James Miller: Moroccan-American Archaeological Project of Ancient Sijilmasa (Podcast)

On Monday, September 30 2019, James Miller spoke with TALIM Director John Davison about the joint Moroccan-American archaeological project at the site of ancient Sijilmasa and the publication of book, “The Last Civilized Place: Sijilmasa and Its Saharan Destiny” (University of Texas Press, 2015). “The Last Civilized Place,” written by Miller and Project Director Ronald Messier, recounts the story of the Project, its archaeological findings, and places Sijilmasa in the context of Moroccan and Islamic history, revealing the 1000-year history of the caravan center as a focus of trans-Saharan trade and focal point of dynastic change.

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US – Morocco Relations

morocco_usThe first nation to publicly recognize U.S. independence following the Revolutionary War was Morocco. Muhammad III, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams signed the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship in 1786; congress approved it the next year.

This treaty, which was proposed by the Moroccan sultan while the U.S. was still at war with Britain, also pertained to trade. As a result, not only did it establish alliance between the nations, and not only did it aid recognition of U.S. independence by other countries, but the treaty also helped development of commerce for a very young United States, too.

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CFP-Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present

contentpages_topAnnual Conference 2016
Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present

May 14-15, 2016 at the Legation

Submissions Deadline January 10, 2016

CALL FOR PAPERS: (Spanish-pdf) (Arabic-pdf) (English-pdf)

Map_of_Morocco_and_Iberia_(1783)We are seeking participants for the 2016 AIMS Annual Conference Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present. This interdisciplinary conference will take place in Tangier, Morocco, on 14 and 15 May 2016. The aim of the conference is to reconceptualize the relations between North Africa and the Iberian peninsula during the modern era (18th-21st century). Despite the significance of this geographical nexus centered on the Strait of Gibraltar, contemporary scholarship on this pivotal topic is underdeveloped and deficient, creating absences where there should be narratives of engagement and connectivity. Some of the questions we shall be asking are: What are the various aspects of this shared relationship, what are the sources of its specificity, and how has it shaped ideas and events in the western Mediterranean historically and today? Our objective is to deploy an array of methodologies to elucidate new ways of thinking about the region as a crossroads of human activity.

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2016 AIMS Conference “Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present”

All of us at TALIM are very excited to host next year’s AIMS conference May 14-15, 2016. The theme, “Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present” is perfect for Tangier! Please see attached announcement and details about participation. http://aimsnorthafrica.org/AC/ac.cfm


First Images from TALIM’s Collection of Glass Negatives Made Available on Archnet

Rue Portugal
One of the negatives depicting rue Portugal

Guest post by Michael A. Toler, Archnet Content Manager, AKDC@MIT

The Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT (AKDC@MIT) has recently made available via Archnet, a first batch of scans from TALIM’s collection of glass negatives dating back to the first decades of the 20th century and depicting various locations in the Mediterranean.

The collection of approximately 2,000 images is believed to be the work of photographer Paul Ruedi, a Spanish resident of the city of Tangier between 1900 to 1930. The collection of slides features more images of Tangier than any other city, but there are also numerous photographs of locations throughout Morocco, as well as sites in Algeria, France, Spain and other parts of the Mediterranean. To read more about the collection, click here.

The decision by AKDC@MIT to host the images on Archnet came out of a meeting that took place

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