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Call for PapersPanel on ‘Ports and Forts in the Islamic World Coastal military architecture from the Arab Conquest to the Ottoman Period’The 20th Annual Meeting of the European Association of ArchaeologistsIstanbul, Turkey on September 10-14, 2014Theme 1 - Connecting Seas – Across the Borders&#160;Islam was always associated with merchants and trade. This session seeks to understand the development of cities and fortifications related to port areas as places of exchange, but also as places of conflict. Coastal fortifications were often related to port facilities, to protect them or to control them. Understanding the relationship between port functions and defensive structures requires an in depth examination of archaeological remains and written sources, to distinguish what is mere desire to defend the territory against threats coming from the sea, the desire to control the flow of goods and passengers, or just to isolate the port from the surrounding area. What sort of transformation and evolution can we observe in the fortified port sites from the first Arab conquests to the Ottoman Period? Can we determine different strategies of port organisation in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Indian Ocean? The presentation and study of the coastal military architecture will help us to understand this "Muslim Mare Nostrum", from the Mediterranean Islamic West to the Indian Ocean.Unfortunately, this panel is organised without any funding. The participants will have to pay a registration fee and also their own travel and accommodation costs.The opening call for paper proposals starts the 16 December, 2013.Proposed papers (title and abstract of 250-300 words approx.) should be sent before 27 January, 2014 to the following:&#160;Dr. Stéphane Pradines (stephane.pradines@aku.edu)Associate Professor, Aga Khan University, ISMC, London&#160;Dr. Eric Vallet (Eric.Vallet@univ-paris1.fr)Lecturer, Sorbonne University, Paris I, ParisAccepted papers will be selected by the scientific committee of the international round table.Authors will be informed in February 2014.Languages of the round table: Arabic, English, French &#38; TurkishFor further information on the conference please visit the following website: https://www.eaa2014istanbul.org/site