The Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” hosts

Summer School of Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Sofia

August 24–28, 2026, Sofia University, Hall No. 1 at the Rectorate

The program is designed in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck, the Regional History Museum – Sofia, and the Center for Advanced Study Sofia.

The academic director and lecturer for the summer school is Dr. Zozan Tarhan (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”). Guest lecturers for the program include Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sebastian Fink (University of Innsbruck), Senior Assistant Prof. Dr. Strahil Panayotov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), and Prof. Dr. Jelena Erdeljan (University of Belgrade).

The summer school offers foundational knowledge in the field of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (a discipline also known as Assyriology), specifically philological training in the basics of the Akkadian and Sumerian languages, working with cuneiform texts, and an introduction to the history, culture, and religion of Ancient Mesopotamia and certain other cuneiform cultures in the Middle East.

More information is available in the program.