The West University of Timișoara in partnership with the Turkish Studies Center within the Faculty of History, the University of Bucharest organizes on the days of June 9 and 10, the second edition of the international conference on Ottoman archeology in Romania, a field that needs support for the development and training of specialists. In recent years, various works dedicated to the Ottoman archaeological heritage in Romania have been published and important archaeological discoveries have been made. In this rich context, the event is a unique initiative in the Romanian academic environment with the aim of encouraging debates between specialists from Romania and neighboring countries. The first edition, held in October 2017 in Bucharest, was a real success, with interest in the subject continuously growing.
Conference Ottoman archeology in Romania: Challenges, realities, perspectives consists in the presentation of important research projects in the former territories of the empire in the region. To honor the host of this event, the Western University, and its status as a cultural capital, Ottoman Timișoara occupies a central place in the debates of this conference. Various aspects of the period, from places of worship, to fortifications and water use, to material culture will be discussed by guest archaeologists.
The event is organized by the Western University of Timișoara, the Turkish Studies Center - FIUB in partnership with TIKA - the Turkish Cooperation and Collaboration Agency and the "Vasile Pârvan" Archeology Institute Bucharest. 20 specialists from universities, research institutes and specialized museums from Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey will give talks. The conference will end with a section on the theme "Ottoman heritage in Romania - between oblivion and research", with the desire to raise an alarm on the current situation and the way in which the Ottoman historical heritage is assumed and valued by the authorities local. The cases of capitalizing on archaeological discoveries in Timișoara will be debated, but also that of the insufficiently exploited potential of Dobrogea, offering solutions for local marking and virtual promotion. The work of the conference will be held in English - reports UVT.
