Book launch: Elena Ene Drăghici-Vasilescu, Byzantine and Medieval Cappadocia
The author signed the book as Elena Ene Drăghici-Vasilescu.
One of the rationales of this book is to show that the preoccupation for preserving the environment has always been on the mind of people, wherever they lived. Plato speak on this issue, as did the citizens of Byzantine and Medieval Cappadocia, who also took action towards that purpose.
The focus of my book is a particular region of the Byzantine Empire, Cappadocia, within Anatolia, in the centre of what is now Turkey. Its history as a part of this confederation of territories coincides with the medieval period in Europe. The monograph deals with various aspects of the province; it begins with its environment and climate, goes to some of its institutions and buildings, and ends with the paintings which the artists employed to decorate the latter, as well as with a particular type of inscriptions (those along the frontiers). It also considers education in Cappadocia during the Byzantines. The study is a scholarly/professional work that draws on my current research as well as on the material which I developed in the last four years while teaching for the University of Oxford.
Despite the fact that it employs original sources and is read firstly by specialists the book can also appeal to the general educated public.

There are no substantial recent publications dedicated exclusively to this area – certainly not in the United Kingdom, where I work.
Date: 24 April 2025, 10:00 (Thursday, 14th week, Hilary 2025)
Venue: Rewley House, 1-7 Wellington Square OX1 2JA
Venue Details: Tawney Room, first floor
Speaker: Prof. Elena Ene Draghici-Vasilescu (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: elena.ene-@wolfson.ox.ac.uk
Booking required?: Not required
Booking email: elena.ene-v@history.ox.ac.uk
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Elena Draghici-Vasilescu