CITIES WORKSHOP 2: ZAFAR - MATERIAL HISTORY OF A BURIED SOUTH ARABIAN CITY ON THE EVE OF ISLAM

CITIES WORKSHOP 2: ZAFAR - MATERIAL HISTORY OF A BURIED SOUTH ARABIAN CITY ON THE EVE OF ISLAM

Friday Dec. 7

9:30am-6:00pm

4 Washington Square North, 2nd floor

Located in the rocky highlands of Yemen, Zafār was one of the most important centres of the Arabian peninsula in Late Antiquity, at the junction of the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Levant and the Mediterranean. The city was the capital of Himyar (3-6th c.), a powerful South Arabian empire which exerted its influence all the way to Mecca. Building on the extraordinary archeological discoveries of the Heidelberg-Yemeni project, this workshop explores the history and material culture of Zafār and aims to cast new light on the interconnected world that would soon see the emergence of Islam.

PROGRAM

9.30-9.45 Introduction – Finbarr Barry Flood & Nadia Ali, Silsila, NYU

9.45-10.45 "Himyar Ancient History, Bis" – Christian Robin, CNRS

10.45-11.15 Coffee

11.15-12.15 "Zafār -Past, Present and Future Archaeological Research in the Yemenite Mountains" – Paul Yule, Heidelberg University

12.15-1.00 Lunch

1.00-2.00 "From Paganism to Monotheism: The Religious Policy of Himyar" – Robert Hoyland, ISAW, NYU

2.00-2.30 Tea

2.30-3.30 "The Place of Zafār in Medieval Yemen" – Daniel Mahoney, University of Bonn

3.30-4.30 "Protective Images in Late Antique South Arabian Art"– Nadia Ali, Silsila, NYU

4.30-5.30 Final Discussion-Glen Bowersock, Institute for Advanced Study

_{*Space is limited. If for any reason you have rsvp'd and cannot attend, please use the form below to let us know.}