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Definitions of heritage and culture are diverse. They cross disciplines and times. They require social awareness and historical knowledge. They can be filtered through objects, buildings, artworks and places. They can be viewed as ‘intangible’ – as represented through song, language, sense of self, and a whole range of living phenomena, from cooking to fashion and sports to business. In addition, they involve creative thinking and economic investment. They represent and challenge cultural sensitivity, place-based identity and our understanding of art, design and creative expression.

Seeking to engage with the varied ways in which we understand culture and heritage then, this conference asks how we interpret these themes internationally, and what implications they have globally. It seeks to broaden and deepen our understanding of how culture and heritage inform each other across time and place. It does so while seeing the host city, Istanbul, as a place that typifies the varied questions at play when we think of notions of ‘culture and heritage’.

Historically seen as the meeting point of Europe and Asia, Istanbul was an imperial capital for the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires. One of the most visited cities in the world, it was European Capital of Culture in 2010. With the centre of the city classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, it boasts iconic examples of both art and architecture. Home to contemporary festivals of music and film it seeks to place itself at the high table of global heritage and culture.

From this iconic setting then, the Heritage(s) 2026 conference welcomes perspectives from across a range of fields such as the humanities and the social sciences; the arts, heritage and architecture; and history, anthropology and urban studies, to name a few. As such, it is open to discussions of archaeological projects, historical readings of specific artworks, cultural studies critiques of social phenomenon, explorations of digital heritage, examples of the architectural renovation of historic buildings and neighborhoods, and more.

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Reflecting the interests of Işık University specifically, the conference also seeks examples of architectural interpretations of ancient and modern buildings, cultural readings of cities and heritage critiques of neighborhoods, streets and buildings.

Art & Architectural History & Theory – papers on the diversity of research in the field of art and architectural history and theory | Digital Heritage – questions and cases studies of technologies and medias such as laser scanning, VR and data mapping in the heritage sector | Socio-Cultural Heritage – critiques of the socio-cultural issues that comes into play when thinking about people, communities and heritage | Art, Architecture(s), Design & Practice – examinations of how contemporary artists, architects, and designers engage with context and heritage | Sites of Heritage – considerations on sites of heritage, whether from the fields of archaeology, museology & conservation, or social questions of gentrification, inclusion or regeneration | Theories of Heritage – reconsiderations of ideas, concepts and theoretical readings of heritage as both a practice and as a theoretical and cultural construct.

Image: The Blue Mosque by Nikada