1st International Symposium “From the Silk Road to Anatolia: Living Heritage – Our Motifs”

Organized under the coordination of the Rectorate of Kütahya Dumlupınar University and under the auspices of the Governorship of Kütahya, with the partnership of the Kütahya Provincial Special Administration, the 1st International Symposium “From the Silk Road to Anatolia: Living Heritage – Our Motifs” will be held in Kütahya on November 17–19, 2025. The symposium aims to address the rich cultural heritage of the Silk Road from a multidisciplinary perspective, ranging from traditional handicrafts to contemporary art.

The event is supported by the General Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Events of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, and realized with the valuable contributions of the Main Sponsor, Ms. Sema GÜRAL SÜRMELİ, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kütahya Porselen A.Ş. In addition, it is carried out with the support of international organizations such as the UNESCO National Commission of Türkiye, TURKSOY, and TİKA.

The symposium will host the participation of academics, artists, and researchers from many countries including the United States, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tatarstan, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Russia, China, and Tunisia. The event will be conducted in a hybrid format (both face-to-face and online).

The symposium program will include paper presentations, panels, workshops, exhibitions, Turkish music and folk dance performances, fashion shows, and cultural-art events; thereby promoting the rich cultural heritage of Kütahya to the world through an academic and artistic perspective.

The symposium is prepared in accordance with international standards and qualifies as a prestigious academic event that meets the criteria for associate professorship applications in Türkiye.

Submitted papers will be evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process. Articles deemed appropriate by the Scientific and Artistic Committee and fulfilling the required academic standards will be accepted. Accepted abstracts and full papers will be published in a proceedings book with ISBN, and additionally, selected papers will be published as articles in the special issue “Motifs Symposium” of Ulakbilge Journal.

Artistic works will be selected by a jury, presented in an online exhibition, and published in an exhibition catalogue with ISBN.

Online sessions will be conducted via Google Meet.

Application and Contact
Dear Participants, all announcements, programs, and application procedures regarding the symposium will be published on our official website, which can be accessed through the main page of Kütahya Dumlupınar University: yasayanmiras2025.dpu.edu.tr

Abstract submissions and exhibition applications will be accepted through our official e-mail address: yasayanmiras.motif@gmail.com. Participants will be able to access the required documents and up-to-date information through the symposium website.