Dr. Elsa Fernandes Cardoso
Centro de Historia da Universidade de Lisboa
Alameda da Universidade
P-1600-214 Lisboa
elsacardoso@campus.ul.pt
Academic qualifications and research
2020 – Ph.D. in History – Interuniversity Doctoral Program in History, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, FCT Grantee (Foundation for Science and Technology) (reference: PD/BD/113904/2015), final classification Approved with Distinction and Honors
Title: The door of the caliph in the Umayyad al-Andalus: from the conceptualization to the articulation of ceremonial (10th-11th centuries), under the supervision of Professors Hermenegildo Fernandes (Centre of History of the University of Lisbon) and Hugh Kennedy (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)
2015 – M.A. in History of Islamic Mediterranean Societies, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, merit-based scholarship, final classification 19 out of 20
Title: Diplomacy and oriental influence in the court of Cordoba (9th – 10 th centuries), under the supervision of Professor Hermenegildo Fernandes
2012 – B.A. in Asian Studies, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, final classification 18/20
2010 – Arabic Intensive Summer Course: Institut Bourguiba des Langues Vivantes, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
Additional education
October – November 2019 – selection and participation in the Webinar The Material Culture of the Caliphate, part of the International Islamic Webinar Initiative (University of Hamburg, Ludwig-Maximilians- University of Munich, University of Bonn, and New York University), organized by Professor Stefan Heidemann (University of Hamburg) and Professor Abigail Krasner Balbale (New York University)
July 2016 – selection and participation in the Intensive Summer Course Al-Andalus: Problems and Perspectives, organized by Professor Maribel Fierro (CSIC Madrid) at the Casa Árabe of Cordoba
Teaching experience
September 2018 – February 2019 – Teaching Assistant, B.A. course History of Medieval Islam, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon
September 2017 – February 2018 – Teaching Assistant, B.A. course Islam in Asia: Past and Present, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon
26/3/2015, 20/4/2015 – Teaching experience, classes on Ziryāb and ‘Abd al-Raḥmān III, B.A. course History of al-Andalus, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon
21/11/2014 – Teaching experience, class on al-Andalus, B.A. course History of Medieval Islam, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon
18/7/2012 – Teaching experience, class on Arabic language and culture, Summer Program of St. Thomas School, Lisbon
Other experience
May 2015 – February 2020 – Voluntary of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Centre for History of the University of Lisbon
• Inventory and keeping of the books of the library of the institute.
Current research interests
Medieval Islam, al-Andalus, Mediterranean Studies, Byzantine Studies, Umayyads, ‘Abbasids, Fatimids, Ceremonial, Court Studies
Scientific articles
– forthcoming, “The Door of the Caliph in the Umayyad al-Andalus. Presentation of the PhD thesis,” Medievalista 28 (forthcoming 2021);
– forthcoming, with Javier Albarrán, “Levantando las manos hacia Dios: ceremonial y liturgia de guerra santa. Al-Andalus en perspectiva mediterránea,” Intus-Legere. Historia (forthcoming, 2021).
– forthcoming, “Ziryāb, Abū-l-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Nāfi‘,” in Routledge Medieval Encyclopedia Online, edited by Josef Meri (London: Routledge) (accepted in June 2018).
– 2019, “Politics and diplomacy in 10th century Mediterranean: al-Andalus and Byzantium,” in Byzantium in Dialogue with the Mediterranean, edited by Daniëlle Slootjes and Mariëtte Verhoeven. (Leiden: Brill, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004393585_007
– 2018, “The scenography of power in al-Andalus and the ‘Abbasid and Byzantine ceremonials: Christian ambassadorial receptions in the court of Cordoba in a comparative perspective,” Medieval Encounters. Jewish, Christian and Muslim Culture in Confluence and Dialogue. Brill, vol. 24, issue 4 (2018): 1-45, DOI:
10.1163/15700674-12340007. https://brill.com/view/journals/me/24/4/articlep390_2.xml?language=en
– 2016, “Divulgar a História do al-Andalus na História Medieval Peninsular: conceitos, reflexões e perspectivas,” Revista Roda da Fortuna 2016/1-1 (2016).
– 2015, “The poetics of the scenography of power: the embassy of Yahya al-Ghazāl to Constantinople,” Hamsa 2 (2015).
– 2015, “O modelo de realeza visigodo e o modelo emiral omíada,” Incipit 3 (2015).
– 2014, “Apontamentos sobre a primeira embaixada bizantina em Córdova,” História – Revista da FLUP, IV série, vol. 4 (2014).
– 2013, “Ziryab en el Muqtabis II. La orientalización de la Córdoba de ‘Abd ar-Rahman II: de los perfumes al funcionalismo de la corte,” Revista Electrónica Historias del Orbis Terrarum 11, (2013).
Articles in popular magazines
– forthcoming, “Guerras internas y aristocracias en Al-Ándalus,” Desperta Ferro, forthcoming 2021;
– 2014, “O saque de Constantinopla”, Revista Visão História, n. 26, December 2014;
– 2014, “Cairo”, Revista Visão História, n. 26, December 2014
Communications by invitation
– 26 November 2020, “Luis XIV, Versalles y Madinat al-Zahra: un modelo de sociedad de corte?,” Cervantes Institute of Hamburg and Toletum network (Universität Hamburg), Hamburg, Germany;
– 6 June 2017, Lisbon, “Cerimonial e diplomacia na corte califal omíada do al-Andalus,” Course “Problemas da corte régia portuguesa,” School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, Portugal;
– 20 June 2016, Madrid, “Liturgias de poder en al-Andalus omeya: una perspectiva comparada del ceremonial de corte,” Seminar Los Califatos en Occidente islámico, Casa de Velázquez, CSIC Madrid, Spain;
– 5 May 2016, Lisbon, Participation in the workshop “A recepção das mensagens políticas na Idade Média,” Centre of History, University of Lisbon, Portugal;
– 29 May 2013, Lisbon, “A Diplomacia e a Orientalização da Corte de Córdova (sécs. IX-X),” Seminar Memórias, Discursos e Práticas Sociais, Centre for History, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Organization
– 22-23 March 2021, Workshop Min al-Gharb ilā l-Sharq: The Umayyads – From West to East, organized with Dr. Javier Albarrán, Dr. Antonia Bosanquet (RomanIslam, Universität Hamburg), and Professor Isabel Toral-Niehoff (Freie Universität Berlin), RomanIslam – Centre for Comparative Empire and
Transcultural Studies, Universität Hamburg, Germany;
– 11 November 2020 – 17 February 2021, Course “Al-Andalus: an introduction,” organized with Dr. Javier Albarrán and Dr. Antonia Bosanquet (RomanIslam, Universität Hamburg), RomanIslam – Centre for Comparative Empire and Transcultural Studies, Universität Hamburg, Germany
Papers in scientific meetings
– 9-12 December 2020, Batalha, (Zoom Conference), “Oliveira Parreira and Os Luso-Árabes: a story within the history of Portugal?” part of a three-paper panel under the title “Remembering al-Andalus in Contemporary Iberia: the Case of the Taifa Kingdoms through Literary Culture,” with Dr. Abigail Krasner Balbale (New York University) and Dr. Javier Albarrán (RomanIslam, Universität Hamburg), moderated by Dr. Alejandro García-Sanjuán (University of Huelva), Using the Past: the middle Ages in the Spotlight, Batalha, Portugal;
– 1-4 July 2019, Leeds, “Liturgy of Blood under the Rule of the Caliph ‚Abd al-Raḥmān III” part of a three-paper panel under the title “Times of Gold and Iron: Ceremonies, Objects, and Meanings in the Medieval Mediterranean, 10th-13th Centuries, I” organized by Dr. Javier Albarrán and Dr. Francisco López-Santos,
PhD, and chaired by Professor Hugh Kennedy, International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
– 6-7 Dezembro 2018, Lisbon, “Palestina: o enclave como estratégia de ocupação,” with Dr. Carlos Almeida, Congresso Internacional Insularidades e enclaves em situações coloniais e pós-coloniais: trânsitos, conflitos e construções identitárias (séculos XV-XXI), School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, Portugal
– 8-9 March 2018, Madrid, “al-Andalus y la Reconquista: tradición, paradigmas y renovación historiográfica de una sociedad de frontera (ss. X-XI), with Gonçalo Matos Ramos, M.A., II Diálogos en Alta Edad Media: Caída y ascenso de las estructuras de poder, Faculty of Geography and History, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
– 4-7 July 2016, Leeds, “Feast without food?: Umayyad Andalusi ceremonial in a comparative perspective,” part of a three-paper panel under the title “Ceremonial Banquets in Muslim Court Societies,” with Dr. Fatima Rhorchi, and Ana Miranda, MA, chaired by Professor Hermenegildo Fernandes (University of Lisbon), International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
– 1-12 April 2016, London, “The theatre state and the divinization of the caliph in al-Andalus: a comparative perspective,” Third Annual Conference of the British Association for Islamic Studies, Senate House, University of London, United Kingdom
– 14-16 March 2016, Stockholm, “From Byzantium to Northmen Lands: diplomacy and ceremonial in al-Andalus under the rule of emir ‘Abd al-Raḥmān II,” Marcus Wallenberg Symposium Historians of Medieval Iberia: Enemies and Friends, University of Stockholm/History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
– 3-4 December 2015, Lisbon, “Ceuta, “chave da outra margem”: a legitimidade e diplomacia de ‘Abd ar-Rahman III no programa de expansão no Magrebe,” VII Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de História Medieval, University of Lisbon, Portugal
– 26-27 November 2015, Cáceres, “Divulgar a História do al-Andalus na História Medieval Peninsular,” Congreso Internacional de Historia Medieval Ciudad de Cáceres, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
– 5-6 September 2015, Bangor, “The Mediterranean Sea as a ceremonial and political stage: exchange of embassies between Cordoba and Byzantium (9th – 10th centuries),” part of a three-paper panel under the title “Al-Andalus and the Mediterranean world: travel and conflict (9th – 12th centuries)”, with Ana Miranda and Inês Lourinho, M.A. (University of Lisbon), Conference Travel and Conflict, University of Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
– 24-27 June 2015, Lisbon, “Ceremonial and Political Legitimacy under the rule of Caliph ‘Abd al-Rahman III”, part of a three-paper panel with the title “Liturgy of power: ceremonial, literary culture and legitimacy in al-Andalus (Xth-XIth centuries)”, with Ana Miranda, M.A., and Inês Lourinho, M.A., chaired by Professor Hermenegildo Fernandes (University of Lisbon), Conference Kings and Queens 4. Dynastic Changes and Legitimacy, Faculty of Arts, University of Lisbon
– 4 April 2014, Oporto, “O modelo de realeza visigodo e o modelo emiral omíada,” Workshop of Medieval Studies, Faculty of Arts University of Oporto
– 18/1/2013, Lisbon, “A Limpeza Étnica da Palestina,” 1st Young Researchers Forum on Islamic Contexts, Centre for Research in Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities – Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Further information
– Member of the British Association for Islamic Studies, United Kingdom
– Member of the Portuguese Society for Medieval Studies (SPEM)
Languages
– Portuguese (mother tongue)
– English (Proficient)
– Spanish (Proficient)
– Arabic (Advanced)
– French (Intermediate)
– Italian (Intermediate)
– Knowledge of Turkish and Persian