MONDAY 17.12.2018

Venue: TU Berlin, Architekturgebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 152, Forum Architektur, 1st Floor 

9:00–9:15 Welcome

Dean Prof. Dr. Johann Köppel (TU Berlin, Fakultät 6 – School of Planning, Building and Environment)

Dr. Dr. hc. Margarete van Ess (DAI Berlin): Muhammad Bidan (State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Iraq) 

9:15–10:45 Introduction and Historical Context

  • PD Dr. Martina Müller-Wiener (Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin): Early Islamic Urbanism in Mesopotamia - Introduction
  • Prof. Dr. Isabelle Toral-Niehoff (FU Berlin): Al-Hira as reflected in the written sources. The state of the question
  • Dr. Hasan al-Hakim (Najaf): Religions in Pre-Islamic and Early-Islamic Hira

10:45–11:00 Discussion

Coffee break 11:00–11:30

11:30–13:00 al-Hira - Recent Research

  • Diya Makki al Talanki (State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Najaf): Results of the excavations in al-Hira 2007–2011: Ceramics
  • Muhammad Bidan (State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Najaf): Recent large scale rescue excavations of ancient al-Hira: overview
  • Dr.-Ing. des. Martin Gussone (TU Berlin): Settlement research on al-Hira based on surface survey, magnetometer prospection and aerial photograph interpretation

13:00–13:30 Discussion 

13:30–15:00 Lunch break

15:00–16:00 al-Hira - Recent Research

  • Abdul Razzaq Alesi: Churches in al-Hira
  • Prof. Dr. Barbara Finster (Bamberg): The churches of al-Qusair in the context of Mesopotamian church-architecture

16:00–16:30 Discussion

19:00 Evening Lecture (Berliner Kolloquium. baugeschichte - bauforschung - denkmalpflege)

Welcome: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thekla Schulz-Brize (TU Berlin, FG Historische Bauforschung und Baudenkmalpflege)

Venue: TU Berlin, Architekturgebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 152, Lecture hall A 053

  • Dr. Dr. hc. Margarete van Ess, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut – Orient Abteilung; 
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christof Ziegert, ZRS Ingenieure Berlin): Preservation of the Iraqi archaeological architectural heritage. Current conservation projects in Uruk (southern Iraq)

TUESDAY, 18.12.2018

Venue: Archäologisches Zentrum (Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz), Geschwister Scholl Str. 6, Brugsch-Pascha Saal

9:45-10:00: Welcome

Prof. Dr. Stefan Weber (Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin)

10:0-11:30: Early Islamic Urbanism in Mesopotamia: Perspectives

  • Prof. Dr. Karel Novaçek (Palacky University, Olomouc): Monastic landscape of Adiabene 
  • Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Siegel (DAI Berlin): Recent prospections in Tulul al-Ukhaidir
  • Prof. Dr. Andrew Petersen (University of Wales Trinity Saint David): Old-Basra, New Plan – The evolution of an Early Islamic City

11:30-12:00 Discussion

12:00-13:00 Lunch Break

13:00-14:30

  • Andrea Luigi Corsi, (Sapienza University of Rome): Regional and transregional exchanges: Comparing Late Umayyad and Early Abbasid stucco productions to the finds from al-Hira
  • Dr. Marie-Odile Rousset (Laboratoire Archéorient, Lyon): Al-Hira viewed from Late antique and early Islamic Syria 
  • PD Dr. Arnulf Hausleiter (DAI Berlin): Arabian origins? Tracing early Islamic urbanism

14:30-15:00 Discussion

15:15–15:45: Round Table Coffee Break with final discussion and concluding remarks