- This event has passed.
Invitation: Don’t miss this enlightening journey into the past and the lessons it holds for our future!
26 September @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Dear Esteemed Members,
As we usher in the vibrant back-to-conference season, we are delighted to invite you to an extraordinary luncheon on September 26th at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul. This event promises to be an insightful gathering, filled with rich discussions, stimulating ideas, and opportunities to reconnect with fellow members and industry professionals.
The event will kick off with a cocktail reception at 12:00 PM, where you can enjoy casual conversations in a relaxed atmosphere. Following the reception, we will gather for a delicious luncheon at 12:30 PM. The afternoon will culminate with an engaging Ǫ&A session, giving you a chance to delve deeper into the day’s discussions.
We are honored to welcome a distinguished guest speaker, Prof. Dr. Felix Pirson, director of the German Archaeological Institute in Istanbul and leader of the Pergamon Excavations. Prof. Pirson’s talk, titled “The Interaction Between Humans and the Environment in Ancient Pergamon (Bergama/Izmir): Lessons to be Learned from the Past?”, will explore the fascinating relationship between ancient civilizations and their environments, shedding light on what the ancient city of Pergamon can teach us about sustainable living and human resilience.
With a career spanning decades in classical archaeology, Prof. Pirson has led numerous groundbreaking research projects across Turkey, focusing on urbanism, the art of warfare, and environmental studies in ancient cities. His expertise promises to enrich our understanding of how the ancient world tackled environmental challenges, offering valuable insights relevant to today’s global concerns.
Luncheon Dues: Payable at the entrance.
Venue and Event Schedule:
Venue: The Grand Hyatt, İstanbul
12:00 PM: Networking Session
12:30 PM: Luncheon and Presentation
RSVP: Kindly confirm your attendance by emailing Ms. Buket Turan at propeller@propeller- club.org.tr by Friday, September 20, 2024. Please note that last-minute changes to the guest list will not be feasible.
Photography Notice: Images captured at our meetings will be shared on the Club’s private social
media platforms.
We look forward to your participation and to celebrating the start of another fruitful season of learning and collaboration.
Warm regards,
Yaprak Özer
The Propeller Club of the US, Port of İstanbul
About Felix Pirson:
Prof. Dr. Felix Pirson is a renowned German classical archaeologist, currently serving as the director of the Istanbul branch of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and leading the Pergamon Excavations since 2006. He earned his PhD in classical archaeology from Munich in 1996, following studies at Bonn, Cologne, Munich, and Cambridge. His early career involved working as a research assistant at the Rome branch of the DAI and as an assistant professor at Leipzig University.
Pirson’s research focuses on ancient urbanism, the spatial organization of ancient cities, domestic architecture, the archaeology of the Vesuvian cities (like Pompeii and Herculaneum), and the ancient city of Pergamon in modern-day Turkey. He also explores ancient relief sculptures, particularly those depicting war and violence.
In addition to his role at DAI, Pirson is a visiting scholar and senior fellow at various institutions, including the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University (ISAW). He has held guest professorships, including at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris, and teaches at Istanbul Technical University and Leipzig University, where he became an honorary professor in 2010.
Throughout his career, Pirson has contributed to several important archaeological publications and is involved in editorial activities for multiple academic journals
About Pergamon
The Pergamon Excavations, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Felix Pirson, have revealed a city that was once one of the most significant cultural and political centers of the Hellenistic world. Nestled high on a dramatic hillside in modern-day Turkey, Pergamon flourished as a major metropolis during the Attalid dynasty, blending stunning architecture with artistic grandeur.
The excavation site itself is a vivid tableau of history, revealing layers of urban life over centuries. Among the most remarkable finds are the massive Altar of Zeus, with its intricate friezes depicting the battle between gods and giants, and the towering theater carved into the steep slopes of the acropolis, offering sweeping views over the surrounding valleys. Walking through the ruins, you can imagine the once-bustling agora, where citizens engaged in trade and debate, and the monumental temples dedicated to Athena and Dionysus, which showcase Pergamon’s devotion to the gods.
Pergamon is also celebrated for its vast library, said to have been second only to Alexandria’s, housing thousands of scrolls that attracted scholars from all over the Mediterranean. The site reflects the intersection of Greek, Roman, and Eastern influences, seen in the blend of architectural styles and urban planning. The ongoing excavations continue to unearth details about daily life, urban development, and the complex socio-political fabric of this ancient city. The site embodies not just the grandeur of ancient architecture but also the human stories behind the city’s rise to prominence and its role as a cultural beacon in the ancient world.
Privacy Notice:
Your electronic communication address has been registered in our association’s database for communication purposes only. In accordance with the Law on the Protection of Personal Data and related regulations, you can request the deletion of your contact information from our database or the cessation of communications at any time by contacting propeller@propeller-club.org.tr. Documents sent with a confidentiality notice cannot be shared with third parties without the written permission of our association. For the Privacy Statement, please click here.
E-mails and their contents are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed and are limited to use for the purpose of communication. If you have received this e-mail by mistake, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and its attachments from your system. The sender or our association assumes no legal responsibility for the accuracy or currency of the information in the message and its attachments. Our association cannot be held responsible for any delay, alteration, corruption of integrity and confidentiality, viruses, or any damage to your computer system caused by this message and its information.