Symposium

Call for Papers
Illuminating the Dark!
Night Histories from Byzantion to Istanbul

4 - 5 June 2027

Night is half of history. Yet, histories of the night have been disproportionately marginalized, especially beyond the confines of Western European contexts. Under the theme "Illuminating the Dark!" we ask: how might we rethink the temporal and spatial records of nocturnal experiences to understand what it means to inhabit the night across Byzantion/Constantinople/Istanbul's extraordinary historical transformations? In an era of increasing light pollution, the degradation of night ecosystems, and 24/7 urbanization, understanding how societies have historically negotiated the night is urgently needed to reimagine sustainable, inclusive nocturnal futures.

This symposium seeks contributions that use night as an analytical category rather than merely describing activities that happen to occur after dark. We are particularly interested in research that reveals how examining the night/day dichotomy opens new interpretive possibilities, challenges conventional periodizations, or illuminates previously invisible power relations, social dynamics, and spatial practices. We seek studies that demonstrate how the night realm itself, as a temporal, spatial, and conceptual framework,generates novel insights about urban life, social relations, and historical change.

This interdisciplinary symposium will explore Istanbul's night histories across three pivotal periods; Byzantine Constantinople, Ottoman Istanbul, and republican/contemporary Istanbul, examining continuities, ruptures, and transformations in nocturnal urban life. We seek to foster cross-fertilization between history, urban studies,anthropology, geography, literature, art history, ecology, and the broader emerging field of night studies.

We welcome scholars, artists, and community members from all disciplines and career stages to explore Istanbul's nocturnal palimpsest through innovative methodological approaches that illuminate the darkness of the past while addressing contemporary urban challenges.

Research Focus Areas

We encourage submissions exploring:

Temporal Illuminations: Comparative Night Histories

Byzantion/Constantinople (330-1453): Religious vigils, all-night liturgies, and monastic nocturnal practices; imperial night ceremonies and court rituals; night markets and economic activities; urban lighting technologies (oil lamps, torches) and fire prevention systems; night watches, security, and urban governance; domestic sleep patterns and private night life; nightly gatherings, poetry, symposia; dream books and interpretation; studies on and technology of astronomy/astrology; night ecology and natural rhythms; gender and class dimensions of nocturnal access and mobility.

Ottoman Istanbul (1453-1923): Night sociability and political discourse (coffee houses, taverns, boza houses); Ramadan and qandil nights; Sufi night ceremonies and spiritual practices; Christian and Jewish night vigils; night entertainment including shadow theater (Karagöz), storytelling, and musical performances; tavern culture and night drinking practices; dream books and interpretation; studies on and technology of astronomy/astrology; Ottoman urban lighting systems and infrastructure; night crafts and trades (bakers, night watchmen, artisans, thiefs, sex workers); night mobility and visibility as a gendered practice and spatial and legal restrictions; palace night life and ceremonial practices; political and cultural implications of illuminating the night; pre-Industrial Revolution sleep patterns and nightly gatherings.

Republican/Modern Istanbul (1923-present):Early republican westernization of night entertainment and urban culture; development of nightclubs, bars, and modern leisure venues; cinema culture and night screening practices; industrial night shifts and nocturnal labor; night crafts and trades (bakers, night watchmen, artisans, thiefs, sex workers) modern urban lighting and electrical infrastructure development; 1960s-80s music venues, taverns, and nightlife boom; changing nightlife patterns; substance use; contemporary 24/7 urbanism and global nightlife trends; night transportation evolution; digital age impacts on nocturnal urban life; gentrification of historic night districts.

We invite contributions that examine night through multiple disciplinary lenses:

Urban Planning and Night City Design: Historical evolution of nocturnal urban space; lighting as urban policy; night transportation infrastructure; zoning and temporal regulation of night activities; contemporary smart city approaches to night management

Architecture of Darkness: Built environments designed for night use across historical periods; acoustic properties of night spaces; lighting design and spatial experience; sacred and secular night architecture; adaptive reuse of historical night venues

Literary and Artistic Nocturnes: Night in Byzantine, Ottoman, and republican literature; visual representations of Istanbul nights in painting, photography, and film; musical traditions and night performance spaces; contemporary artistic interventions in night spaces; digital media and night culture; nocturnal literary gathering

Social Stratifications of Darkness: Class dimensions of night access and exclusion; ethnic and religious minorities' night experiences; age-based restrictions and permissions; night as space of transgression and conformity; underground cultures and alternative night communities

Political Ecologies of Night: Urban night ecosystems and biodiversity; light pollution and environmental impact; energy politics of illumination; seasonal rhythms and climate adaptation; interspecies interactions in nocturnal urban environments; soundscapes and sensory environments

Gender and Nocturnal Mobilities: Historical and spatial experiences across periods and places; sexual and gendered night labor and economic activities; safety, surveillance, and autonomy in night spaces; LGBTQI+ night communities and spaces; feminist approaches to night urbanism

Economic Histories of Night: Night market evolution and trade practices; labor history of night work and shift patterns; tourism and night economy development; informal economies and night street culture; contemporary gig economy and night work

Methodological Innovations for Night Studies

We especially welcome submissions that experiment with:

Sensory History Approaches: Reconstructing historical soundscapes, smells, and tactile experiences of night; embodied methodologies for understanding nocturnal experience; acoustic archaeology and sound mapping

Digital Humanities and Night Studies: GIS mapping of historical night spaces; network analysis of night social connections; virtual reality reconstructions of disappeared night venues; big data approaches to contemporary night patterns; digital storytelling and public history projects

Community-Engaged Night Research: Participatory mapping of contemporary night spaces; oral history projects with elder residents about nightlife changes; collaborative documentation of endangered night cultures; community-based participatory research methodologies

Comparative and Transnational Approaches: Istanbul in dialogue with other Ottoman, Byzantine, or Mediterranean cities; circulation of night cultures and practices; migration and diaspora night communities; global-local interactions in contemporary night scenes

Creative and Performative Methods: Artistic interventions as research methodology; walking methodologies and night flânerie; experimental podcasting and audio documentation; film and photography as historical evidence; performance studies approaches to night entertainment

Presentation Formats

We welcome diverse presentation formats (in addition to research papers):

Methodological Workshops: Hands-on training in digital tools, oral history, or community-engaged research

Night Walks and Site Visits: Experiential learning in Istanbul's historic night districts

Creative Interventions: Artistic presentations, performances, films, or multimedia installations

Community Conversations: Dialogues between academics and Istanbul night culture practitioners

Digital Archives Showcases: Presentations of online resources and digital collections

Who Can Apply?

Scholars at all career stages, including graduate students and early-career researchers

International scholars working on Byzantine, Ottoman, republican, and contemporary Istanbul, or comparative urban night studies. (Proposals that explore the temporal, spatial, and sensory dimensions of the city after dark, or that draw comparisons between Istanbul and other urban centers, are highly welcome.)

Community practitioners, artists, and cultural workers engaged with Istanbul's night culture

Researchers employing innovative methodological approaches or interdisciplinary frameworks

Contributors representing diverse gender, ethnic, geographic, and institutional backgrounds

Submission Information & Important Dates

The symposium will take place on June 4-5, 2027 at the Pera Museum Auditorium, Istanbul.

We invite scholars to submit proposals for 20-minute papers. Submissions should be compiled as a single PDF file containing an abstract (maximum 250 words) and a biographical note (maximum 150 words). Please name your file following this format: Surname_Name_NIGHT2027 and send it to night@iae.org.tr.

Deadline for submissions: July 13, 2026

For further information, please visit: en.iae.org.tr

Language Requirements

Research paper presentations must be in English.

All other submission types (workshops, creative interventions, community conversations, etc.) may be in Turkish or English. Turkish submissions are particularly welcome and encouraged for formats that engage with local communities and practitioners.

Organizing Committee

Anna Lampadaridi, CNRS, HiSoMA UMR 5189
Aslı Zengin, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Brigitte Pitarakis, CNRS, UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée
Carole Woodall, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Daniel-Joseph MacArthur-Seal,Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli
Ekin Can Göksoy, İstanbul Research Institute
İpek Hüner, Boğaziçi University
K.Mehmet Kentel, Leiden University
Nurçin İleri, Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin & IISH, Amsterdam