updated 16 December 2025
September 11, 2023: “Reviving Polymathy in Contemporary Education” by Salwa Al-Noori
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Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan
“Illicit Trafficking of Syrian Cultural Properties: Trading Methods and Challenges of Restitution”
The Inaugural Professor Thomas W. Davis Annual Lecture
Date: December 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. Amman Time/10 a.m. EST
Place: American Center of Research, Amman, Jordan (click for directions)
ACOR was honored to hold the inaugural Professor Thomas W. Davis Annual Lecture:
Prof. Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, director general of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) of the Syrian Arab Republic, presented “Illicit Trafficking of Syrian Cultural Properties: Trading Methods and Challenges of Restitution.” In addition to addressing the role of the DGAM in documentation processes for cultural properties, this lecture covered penalties for trafficking under the current Syrian Antiquities Law, the status of antiquities outside Syria, and the roles of Customs and the Ministry of Interior in the protection of cultural property.
Prof. Dr. Zeidan gave his lecture in Arabic. Live translation into English was available for both in-person and online attendees. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session. Among the attendees who spoke was noted Jordanian archaeologist Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, former president of Yarmouk University, where he is now professor emeritus in archaeology.
Watch the video on our YouTube channel (in Arabic)
About the Speaker
Prof. Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan earned his master’s degree in the conservation of antiquities from the University of Florence and his PhD in Near Eastern archaeology from the Sapienza University of Rome. His research interests, which he presents in academic publications and media appearances, focus on the protection of Syrian cultural heritage, particularly in conflict-affected areas. He lectures at several Syrian universities and has made notable contributions to archaeological missions and scholarly publications related to cultural heritage preservation, as well as to nomination projects of Syrian sites for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Formerly the head of the Idlib Antiquities Department, he now serves as director general of the Syrian Arab Republic’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM).
About the Professor Thomas W. Davis Annual Lecture
In honor of trustee, scholar, and long-time supporter of ACOR Tom Davis, in 2025 the ACOR Board of Trustees created the “Professor Thomas W. Davis Lecture.” The most prestigious lecture of our annual series, these lectures generally focus on the “interconnections” aspect of ACOR’s mission. Prof. Thomas W. Davis (1956–2025) was a prominent scholar of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia. Professor Davis served on ACOR’s board of trustees (2020–2025) and as chair of the Publications Committee during our most prolific publishing era. To read more about this lecture series, please visit its webpage.
“Captivating Strangers: Early Arab Immigrants in the United States”
by Linda K. Jacobs
Please note that this lecture was online only.
January 14, 2025
8:00 p.m. Amman Time (12:00 noon EST)
Watch the video on our YouTube channel
On January 14, 2025, please join us online for a lecture by Linda K. Jacobs, author of the new book Captivating Strangers: Early Arab Immigrants in the United States. In her latest work, Jacobs explores the untold stories of the first Arab immigrants to the United States. From North African acrobats who performed before the Civil War to western-educated doctors, merchants, and entrepreneurs who spread across the country in the 20th century, the book highlights the incredible variety of careers and contributions these individuals made to American society. Through rich narratives, Captivating Strangers uncovers how these early immigrants navigated challenges, built communities, and left a lasting legacy, shaping the cultural tapestry of the United States.
About the Speaker:
Linda K. Jacobs has a PhD in Near Eastern archaeology/anthropology and spent many years working on excavations and economic development projects in the region. She serves on the board of several regional NGOs. A recognized authority on the early Arab diaspora in the United States, she is the author of Captivating Strangers: Early Arab Immigrants in the United States (2024), Strangers in the West: The Syrian Colony of New York City, 1880–1900 (2015; 2nd Edition, 2023), and Strangers No More: Syrians in the United States, 1880–1900 (2019). An archaeological memoir, Digging In: An American Archaeologist Uncovers the Real Iran, appeared in 2012. All four of her grandparents were members of the 19th-century New York Syrian/Lebanese Colony.
Linda K. Jacobs is not only a passionate historian but also a generous supporter of cultural preservation. She has donated a significant collection of photographs of Syria and Jordan to our digital archive.
“Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State”
by Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky
April 22, 2024
8:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Watch the video on our YouTube channel
In our next lecture, which will be presented only remotely on April 22, 2024, at 8:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time via Zoom and YouTube livestream, Dr. Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky will talk about his newly published book _Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State_ (Stanford University Press, 2024). In this compelling work, he discusses an historical narrative spanning the late Ottoman era, focusing on the influx of approximately one million Muslim refugees from Russia between the 1850s and World War I. These refugees, settling across the Ottoman Levant, Anatolia, and the Balkans, played a pivotal role in shaping the demographic landscape of the region. The contributions of Circassian and Chechen refugees extend beyond mere resettlement; they were instrumental in the founding of numerous villages, as well as three of the four largest cities in Jordan, among them Amman. Dr. Hamed-Troyansky’s research, drawing from extensive archival materials in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, and Russian sourced from Jordan, Turkey, Russia, and beyond, sheds light on this often-overlooked aspect of Ottoman history.
_Empire of Refugees_ offers a fresh perspective, challenging conventional narratives surrounding migration and displacement in the Middle East. Through his analysis, Dr. Troyansky illustrates how the Ottoman government established a sophisticated refugee regime that preceded the formal frameworks developed later by the League of Nations and the United Nations. This pioneering work not only enriches our understanding of the late Ottoman period but also provides valuable insights into broader historical and contemporary issues of migration and refugee governance.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky is an historian of global migration and forced displacement and an assistant professor of global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition to _Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State_ (Stanford University Press, 2024), he has written articles that have appeared in _Past & Present_, _Comparative Studies in Society and History_, _International Journal of Middle East Studies_, _Slavic Review_, and _Kritika_. He received his PhD in history from Stanford University, and during his graduate studies ACOR awarded him a Pierre and Patricia Bikai Fellowship (2013–2014) to examine court records from the Salt and Amman areas for insights into the social and economic life of refugees in Ottoman Transjordan. He has also been a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University.