Dr. Bihter Esener

Biography

Bihter Esener is an art historian specializing in Islamic art and medieval Mediterranean visual cultures. Her current research focuses on the artistic exchanges between Armenian, Byzantine, and Persian-Islamic cultures, particularly during the Seljuk period in medieval Anatolia. She is working on a book that investigates the use of bronze mirrors in personal adornment and their devotional, divinatory, and talismanic roles. Esener has received support for her work through several prestigious grants, including the American Research Institute in Turkey’s Hanfmann Fellowship and Koç University’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies. Before joining Northwestern University, she taught at the University of Michigan, where she developed courses on art and architecture in the Mediterranean world and specialized seminars discussing medievalism in video games. As an active member of various academic associations, she contributes to the field through her editorial work and involvement in organizations related to Islamic art history.

Research Interests

Experience