Civilization Studies Center was founded on April 25, 2008 at Bahcesehir University, Istanbul. Its research area includes civilizations, archaeology, history, philosophy, religions, history of art, Ottoman history, Anatolian history, history of the Balkans and history of the Middle East.
The center organizes academic conferences, panels, symposiums, seminars and researches at national and international level. It also organizes exhibitions and concerts related to its research area. So far, Civilization Studies Center directed UNESCO Culture Year Projects in Turkey since 2009. It also realised joint projects with United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.
The center’s prominent work is a 20 episode documentary project The River Flowing Westward. This documentary aims to show how eastern civilizations affected western civilizations in terms of science, culture and thought. It also aims to promote peace and dialogue among civilizations against the idea of clash of civilizations.
Civilization Studies Center organized exhibitions and concerts in Washington, London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Riga, Sarajevo, Skopje, Damascus, Rio De Janerio, Astana and many other cities around the world.
The center also specializes in Middle Eastern and North African Studies. It holds academic conferences, invites prominent scholars and conducts researches on history and politics of the region.
