Aims
Kalemişi Journal of Turkic Arts aims to publish original research on the arts practised by the Turkic peoples from pre-Islamic times to the present, and review articles that critically assess the literature in this field. The journal gives priority to work that fills a gap in the field and offers new, original knowledge, and that is methodologically transparent, fully referenced and illustrated, and ethically sound. It seeks to increase scholarship on the traditional Turkic arts and to make them better known and, by publishing in Turkish and English, to make the knowledge produced in the field available to everyone, free of charge and permanently.
Scope
The journal covers both the arts specific to the Turkic peoples and the arts that they adopted from other societies and reinterpreted, and publishes articles on the historical, theoretical and applied aspects of artistic production in all the regions where Turkic peoples have lived. Its main subject areas are:
- Kalemişi (painted decoration), illumination (tezhip), miniature painting and embroidery
- Calligraphy, bookbinding, paper cut-work (katı’) and marbling (ebru); the arts of the book
- Tiles, ceramics and glass
- Woodwork: kündekârî, carving and Edirnekârî lacquer work
- Stone and marble carving (naht)
- Weaving, carpets, kilims and other textile arts
- Metalwork
- Architectural decoration
- Contemporary interpretations of the traditional arts; Turkish painting and sculpture
- Artists, masters, workshops and the master–apprentice tradition
- Museum and collection studies; conservation, restoration and documentation
- The history of Turkic art, iconography, aesthetics and art theory
Art-historical studies, fieldwork, analyses of works and buildings, archival and documentary studies, studies of techniques and materials, practice-based research and theoretical studies all fall within its scope. The journal also publishes articles introducing artists, interviews and critical assessments of important events in the arts. Studies derived from graduate theses, or from conference papers whose full text has not been published, are considered provided that this is stated in the article.
Article types
- Research article
- Review article
- Book review
- Interview
- Translation
The length and type of evaluation for each article type are given in the Author Guidelines. The journal also publishes editorials on the issue or the journal.
Readership
The journal addresses researchers, academic staff and graduate students in art history, the traditional Turkic arts and related fields; artists, masters and craftspeople; specialists working in museums, collections and conservation institutions; and everyone interested in cultural heritage.
Languages
Articles may be written in Turkish or English. Every article has a title, abstract and keywords in Turkish and in English. For Turkish-language articles submitted from October 2026 onwards, an Extended Abstract in English of 750–1,000 words is also required.
Outside the scope
- Studies without a scholarly research question or theoretical framework
- Studies that cannot be assessed because their method, data or sources are insufficiently reported
- Work that has been published before or is under consideration by another journal
- Opinion pieces, essays, memoirs or popular-science writing
- Descriptions of works, exhibitions or events without critical analysis
- Descriptions of a work or a building without a scholarly framework and an evaluation