LECTURE SERIES: Lectures on Medieval Cairo

The Oriental Institute and the Chicago Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago are pleased to announce a series of lectures held in conjunction with the special exhibit A Cosmopolitan City: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Old Cairo  at the Oriental Institute Museum. This lecture series brings together specialists in the history, art, and archaeology of Old Cairo (Fustat) for a unique exploration this cosmopolitan city and its place within the wider Mediterranean and Islamic world. 

The program is generously supported by the Oriental Institute, the Center for Jewish Studies, the Franke Institute for the Humanities, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.  

Schedule (please note: there are two locations for the lectures).  Light receptions follow. No RSVP necessary. Please be aware that seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wednesday, April 1, 5pm:  Paul Walker (Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago):
“The Fatimid Caliphate and Its Non-Muslim Subjects”
Oriental Institute, Breasted Hall
Followed by optional 30 minute gallery tour
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Wednesday, April 15, 5pm:  Amy Landau (Walters Art Museum, Baltimore)
“Threshold to the Sacred: The Ark Door of Cairo’s Ben Ezra Synagogue”
Oriental Institute, Breasted Hall
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Wednesday, April 29, 5pm:  Tasha Vorderstrasse (Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)
“Multiculturalism and Christian Art in Old Cairo”
Divinity School, Swift Common Room
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Wednesday, May 13, 5pm:  Marina Rustow (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore)  
“The Material Turn in Cairo Genizah Research”
Divinity School, Swift Common Room
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Wednesday, May 27, 5pm:  Donald Whitcomb (Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)
“From Fustat to Cairo:  The Many Meanings of 'Old Cairo’ ”
Oriental Institute, Breasted Hall
Followed by optional 30 minute gallery tour
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Download the Lecture Series Flyer.

ADULT/FAMILY PROGRAM: "Celebrate the History and Culture of Old Cairo"

Sunday, April 19, 1:00-4.00pm
Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

Everyone can celebrate Old Cairo at the Oriental Institute. Both adults and families are invited to drop by the Museum throughout the afternoon to experience the topic of our special exhibition A Cosmopolitan City: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Old Cairo  through music, hands-on activities, poetry, and more. The event begins with a lecture on the history of Old Cairo and ends with a performance by The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble.
This program has been generously supported by The Franke Institute for the Humanities at the University of Chicago. FREE parking half a block south of the Oriental Institute on University Avenue, after 4:00 p.m. daily and all day on Saturday and Sunday. 

  • 1:00-4:00 p.m.  Ongoing family activities:  Lego building, doll-making, story time (1001 Nights), games, scavenger hunt.
  • 1:00-2:00 p.m. Lecture: Street Stories: Sights, Spaces, and Imaginaries in Medieval Cairo by Heather Badamo, PhD, Department of Art History. 
  • 2:10-2:30 p.m. Poetry Reading:  The Poetry of Judah Halevi by Liran Yadgar, PhD candidate, Department of History.
  • 2:40-2:50 p.m. Gallery Talk: The Languages of Old Cairo by Tasha Vorderstrasse, PhD, co-curator of the special exhibit A Cosmopolitan City.
  • 3:00-4:00 p.m. Concert: The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble

For further details on the speakers and activities please visit our Event Brite page.

Download the Event Flyer

LECTURE: "Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza"

Thursday, May 14, 2015 7:00pm–9:00pm
Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

Writers Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole will take us inside a remarkable time capsule: the Cairo Geniza. MacArthur Fellowship-winning poet and translator Peter Cole and acclaimed essayist and biographer Adina Hoffman are coauthors of Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza, winner of the 2011 American Library Association prize for the Jewish book of the year.

Registration for this event is required: Free members, $10 non-members.
To register visit: http://oi.uchicago.edu/register
For more details visit our Event Calendar

Download the Event Flyer