Orientalism and the Making of Turkology in the Age of the Enlightenment

Friday 6th November 2026, 5pm, in the Parlour, Magdalene College.
Dr Despina Magkanari will launch her book Orientalism and the Making of Turkology in the Age of the Enlightenment (Boydell, 2026) with an illustrated talk.

Set against the backdrop of the Long Eighteenth Century, this book traces how European scholars engaged with the pre-Ottoman past and geographic presence of Turkic peoples, gradually defining a distinct field within Oriental studies: Turkology. Following the movement of people, books, manuscripts, artefacts, and ideas across Eurasia, it shows how transnational circulations, alongside careers, institutions, and scholarly practices, shaped emerging understandings.

Drinks served, all welcome.