Article by Asst. Prof. Arzu Ünal Published in Q1 Journal Contemporary Islam

The article titled “Karyağdı Hatun: Locating Islam in the National Opera of ‘Modern’ Türkiye,” authored by Assistant Professor Arzu Ünal, one of the faculty members of our Sociology Department, has been published in the internationally prestigious journal Contemporary Islam. The journal is ranked in the Q1 category in the Web of Science and Scopus indexes.

The article examines the forms of representation of Islam, transformations in the understanding of secularism, and the changing dynamics in the construction of national identity from the establishment of the national opera stage in Türkiye to the present day. In the study, Ünal particularly examines two different productions of the Karyağdı Hatun opera in 1985 and 2012 comparatively; she reveals how Islam is positioned within the national narrative and how cultural-religious symbols are minimized or adapted in favor of the modern nation-state project.

The research is based on 20 thorough interviews conducted with former and current employees of the State Opera and Ballet (DOB) and the analysis of production evaluations appearing in the media. Starting from Julia Kristeva’s concept of “abjection,” the study brings to light the paradoxical mechanisms in which Muslim representation wavers between exclusion and partial inclusion within the secular space of the national opera.

We congratulate Assistant Professor Arzu Ünal for this valuable academic contribution and wish her continued success in her studies.