Dr Stefan Weber's Profile

Dr Stefan Weber is the Director of the Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon in Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Material Cultures at AKU-ISMC from 2006 to 2008. He received his PhD in Islamwissenschaft (Middle Eastern Studies) at the Free University Berlin. Between December 1996 and November 2001 he was a Junior Research Fellow at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Damascus for the History of Islamic Art and Architecture. Between 2001 and 2007 he was a postdoctoral research fellow for history and art history at the Orient-Institute Beirut (OIB).

He currently organises the research and documentation project on Tripoli and the Saida History Museum of the Debbané Foundation on urban history and the Ottoman house. He directed the restoration project of the Mamluk Suq Haraj  in Tripoli as well as other restoration and documentation studies in Syria and Lebanon and organised several summer schools and conferences on Middle Eastern history and architecture. Dr Weber is a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

His academic profile combines the fields of material cultures and Islamic art and history in projects ranging from Umayyad Damascus to early modern Tripoli and 17th/18th century palaces in Mt Lebanon to 19th century Ottoman art and urban history. His main curiosity lies in residential and public architecture, interior design and urban organisation (society, administration, fabric, infrastructure, and public space). This focus on the material culture of the Ottoman world serves as the key method through which Dr Weber seeks to understand actors and their daily worlds within Muslim societies.

Contact Details

Email address: stefanweber@btinternet.com
Telephone: +49(0)30 2090 5401

Publications

Books

• Weber, Stefan, (2009) Damascus, Ottoman Modernity and Urban Transformation (1808-1918). Proceedings of the Danish Institute Damascus, Aarhus. Arabic version in preparation.
• Cerasi, M./ Petruccioli. A./ Sarro, A./ Weber, S. (eds.), (2007) 'Multicultural Urban Fabric and Types in the South and Eastern Mediterranean', Beiruter Texte und Studien, 102, Beirut
• Weber, Stefan, (2006) 'Zeugnisse Kulturellen Wandels; Stadt, Architektur und Gesellschaft des spätosmanischen Damaskus im Umbruch (1808-1918)', Electronic Journal of Oriental Studies IX, No. 1,
  (http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/anpt/ejos/EJOS-IX.0.htm) and Freie Universität Berlin - Digitale Dissertationen
• Hanssen, J./ Philipp, T./ Weber S. (eds.), (2002) 'The Empire in the City: Arab Provincial Capitals in the Late Ottoman Empire', Beiruter Texte und Studien, 88, Beirut

Forthcoming Books

• Bodenstein, R./ Weber, S., (in preparation, 2009) A House, Two Families, Three Centuries. The Debbané Palace in the Old City of Saida
• Weber, S./ Bodenstein, R., (in preparation), 'Ottoman Sidon, The changing Fate of a Mediterranean Port City', Beiruter Texte und Studien, 122, Beirut
• Sluglett, P./ Fawwaz, L./ Philipp, T./ Weber, S. (eds.), (in preparation, 2009), Syria and Bilad al-Sham under Ottoman Rule: Essays in Honour of Abdul-Karim Rafeq, Leiden

Articles

• Weber, Stefan, (2008) 'Der Anfang vom Ende: Der Wandel lackierter Holzvertäfelungen im Damaskus des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts' , Gonnella, Julia/ Kröger, Jens (eds.), Angels, Peonies, and Fabulous Creatures, The Aleppo Room in Berlin, pp. 153-64, Münster
• Weber, S. (ed.)/ Meister, J./ Karam, S./ Fichfich, A./ Daoud, M/ Shehade, L., (2008) 'The Restoration Project of Sūq Harāj in Tripoli, History, Archaeology and Rehabilitation' , BAAL, vol. 10, pp. 274-335. Therein: 'The Rescue Excavations in Suq Haraj in 2005.' , 'The Restoration of Suq Haraj' , 'The Pottery Collection of Suq Haraj'
• Weber, Stefan, (2007) Changing cultural references, Architecture of Damascus in the Ottoman period (1516-1918), Cerasi M./ Petruccioli A./ Weber St. (ed.), Multicultural Urban Fabric and Types in the South and Eastern Mediterranean, pp. 189-223, Beirut
• Cerasi, M./ Weber, S., (2007) 'Introduction', Cerasi M./ Petruccioli A./ Weber S. (eds.), Multicultural Urban Fabric in the South and Eastern Mediterranean, pp. 7-11, Beirut
• Weber, Stefan, (2006) Research at the Orient-Institut Beirut, DAVO-Nachrichten, vol. 23, pp. 47-48
• Weber, Stefan, (2005) 'Damaskus - Gesellschaft, Struktur und Architektur einer nahöstlichen Metropole', Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (ed.), Orte & Zeiten, 25 Jahre archäologische Forschung in Syrien 1980-2005, pp. 30-37, Damascus (also available in English  and Arabic )
• Weber, Stefan, (2005) 'L'aménagement urbain entre régulations ottomanes, intérêts privés et participation politique: la municipalité de Damas à la fin de l'époque ottomane (1864-1918)' , Lafi, Nora (ed.), Municipalités méditerranéennes. Les réformes urbaines ottomanes au miroir d'une histoire comparée (Moyen-Orient, Maghreb, Europe méridionale), pp. 173-222, Berlin
• Weber, S./ Mortensen P., (2005) 'A Period of Transition: Bayt al-'Aqqad between the 15th and the 18th Century' , Mortensen, Peder (ed.), Bayt al-'Aqqad: The History and Restoration of a House in Old Damascus,. Proceedings of the Danish Institute in Damascus, vol. 3, pp. 227-278, Aarhus
• Meier, A./ Weber, S., (2005) 'Suq al-Qutn and Suq al-Suf before 1800: Development, Organisation and Patterns of Everyday Life of a Damascene Neighbourhood' , Mortensen, Peder (ed.), Bayt al-'Aqqad: The History and Restoration of a House in Old Damascus, Proceedings of the Danish Institute in Damascus, vol. 3, pp. 379-428, Aarhus
• Skovgaard-Petersen, J./ Weber S., (2005) 'Modernizing Private Space, The 'Aqqad Family and Houses in the late 19th and the 20th centuries' , Mortensen, Peder (ed.), Bayt al-'Aqqad: The History and Restoration of a House in Old Damascus, Proceedings of the Danish Institute in Damascus, vol. 3, pp. 357-377, Aarhus  
• Weber, S., (2005) 'The change of Taste: new elements of decoration in the Blue room ', Mortensen, Peder (ed.), Bayt al-'Aqqad: The History and Restoration of a House in Old Damascus, Proceedings of the Danish Institute in Damascus, vol. 3, pp. 337-356, Aarhus
• Weber, Stefan (inter alia), (2004-05) 'Akteure und ihre Lebenswelten: Die Transformation der Stadt Tripoli (Libanon)' , Während des "langen" 19. Jahrhunderts, Beiruter Blätter, pp. 12-13, pp. 93-103
• Weber, Stefan, (2004-05)'Konferenzbericht: Recent Research on Bilad al-Sham under Ottoman Rule (1517-1918): The last three decades of historiography; periodisation, patterns of social history, and general trends' , Beiruter Blätter, pp. 12-13, pp. 10-16
• St. Weber, (2004-05), 'The Restoration of Suq Haraj, Tripoli' , Beiruter Blätter, pp. 12-13, pp. 75-92
• Weber, Stefan (2004),'An Egyptian qa'a in 16th century Damascus. Representative halls in late Mamluk ands early Ottoman residential architecture in Syria and Lebanon' , von Folsach, Kjeld/ Thrane, Henrik/ Thuesen, Ingolf (eds.), From Handaxe to Khan, Essays presented to Peder Mortensen on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday, Aarhus, pp. 265-296
• Weber, Stefan, (2004) 'The Reshaping of Damascus, Architecture and Identity in an Arab-Ottoman City , Philipp, T/ Schumann, C, From the Syrian Land to the States of Syria and Lebanon, BTS 96, pp. 41-58 Beirut
• Weber, Stefan, (2004) 'Walls and Ceilings', Carswell, John (ed.), The Future of the Past. The Robert Mouawad Private Museum, pp. 242-265, Beirut
• Weber, S./ Bodenstein R., (2004) 'A House and the City, The Debbané Palace and the Ottoman City of Saida' , Archaeology & History in the Lebanon, vol. 20, pp. 66-74
• Weber, Stefan (2003), '1860-1918 Damas, une ville en Mutation' , Architectures et villes d'Orient (1850-1950), Qantara, vol. 48, pp. 41-43
• Weber, Stefan (2002-03) 'Der Tripoli-Workshop 2003: Der Suq Harag und sein urbanes Umfeld' , Beiruter Blätter, vol.10-11, pp. 31-34
• Weber, Stefan, (2002-03) 'An Agha, a House and the City: The Debbané Museum Project and the Ottoman City of Saida, first report', Beiruter Blätter, vol. 10-11, pp. 132-140
• Weber, Stefan, (2002-03) 'Handeln und Wohnen in Osmanischer Zeit, Das Tripoli Projekt des Orient-Institut, Bericht über die Arbeiten 2003', Beiruter Blätter, vol. 10-11, pp. 140-146
• Weber, Stefan, (2002) 'Damascus - a major Eastern Mediterranean site at risk', Heritage @ Risk Report 2001 of the 'International Council of Monuments and Sites', pp.186-188, München
• Weber, Stefan, (2002) 'Images of Imagined Worlds, Self-image and Worldview in Late Ottoman Wall Paintings' , Hanssen J./ Philipp T./ Weber, S. (eds.), The Empire in the City: Arab Provincial Capitals in the Late Ottoman Empire, BTS 88, pp. 145-171, Beirut
• Weber, Stefan (2002), 'Das Tripoli-Projekt des Orient-Instituts Beirut', Orient-Institut der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, Herausgegeben anlässlich seines vierzigjährigen Bestehens 2001, pp. 23-30, Beirut. Also published in Blickpunkt Libanon 3 (2005) 69-74
• Weber, Stefan, (2001) 'Damaskus', Dostert, A. (ed.), Stadtforschung, Projekte des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, pp. 20-21, Berlin
• Weber, Stefan (2000-2001) 'Stadt als Quelle - Forschungen zu Damaskus und Tripoli', Beiruter Blätter, vol. 8-9, pp.74-79
• Weber, Stefan, (2000) 'Bir Arab-Osmanli Kurumunun Ortaya Çikisi: Kentsel Baglami içinde 16.yy'in Sam Çarsisi (Suq)', Akin N., Batur A., Batur S. (eds.), Osmanli Mimarliginin 7 Yüzyil, Uluslarüstü bir Miras, Istanbul
• Weber, Stefan, (2000)'The Transformation of an Arab-Ottoman Institution: The Suq (Bazaar) of Damascus from the 16th to the 20th Century' , Akin N., Batur A., Batur S. (eds.), 7 Centuries of Ottoman Architecture: A Supra-National Heritage, pp. 244-253, Istanbul
• Weber, Stefan, (1999) 'Damaskus: Zeugnisse einer Stadt im Wandel. Ein Survey zur spätosmanischen Baugeschichte' , K. S. Freyberger/ S. Westphalen (eds.) Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Damaskus, Zehn Jahre Ausgrabungen und Forschungen in Syrien, 1989 -1998, pp. 94-107, Damascus (Arabic text: Dimashq: Shawahid Madina fi Marhalat al-Tahawwul. Mash Tarikh al-'Umran al-'Uthmani al-Muta'akhkhir , pp. 49-53)
• Weber, Stefan, (1999) 'Ottoman Damascus of the 19th century, Artistic and urban development as an expression of changing times' , Art Turc / Turkish Art, 10th International Congress of Turkish Art, Genève, 17-23 September 1995, Genève, pp. 731-740
• Weber, Stefan, (1999) 'Hofgärten in Syrien', Ch. von Hantelmann (Hrsg.), Gärten des Orients, Paradiese auf Erden, pp. 58-85
• Weber, Stefan, (1998) 'L'architecture libanaise au temps des Ottomans', Liban l'autre rive. Exposition présentée à l'Institut du monde arabe, pp. 273-75, Paris
• Weber, Stefan, (1998) 'Der Marga-Platz in Damaskus - Die Entstehung eines modernen Stadtzentrums unter den Osmanen als Ausdruck strukturellen Wandels (1808-1918)' , Damaszener Mitteilungen, vol. 10, pp. 291-344, Taf. pp. 77-88
• Weber, Stefan, (1997-1998) 'The Creation of Ottoman Damascus. Architecture and Urban Development of Damascus in the 16th and 17th centuries' , ARAM, vol. 9-10, pp. 431-470
• St. Weber, (1996) 'Von der osmanischen City bis zum Place de l'Etoile. Damaskus zwischen osmanischer Reform und europäischer Fremdherrschaft' , Periplus, Jahrbuch für Außereuropäische Geschichte, vol. 6, pp. 49-60

Articles in print or preparation

• Weber, Stefan (in print), 'The Modern Fabric of Ancient Antakya: Dates, shape and styles of a minor Ottoman town', 1st International Antakya Symposium: Urban Archaeology, Urban Conservation.
• Weber, Stefan (in print), 'Entangled Modernities - Multiple architectural expressions of global phenomena: the late Ottoman example', Sadria, Modjtaba, Tangible Elements of Modernities, Aga Khan Award for Architecture Seminar at AKU-ISMC
• Weber, Stefan, (in preparation) 'The Making of an Ottoman Harbor Town, Sidon/Saida from the 16th to the 18th centuries', Sluglett P./ Weber, S./ L. Fawwaz/ Philipp, T. (eds.), Bilad al-Sham under Ottoman Rule (1517-1918), essays in honor of Abdul-Karim Rafeq
• Krauskopf, C./ Sack, D./ Salibi, N./ Weber, S. (in preparation), 'Die Stadtgrabung im Suq as-Sagha in Damaskus, Die Geschichte eines urbanen Knotenpunktes von der Antike bis zu den Osmanen', Damaszener Mitteilungen
• Weber, S. (in preparation), Antakya, EI, vol. 3

Research Reports

• Weber, Stefan u.a., (2004) Results of the International Workshop "Documentation and Restoration in a Middle Eastern Bazaar: The Suq Haraj and its Urban Environment" Beirut / Tripoli , 12th to 18th of October 2003. Beirut see: Workshop 2 (2003)
• Report on Restoration Suq Haraj  [42 pages]
• Chahine, N., Haddad, R., al-Khoury, Y., Börner, Y., Weber, S. (2004), The Bayt al-Quwatli in Damascus, Reading & Documentation of the Monument, Bd. 1 Current Situation Diagnosis; Bd. 2 Graphical Survey; Bd. 3 Historical Analysis Proposition. Beirut
• Weber, S./ Bodenstein R. (2003), Research on the History of an Arab-Ottoman House: the Debbané Palace in Saida and its Context, Beirut

Selected Conference/Workshop Presentations

• Istanbul , 2005 "Constructing or rediscovering the self? Architectural urban heritage in Syria and Lebanon today" Koç Lecture at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, following the teaching session in the Cultural Heritage Management Program of Koç University.
• Erlangen , 2005 "Public Sphere by Public Space? The Architecture of Late Ottoman Damascus ." International conference: "The Roots of Liberal Thought in the Eastern Mediterranean ."
• Antakiya, 2005 "Crossroad of Cultures: Urban Architecture of Antakiya and its Arabic Background."  1st International Antakya Symposium: Urban Archaeology-Urban Conservation.
• Utrecht , 2004 "Reconstructing Beirut : Heritage Politics in Postwar Lebanon ". Annual symposium of the Dutch Middle East Studies Association: Conservation and Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage in the Islamic World (Behoud en Herstel van Cultureel Erfgoed in de Islamitische Wereld).
• Berkeley , 2004 "Giving History Space: Architecture as a Source for the Cultural History of Ottoman Syria and Lebanon ." Centre for Middle Eastern Studies in collaboration with Architecture and Urbanism Research Colloquium. University of California Berkeley .
• San Francicsco, 2004 "Changing Patterns - Urban Life and architecture of Tripoli during Mamluk and Ottoman rule." Middle East Studies Association of North America 38th annual meeting.
• Salt Lake City , 2004 "Giving History Space: Architecture as a Source for the Cultural History of Ottoman Syria and Lebanon ." Middle East Centre, University of Utah.
• Beirut, 2004 "The souks in Saida, Tripoli and Damascus , Recent historical and archaeological research", Faculte des Lettres et des sciences humaines, Le Departement d'Histoire, Université Saint-Joseph.
• London , 2003 "Cities in Ottoman Syria and Lebanon between the 16th and early 20th century." SOAS, Department of History.
• Trani, 2003 "The Spine of the Middle Estern City . Some thoughts on the Suq (Bazaar)." ISUF, International Conference: "The Planned City?" July 3-6, 2003.
• Paris , 2002 "Back to the mountains: Palaces and castles in the Bilad ash-Sham in Ottoman times." U.F.R. d'Art et d'Archéologie of the Université de Paris-IV - Sorbonne.
• Tours, 2001 "The Successful Search for a New Style: Central-hall Buildings in Damascus and their Social-Geographical Context." International Colloquium URBAMA-Tours ( France ): "The Architectural and Urban Heritage of the Levant ".
• Genoa, 2001  "Public Open Space in the Eastern Mediterranean ." International Seminar of the University of Genoa : "History and Design in the Mediterranean : Design Criteria for the Rehabilitation of the Historical Quarters."
• Boston, 2001 "Changing Urban Environment: Residential and Public Architecture in late Ottoman Damascus." Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Harvard, 2001 "Architectural expressions of the Age of the A'yan: Palaces and trade buildings in the Bilad ash-Sham during the 18th Century." Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University .
• Istanbul, 1999  "The Transformation of an Arab-Ottoman Institution: The Suq (Bazaar) of Damascus from the 16th to the 20th Century." International Conference by the Turkish Chamber of Architects: "7 Centuries of Ottoman Architecture - A Supra-National Heritage."