The VIII. International Sheikh Shaban-i Veli Symposium, themed "Palestine and Jerusalem from History to the Present," is being organized by the Faculty of Theology at Kastamonu University. The symposium seeks to deeply address the historical, religious, socio-political, and cultural dimensions of Jerusalem through presentations and discussions over two days, while also aiming to increase academic interest in Palestine and Jerusalem, encourage studies in this field, and strengthen social awareness.

The opening ceremony of the symposium will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, in the Sezai Karakoç Conference Hall of our University's Central Library. The symposium, chaired by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nadir Özdemir, will feature numerous academics from both domestic and international institutions. A total of 176 papers will be presented at the symposium, which will be held with both face-to-face and online participation. The opening lecture of the symposium will be given by Prof. Dr. Nuh Arslantaş from the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University.

As part of the event, a "Jerusalem Special Session" will also be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. The session, which will be held in the Sezai Karakoç Conference Hall, will be chaired by Prof. Dr. İsmail Safa Üstün, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University. In the session, Prof. Dr. Cengiz Tomar from IRCICA will present "The Future of Jerusalem Studies," and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alaattin Dolu from the History Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kastamonu University will present on "Policies of Dispossession in Palestine and the Jerusalem Endowments." Dr. Hamza Yavuz, a faculty member from the Department of International Relations at Kastamonu University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, will contribute to the Jerusalem issue from the perspective of international relations with his evaluation titled "An Embassy in Jerusalem, a Rift in the Diaspora: American Jews' Perspectives on Trump's Embassy Decision and the Future of Jerusalem."

The symposium program can be accessed at  ssvilahiyat.kastamonu.edu.tr .

The people of Kastamonu and all interested parties are invited to the event.