Sinem Casale

Prof. Sinem Casale is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Minnesota and currently serves as an Academic Assistant at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (Max Planck Institute). Her research focuses on Islamic art and architecture with an emphasis on the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. She explores the intersection of art, diplomacy, religion, and trade in early modern Muslim empires, particularly through material exchanges and courtly rituals. Her book Gifts in the Age of Empire: Ottoman-Safavid Cultural Exchange, 1500–1639 (2023) reinterprets inter-imperial relations through artistic objects. Casale holds a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellowship and has been supported by institutions like the ACLS and SSRC.

• Current Projects: Investigating food culture and entertainment in early modern diplomatic encounters, and representations of war in cross-cultural contexts.
• Previous Roles: Taught at McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies; held fellowships at the European University Institute and the National Gallery of Art.

Her work bridges material culture studies with transcultural history, emphasizing how art mediated political and cultural interactions in the pre-modern world.