"Gendered Sufism: The Qādirī Ritual Among Women in Iraqi Kurdistan" by Dr. Eszter Spät (CEU Wien)

The Qadri (Qādirī) ṭarīqa, an order of Sufism or Islamic mysticism that offers its followers a direct experience of the divine, plays a significant role in the religious and social life of rural Iraqi Kurdistan. This lecture provides a brief overview of the history of Sufism and the Qādirī order in Kurdistan before focusing on the practice of Sufism among Kurdish women. It explores the ways in which Sufi spirituality is practiced and expressed within female spaces that are inaccessible to male researchers in a strictly segregated society. Eszter Spät earned her PhD from the Central European University (CEU) of Budapest. She has held research grants from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, and the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund. She was a visiting research fellow at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg at Ruhr University Bochum and a guest professor for Cultural Studies of the Middle East at the University of Bamberg. She was visiting faculty at the Cultural Heritage Studies Program of the Central European University (Vienna). Presently, she is teaching at the Jewish Theology Seminary and University of Jewish Studies (Budapest), while she still retains her affiliation with CEU.

"Materialität von Schriftartefakten und ihre Einbindung in kulturelle Praktiken" von Dr. Janina Karolewski (Universität Hamburg)

Janina Karolewski forscht am Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures an der Universität Hamburg zur handschriftlichen Tradition alevitischer Gemeinschaften in der Türkei. In ihrer Vorlesung wird sie theoretische und methodologische Ansätze der Manuskriptforschung präsentieren und mit Beispielen, auch aus ihrer eigenen Arbeit, illustrieren. Ein Fokus liegt dabei auf der Materialität von Schriftartefakten und ihrer Einbindung in kulturelle Praktiken. Der Vortrag findet statt im Rahmen der diestrimestrigen Ringvorlesung "Materialität und Kultur" des MA-Studiengangs Kulturwissenschaften.

Managing Sufi Lodges and Shrines: An Exploratory Approach Towards a Contribution to Religion and the Economy

This interdisciplinary workshop explores the management of Sufi lodges and shrines as examples of religious buildings. The discussions will focus on architecture, legal and economic aspects, and cultural heritage protection. The goal is to develop new theoretical approaches for managing these significant religious sites. A key aspect of the workshop is the collaborative group work. Following an introductory keynote and the presentation of selected case studies, which provide practical examples, participants will work in small groups on specific aspects – Agents, Funding, Places, Contexts, or Symbolism – engaging in in-depth discussions to create innovative theoretical models and frameworks. For further information and to register for on-site participation, please contact Dr. Evelyn Reuter (evelyn.reuter@unibw.de