School of Arts

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Student Profile Photo
Department
School of Arts
Qualifications
B.A History of Art
M.A History of the Art and Architecture of the Islamic Middle East
Subject
Near and Middle East
Thesis title
The usage of Neo-Ottoman architectural styles in contemporary Turkish religious contexts
Internal Supervisors
Professor Scott Redford & Dr Yorgos Dedes

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James completed his B.A in the History of Art at SOAS with First Class Honours. 

His final year dissertation, 'A consideration of the impact of Buddhism on the material culture of the Persian Il-Khanid dynasty before 1295 C.E.' won the Art History department’s joint first-prize for a final year Independent Study Project. Following completion of his B.A, James then undertook an M.A in the Art and Architecture of the Islamic Middle East at SOAS. 

His M.A dissertation was entitled The Sultanic Mosques of Sinan as Symbols of Victory. This focused on the symbolic meanings attached to the Selimye, and Süleymaniye, 16th Century Ottoman Sultanic mosques designed and constructed by the Ottoman Court’s chief architect Mimar Sinan.   

Following completion of his M.A, James volunteered at the Victoria and Albert Museum, whilst also taking further Turkish language courses at SOAS and the Yunus Emre Institute in London. Trips to Istanbul exploring the city’s architectural and material culture led to an ongoing research interest in the Neo-Ottoman architecture constructed in Istanbul since 2002 when the AK Party began governing Türkiye. 

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  • Ottoman Art and Architecture  
  • Ottoman History  
  • Middle Eastern Studies  
  • Political History of the Republic of Türkiye  
  • Contemporary Islamic Art and Architecture  
  • Urbanism  
  • The Social Construction of Meaning  
  • Memory studies  
  • Propaganda Studies  
  • Ilkhanid Material Culture