Researcher in the History of Islamic Art at the Institute of
Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna.
2008-09
Lecturer (part-time) at the Institute of Art History, University of Vienna.
2007-08
Lecturer (part-time) for Islamic Art History at the Institute of Archaeological
Sciences, Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang-Goethe-University.
2007/6
Guest-lecturer at the University of Vienna, Faculty of Oriental
Studies.
2005/11
Guest-lecturer at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Doha/Qatar.
2003-04
Lecturer (part-time) for Islamic Art History at the Chair for Near
Eastern Archaeology, Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University.
2002-03
2003
Lecturer (part-time) at the Professorship for Islamic Art History
and Archaeology, Bamberg, Otto-Friedrich-University.
2000-01
Assistant at the Oriental Department of the University Library
of Bamberg.
1994-95
Research project “Architectural decoration from Khirbat
al-Minya”.
1991
Participant in the research project "House architecture at
Braunau".
1990
Internship at the Museum for Islamic Art Berlin.
1988-94
Student assistant at the Guest Professorship in Islamic Art and
Archaeology at the University of Bamberg.
1989
Participant in the archaeological excavation of the medieval site
Alte Hofhaltung, Bamberg.
University Education
2003
Ph D (Dr. phil.) in Islamic Art History and Archaeology
at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg. Thesis: “Mosque
and Madrasa in the Early Qajar Period in Iran: Form and History
of Religious and Political Architecture 1785-1848”. Accepted
as 'excellent' ('summa cum laude').
1996
Doctoral studies at the University of Bamberg in
Islamic Art History and Archaeology, Iranian Studies, Architectural
History.
1995-96
State University of Tehran, guest student in
Persian Philology and Iranian Archaeology.
1994
Master of Arts M.A. at the University of Bamberg.
Thesis: “The Architectural Decoration of the Umayyad Palace
Khirbat al-Minya”.
1991-92
American University in Cairo, guest student in Islamic
Art History and Archaeology, Arab Philology.
1988
Master studies at the University of Bamberg in Islamic
Studies, Architectural History and Turcology. Additional courses
in Classical Archaeology, Art History, Arab Studies, Iranian Studies.
Awards
2010
4th Farabi International Award on the Humanities 2010 conferred by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies in Teheran.
2007
European
Award of Iranian Studies conferred by the Societas
Iranologica Europaea (Rome) for the book: Moscheen und Madrasabauten
in Iran 1785-1848: Architektur zwischen Rückgriff und Neuerung [Mosque and Madrasa Buildings in Iran 1785-1848: Architecture between
Re-adaptation and Innovation] (Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2005) , based
on the doctoral dissertation (Brill,
2006).
2004
"First Prize of Annual Cultural Research" of the Iranian
State President (Mohammad Khatami) for the doctoral dissertation. The award is conferred
for internationally outstanding research related to Iran.
Academic Membership
Ernst Herzfeld-Society for Studies in Islamic Art History and Archaeology,
co-founder. Elected Vice-President in 2005. Re-elected in 2007 and 2009.
Societas Iranologica Europea
Society of the Friends of Islamic Art and Culture, Munich
Study and Research Abroad
2009/7
Research travel to Armenia.
2008/5
Research and delegation travel to Uzbekistan.
2006/5-6
Research travel to Iran and Afghanistan.
2005/12
Cairo, research on 14th c. mosques.
2004/5, 2005/2
Iran, Research on 17-19th c. wall painting.
1997, 1995-96
Iran, study at the State University of Teheran, research for the
doctoral dissertation (6 months each).
1993, 1995
Palestine and Israel, research for the MA-thesis and the project
on 8th c. decoration from Khirbat al-Minya.
1991-92
Egypt, American University in Cairo, study, see above.
1991
Tunisia, Bourguiba Institute Tunis, Arabic language course.
1989
Turkey, University of Ankara, Turkish language course.
Acquaintance with monuments and museums relating to Islamic
art from journeys in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine,
Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain.
Grants and Scholarships
1996-99
German National Academic Foundation, scholarship for doctoral
studies.
1994-95
Gerda Henkel Stiftung, research grant for the project Khirbat
al-Minya.
1991-92
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), scholarship for studies
at the American University in Cairo.
1991
DAAD scholarship for Arabic language course at Tunis.
1990-94
German National Academic Foundation, scholarship for master
studies.
1989
University of Ankara, scholarship for Turkish language course.
Languages
English and German in reading and writing; French in reading;
Persian, Turkish, Arabic in reading and communication; knowledge of Ottoman,
Egyptian dialect, Russian and Greek; school knowledge of Latin, Classical
Greek, Biblical Hebrew.
Person
Born 1967 in Braunschweig, Lower Saxonia, Germany.
Grown up in Wuppertal, North Rhine Westfalia, Germany. Graduated in 1986
from highschool.
