Conference Programme Times are provided in Central European Summer Time (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

This conference is related to the Iranian Medieval Wall Paintings project funded by the German Research Foundation – the DFG, at University of Bamberg’s Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies – the KDWT (Applicant: Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic).

Conference Organisers:

• Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic, Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies (KDWT), University of Bamberg
• Dr. Agnieszka Lic, Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences

Conference web page: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/forensische-organik/imwp-tagung/ 

Conference programme

Day 1 – September 4, 2025

09.00-9.30: Opening of the Conference

• Welcome and Greetings, Housekeeping Information

9.30-10.30: Keynote

• Prof. Dr. Markus Ritter, ‘Space Painting in Medieval Islamic Art and Abbasid Raqqa’

10.30-11.00: Break

11.00-12.30: Podium Discussion 1: Research and Conservation of wall paintings for a sustainable future

• Moderator: Franziska Prell, M.A. and Leander Pallas, M. A.

• Dr. Habil. Dobrochna Zielińska, ‘Technology of medieval Nubian wall paintings. An insight into a culture through the materiality of an image’
• Franziska Kabelitz, M. A., ‘Aspects of Sustainability in Exhibition Management (tbc)’ 
• Dr. Melina Perdikopoulou, ‘Layers of Memory: Preserving Ottoman Wall Paintings in Greece’
• Speaker tbc, ‘Title tbc’

12.30-13.00: Break

13.00-15.00: Panel 1: Setting the Ground: Conservation, Preservation and Production Technologies of Wall Paintings

• Chair: Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. May al-Ibrashy and Amina Karam, M.A., ‘The painted wood interior of al-Imam al-Shafi’i Dome in Historic Cairo: Discoveries and Observations from the Conservation Project’ 
• Dr. Yury Karev, ‘Self-image of the ruler: Qarakhanids and their contemporary Turcic dynastic rivals (Wall paintings of Samarkand/Afrasiab)’ 
• Dr. Melina Perdikopoulou, ‘The Wall Paintings of Alaca Imaret in Thessaloniki: A Comparative Approach to 15th-Century Ottoman Painting’
• Dr. Giovanna De Palma, ‘The conservation of Qusayr ‘Amra wall paintings: methodologies and discoveries’ 

15.00-15.30: Break

15.30 – 17.00: Panel 2: Cutting Edge Research of Wall Paintings in the Islamic West

• Chair: Dr. Peter Tamas Nagy
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Victor Garcia Rabasco, ‘Abbadid Seville and the development of the Caliphate’s artistic language’ 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umberto Bongianino, ‘Wall painting in the Islamic West and the aesthetic of naqsh’
• Walid Akef, M.A., ‘Islamic Mural Paintings: Propaganda and Power in the Age of Chivalry and Crusades’ 

17.00-17.30: Break

17.30-18.30: Special Session: Innovative Approaches to Research of Wall Paintings in Christian Nubia

• Chair: Dr. Agnieszka Lic
• Prof. Dr. Karel Christian Innemée, ‘Costumes of Authority, Images of Authority. Christian wall paintings of Medieval Nubia’
• Dr. Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka, ‘From mural to costume: The reconstruction process of medieval robes’

Day 2 – September 5, 2025

9.00-11.00: Panel 3: Archaeology of Islamic Wall Paintings in the Middle East

• Chair: Dr. Agnieszka Lic
• Dr. Thomas Leisten, ‘An Umayyad Painters’ Studio at Work: Design and Execution of Frescos at Balis, Syria’ 
• Dr. Julie Bonnéric and Solène Mathieu, ‘The Wall Paintings of the House of Hearts: Interpreting Archaeological Fragments from a Byzantine and Umayyad Urban Residence in Jerash, Northern Jordan’ 
• Dr. Ignacio Arce, ‘Umayyad Mural Paintings: from architectural decoration to narratives of power: some case studies from Qasr Hallabat/ Hammam as Sarrah, Qusayr Amra and Khirbat al Mafjar’
• Ass. Prof. Dr. Tawfiq Da’adli, ‘Khirbat al-Mafjar frescoes reconstruction – which pieces found their way in and why others were left out?’

11.00-11.30: Break

11.30-13.00: Podium Discussion 2: DEIA and gender-sensitive research of wall paintings: perspectives for societal cohesion

• Moderator: Dr. Mareike Spychala
• Cornelia Thielmann, M. A., ‘Gender-sensitive studies for architectural cultural heritage preservation’ 
• Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic, ‘Intersectionality analysis for preservation of endangered monuments with wall paintings in Ottoman Baroque South-eastern Europe’ 
• Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Giakoumis, ‘Visual Artworks and Blind or Visually Impaired Persons: New Concepts for Independent Accessibility of Orthodox Icons’ 
• Dr. Jeanine Linz, ‘Gender sensitive research and gender dimension in proposals’ 

13.00-14.00: Break

14.00-16.00: Panel 4: Research and Preservation of Persianate Islamic Medieval Wall Paintings

• Chair: tbc
• Dr. Hamed Sayyadshahri, Ass. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mortazavi and Dr. Mozhgan Mousazadeh, ‘A review on the Conservation of Historical Wall Paintings in Khurasan, Iran: An Ethical Discussion’ 
• Ass. Prof. Dr. Amir Hossein Karimy and Ass. Prof. Dr. Parviz Holakooei, ‘Gilding and glittering in wall decorations from the 12th to the 17th century Iran’
• Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic, ‘Medieval wall paintings in Iran: a trans-regional phenomenon?’ 
• Mohammad Mahdi Amini Qomi and Mohammad Mahdi Mohammadi Iraqi, ‘Art historical research of damaged wall paintings at the Gunbad-i Azadan mosque near Isfahan’

16.00-16.30: Break

16.30-18.00: Podium Discussion 3: Role of digitization in research of wall paintings: challenges and perspectives

• Moderator: Dr. John Hindmarch
• Dr. Ines Konczak-Nagel, ‘Buddhist Murals of Kucha on the Northern Silk Road’
• Dr. Erik Radisch, ‘Buddhist Murals of Kucha on the Northern Silk Road’ 
• Dr. Ivana Lemcool, ‘Digitizing Fresco Paintings in the Balkan Area- Issues and Perspectives in Digital Preservation of Monumental Heritage in Multi-faith Environments’

18.00-18.30: Break

18.30-20.00: Special Session: AI, ML new technologies and ethical aspects for research of wall paintings

• Moderator: Dr. Julian Hauser
• Prof. Dr. Markus Rickert, ‘AI application in different domains: from production to agriculture to … cultural heritage?’
• Dr. Tomasz Michalik, ‘Eye-tracking as a tool to support informed presentations of wall paintings’ 

20.00-21.00: Conference Closing Discussion