The International Society for Arabic Papyrology (ISAP) invites submissions for its tenth congress, to be held in Leiden from 22 to 25 March 2027. 

The congress aims to bring together scholars working on (including, but not limited to, Arabic, Coptic, Greek, and Pahlavi) papyri and related documentary sources from the Islamic period (6th-16th centuries CE) to foster dialogue between philology, papyrology, and historical research. The tenth ISAP congress will be dedicated to showing how papyrological materials can be used to illuminate broader historical questions and debates in Islamicate history.

For updated information on the congress, see the congress website.

Paper Proposals (20 minutes)

We invite proposals for 20-minute papers that engage directly with papyrological (and related documentary) sources for historical inquiry in Islamicate history. Contributions should clearly demonstrate how such sources illuminate our understanding of historical processes, structures, or experiences across the islamicate world from the sixth to sixteenth centuries CE.

We welcome papers addressing themes such as, but not limited to, administration, economy, law, religion, social history, and material culture.

It will also be possible to present collaborative (co-presented) papers, in which one presenter focuses on the edition and philological aspects of a text, and the other discusses its historical and historiographical significance.

Short Presentations: Editions in Progress (10 minutes)

The programme will also include a dedicated session for the presentation of text editions or parts of editions. These 10-minute presentations are designed as a forum for discussion and feedback on ongoing work, including new texts, re-editions, or methodological issues.

Submission Guidelines

• Proposals should be approximately 300 words (for both full papers and short presentations).
• Please include your name, affiliation, and contact details.
• For co-presented papers, indicate clearly the roles of each contributor.
• Please send your proposal by the deadline to: p.m.sijpesteijn@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Deadline and Notification

• Submission deadline: 1 September 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 15 September 2026

Please note that there will be limited number of grants available to support the participation of scholars whose institutions provide no or insufficient financial support. Information on how to apply for a grant will be provided after a paper has been accepted. 

Jelle Bruning and Petra Sijpesteijn