On 10 September 2025, Dr. Saeid Kordmafi, Co-Investigator of the Maqam Beyond Nation project, delivered an online lecture as part of the Scientific and Practical Lecture Series at the “Research Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage” under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.


The lecture, titled “Where Is the Maqam World? An Introduction to Classical Musics of the Islamic World” aimed to establish a general framework for understanding maqām-based music traditions. The presentation started with addressing politically constructed concepts, such as the Silk Road and the Middle East, questioning their effectiveness as analytical frameworks for accommodating the musical realities of the region. 
 
The talk addressed the musical, cultural, linguistic, and ideological underpinnings that connect classical music traditions stretching from North Africa to Central Asia, despite their regional idiosyncrasies. It also examined how individual traditions have historically embodied the overarching principles of the maqām music family in response to specific regional processes and contexts. Drawing on cross-regional examples, the lecture raised questions about musical exchange, circulation, and continuity.
 
Kordmafi’s talk was followed by Q&A session with an interdisciplinary audience of musicologists, linguists, and historians of art and literature, fostering a lively and productive scholarly exchange.

 

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