Francesco Stermotich-Cappellari

The Spiritual in Islamic Calligraphy: A Phenomenological Approach to the Contemporary Turkish Calligraphic Tradition

  • PhD Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
  • School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Contact details

Address

Street

19 George Square

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9LD

Qualifications

M.Sc. in ISLAMIC AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES, 2012 University of Edinburgh, UK

MASTER’S DEGREE IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES, 2009 University of Padua and University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Italy – Inter-Faculty Program

BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PHILOSOPHY, 2004 University of Turin, Italy

Undergraduate teaching

Tutor in the following courses:

  • Islamic History A: The Formation of the Islamic World (2016-2017 - S1)
  • Islamic History A: The Formation of the Islamic World (2015-2016 - S1)
  • Islamic History B: From the Crusades to the ‘Gunpowder Empires’ (2015-2016 - S2)
  • Introduction to Islam B: Religious Thought and Culture  (2015-2016 - S2)

Research summary

  • Islamic Calligraphy
  • Islamic Art
  • Sufism
  • Mysticism and Metaphysics
  • History of Religions

Affiliated research centres

Current project grants

Awarded an Outreach Ph.D. Studentship covering living allowance and tuition fees for a Ph.D. in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh. Awarding body: Alwaleed Foundation.

Past project grants

Awarded in 2011-2012 a grant covering the tuition fees of the MSc in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh. Awarding body: European Social Fund.

  • La Fede baha’i in India. Origini e sviluppi di una nuova religione. [The Baha’i Faith in India: origins and development of a new religion]. Rome: Casa Editrice Baha’i, 2016.
  • “The Calligraphic Art of Mishkin Qalam”, in Persian Art: Image-making in Eurasia edited by Yuka Kadoi. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. [forthcoming November 2017].
  • The Calligraphic Art of Mishkin Qalam, paper presented at the international conference “The Visual World of Persianate Culture” (University of Edinburgh, 24-26 October 2014)
  • The mirror of the Word: spirituality in contemporary Turkish calligraphy, paper presented at the first International Congress of Turkish Culture “Turkish Sufi Culture and Traditions” (Süleyman Şah University, Istanbul, Turkey, 13-15 October 2014)
  • A brush with God, talk delivered during the Just Festival, St John’s Church (Edinburgh, 22 August 2014)
  • Spirituality in Islamic calligraphy, talk delivered during the Just Festival (University of Edinburgh, 23 August 2014)
  • Fractures and continuity: contemporary Islamic calligraphy, paper presented at the British Association for Islamic Studies Inaugural Conference in Edinburgh (University of Edinburgh, 10-11 April 2014)