Middle East Medievalists

Middle East Medievalists (MEM) is an international professional non-profit association for scholars studying the medieval Middle East, with a focus on the Islamic lands from roughly 500 to 1500 CE. The organization supports research, scholarly exchange, and recognition of work in this field. Its website provides information about membership, governance, past presidents, employment and grant opportunities, and professional resources.

MEM administers several awards and prizes, including biennial book and dissertation prizes, a graduate student prize, a fellowship for graduate students of color, and honors recognizing lifetime achievement and honorary members. It also publishes Al-‘Usur al-Wusta, a scholarly publication featuring short articles, reviews and notices of books, meeting information, and research resources. Since 1992, the publication has highlighted significant scholarship published in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish, helping bring works that may be less familiar to Western scholars to wider attention. Members can contribute brief reviews, notices, conference announcements, and other news relevant to the association. MEM’s activities connect researchers and promote the study of medieval Middle Eastern history and scholarship.