Culture, travel, and French diplomacy in the East (17th–19th centuries)

On May 13^th, 2025, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, in partnership with the French Institute in Romania, organized a lecture titled French Culture, Travel and Diplomacy in the Orient (17^th–19^th centuries), given by Professor Irini Apostolou of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Irini Apostolou is a Professor of French Cultural History in the Department of French Language and Literature at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She received her PhD in French Culture in 2003 from the Sorbonne IV University of Paris. Between 2004 and 2006, she was a member of the teaching staff at the Hellenic Open University, and in 2019 she held the position of Associate Research Director (DEA) at the prestigious foundation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) in Paris.

Her research interests cover a broad array of subjects, including travel literature, Orientalism, art, cultural heritage, intercultural communication and teaching, as well as European higher education policy. She has published numerous studies and articles in specialized journals and collective volumes, both internationally and within Greece.

Exploring the influence of French culture on the Balkan and Oriental space provides not only an incursion into the past, but also offers a deeper understanding of how diplomacy, science, and travel have all contributed to the establishment of lasting cultural ties. Irini Apostolou's lecture highlights a crucial period—the 17^th through 19^th centuries—when France's contacts with the Orient formed identities, inspired local elites, and shaped long-lasting cultural dialogue.

The event follows in a series launched by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization dedicated to the study of the French language as a major vector of diplomacy and scientific exchange in the Levant. The inaugural scientific event in the series was a conference titled French, Language of Diplomacy and Science in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, which enjoyed broad international participation from scholars such as Shereen Kakish (University of Jordan, Amman), Nicolas Pitsos (CREE/INALCO, Paris), Adrian Bărbieru (Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization), Ioana Manea (“Ovidius” University of Constanța), Alexandru Aldea (Technical Civil Engineering University of Bucharest), Irina Grigorova (Institute of History of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia) and Daniel Iosif (Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization).

Professor Irini Apostolou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens):

Standing at the crossroads of diplomatic, cultural, and scientific ambitions, from the 16^th to the 19^th century, the East exerted a growing fascination on French elites.

Thanks to the Capitulations of 1536, which established a privileged partnership between France and the Ottoman Empire, France dispatched diplomats, missionaries, scholars, and travellers to explore and document this fascinating world. The accounts of figures such as Henry de Beauvau, Pierre Belon, and Nicolas de Nicolay document this quest for knowledge, combining ethnographic observation with political ambition.

In the 17^th century, the embassy of the Marquis de Nointel stood out for its refined diplomacy, combining art, erudition, and representations of the monarchy, with Antoine Galland as cultural mediator.

In the 18^th century, the embassy of Choiseul-Gouffier (1784–1791) marked a turning point in scholarly diplomacy. As a philhellenic ambassador, academician, and collector, Choiseul-Gouffier forged close ties between archaeology and art history. He organized scientific missions, supported archaeological excavations, and built up collections, particularly through agents such as Louis-François-Sébastien Fauvel. Following in his footsteps, numerous European Consuls, such as Pouqueville, Gropius, and Alby, took advantage of their position to establish closer ties to the local populations, carry out excavations, acquire antiquities, and facilitate their export to Europe.

Even so, their role in 'protecting' heritage was ambivalent: although they took part in the looting and illicit trade of ancient artefacts, they also claimed to be protectors of heritage by joining archaeological societies.

Professor Apostolou’s lecture on French Culture, Travel, and Diplomacy in the Orient (17^th–19^th Centuries) attracted a diverse audience passionate about history, international relations and culture, alongside notable figures from the Romanian academic milieu.

Speakers at the event included Cătălin-Ștefan Popa, Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization and Ugo Marechal, Head of University Projects at the French Institute in Romania. The introduction and subsequent discussions were moderated by Adrian Bărbieru, an Expert of the Levant Institute.

During her lecture, Professor Irini Apostolou offered a broad and well-documented perspective on the relations between France and the Ottoman Empire, beginning in 1535 with the signing of the Capitulations, the founding act of a permanent French diplomatic presence in Constantinople. The conference highlighted not only the political and diplomatic dimensions of this relationship, but also its cultural depth as reflected in the countless exchanges between France and the East up until the 19^th century.

The conference brought the public's attention to a number of notable French diplomatic and cultural figures who, through their works and activities, contributed to shaping not only the French but also the broader Western imagination of the Levantine world. Scientific rigour combined with narrative charm, outlining the subtleties of a complex relationship between France and the Ottoman Empire.

By way of this and similar events, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levantine Culture and Civilization aims to reaffirm its commitment to intercultural dialogue and to the promotion of advanced research in the field of Oriental history and civilization. We would like to thank all attendees, and invite the broader public to follow our forthcoming academic and cultural initiatives.