News
Our University Hosts the “Istanbul: Heritage(s), Cultural Pasts – Urban Futures” International Conference
17 July 2026
The international conference 'Istanbul: Heritage(s), Cultural Pasts – Urban Futures,' organized in collaboration between our Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and the international research organization AMPS (Architecture, Media, Politics, Society), was hosted at our Maslak Campus.
The opening addresses of the conference were delivered by Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Serhat Koloğlugil; Prof. Dr. Eva Şarlak, faculty member of the Department of Visual Arts at the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture; and Prof. Dr. Graham Cairns, Director of AMPS. Following the opening, Prof. Dr. Filiz Özer delivered the keynote speech.
The conference, which examined current methodologies for safeguarding, interpreting, and bequeathing cultural heritage to future generations, convened academics, researchers, and specialists from around the world in Istanbul. Promoting interdisciplinary knowledge dissemination, the event evaluated the complex relationship between cultural heritage and urban regeneration, technology, art, and societal evolution.
Acting as a co-organizing partner of the conference, AMPS (Architecture, Media, Politics, Society) is an international research institution that fosters interdisciplinary inquiry at the nexus of architecture, media, politics, and societal dynamics. The organization connects researchers from across the globe to engage in collaborative academic research in order to amplify academic debates on cultural, regional, and local issues on a global scale.
The sessions held throughout the conference explored the following themes:
- History and Theory of Art and Architecture
- Preservation, Interpretation, and Conservation of Heritage
- Heritage Sites, Archaeology, Museology, and Conservation
- Heritage Theories and Cultural Approaches
- Digital Heritage, Technology, and New Media
- Socio-Cultural Heritage, Anthropology, and Human Geography
- Art, Architecture, Design, and Practice
As part of the cultural excursions organized during the conference, participants visited Modül Istanbul, the Panagia Greek Orthodox Church, the Elgiz Museum, and various historic churches and mosques in Fatih and Balat. Bearing witness to the diverse eras of Istanbul’s history, these sites provided attendees with a unique opportunity to observe and evaluate the conference’s core themes of cultural heritage, conservation, and urbanization firsthand.
By hosting this prestigious international event, our university continues to strengthen academic partnerships, support interdisciplinary research, and contribute to the global exchange of knowledge in the field of cultural heritage.
