Turkey – Anatolia as crossroads of cultures gathers together Italian, Iranian and Turkish scholars

The Turkish territory of Anatolia has been the centre of great empires for many centuries: a true crossroads of different cultures, a bridge between Europe and Asia, and the gateway to the Black Sea. Anatolia, in fact, has been the crossroads of culture for the Byzantines, the Ottomans, and the Persians. Today, it is the venue of a workshop organised by the Italian Embassy in Ankara, in collaboration with Bilkent University and the Embassy of Iran. The event will focus on the interactions between the different civilisations inhabiting Asia Minor from the 3rd to the 19th centuries. The conference, to take place on 7 December at 2:30 p.m. at Bilkent University, will be attended by Italian, Iranian and Turkish professors. Ilber Ortayli, one of the major experts in Ottoman culture, will be the keynote speaker.  Luca Zavagno, who graduated in 2002 at Ca Foscari in Venice, is currently a member of the faculty at Bilking University, as well as a historian of the Byzantine Empire and of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. His specialisations include Medieval Byzantine archeology, Islamic history and the history of the Cypriot Eastern Mediterranean area from the 6th to the 10th centuries.