine the Empire’s integral position in this maritime world through politics, warfare, intermediaries, and networks of exchange. In this vein, the conference invites contributions grounded in Ottoman archives as well as those incorporating perspectives from non-Ottoman milieus (such as Venetian, Spanish, French, or North African), with the aim of facilitating a genuine dialogue between diverse historiographical traditions.

We welcome submissions on a wide variety of topics related to the theme. Suggested sub-themes include, but are not limited to:

• Faith, Diplomacy, and Inter-communal Encounters
  o Conversion and redemption: Norms, rhetoric, and bureaucratic processes.
  o Sacred spaces, pilgrimage routes, and cross-Mediterranean religious ties.
  o Diplomatic encounters: The Ottoman Empire, Venice, Spain, France and the Papacy.
  o Agents of diplomacy: Dragomans, consuls, missionaries etc.
  o Interactions between Muslims, Christians, Jews, and converts in maritime zones.
• Violence, Coercion, and the Economy of War
  o The economy of slavery: Captivity, ransom, and labor dynamics.
  o Revolts, mutinies, and banditry.
  o Violence at sea: Piracy, corsairing, and naval warfare.
  o Transitions of power in the Aegean and beyond: Conquests and reconquests.
  o Military financing and the logistics of Mediterranean campaigns.
  
• Space, Place, and Insularity
  o Islands: Insularity, connectivity, and questions of belonging.
  o Urban Spaces: Cities as nodes of Mediterranean entanglement.
  o Center vs. Periphery: Administration of the Archipelago (Cezayir-i Bahr-i Sefid).
  o Architecture and urban planning in Mediterranean Port-Cities.
• Narratives, Methodologies, and Imaginations
  o Imagining and narrating the Mediterranean in Ottoman and European sources.
  o Thinking Mediterranean: Integrating archaeology and historical methodology.
  o Cartography, navigation, and the scientific understanding of the sea.
  o Digital Humanities approaches to Mediterranean networks.
• Circulation: People, Goods, and Diseases
  o Diseases, death, and quarantine practices in Mediterranean ports.
  o Trade networks, merchant communities, and the circulation of commodities.
  o Labor mobility, migration and forced displacement.
  o Material culture and consumption patterns across the Mediterranean.
  o Migration, exile, and the movement of refugees.
• Gender, Sexuality, and Social Networks
  o Women as actors in the Mediterranean: Patronage, trade, and diplomacy.
  o Masculinities at sea: Sailors, corsairs, and captives.
  o Gendered spaces: Households, public baths, and segregated urban zones.
  o Family structures, kinship, and marriage networks across borders.
  

Submission Guidelines:
Please note that the official language of the conference is English. As such, all abstract submissions and presentations should be prepared in English to facilitate discussion among our diverse international participants.