Ilaria Gianfranceschi is a library assistant in the Aga Khan Library (AKL). Ehe is responsible for ensuring its upkeep and help students and researchers with their queries. My work includes outreach and promotional activities through projects such as the AKL Tunes on Spotify, the Aga Khan Library movie nights, and content creation on social media.
Ilaria holds a BA in Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. Here she specialized in Middle Eastern studies with Arabic and Turkish language studies. Her dissertation explored the luxury trade between Venice and Constantinople in the 16th century. She has recently completed a MA in the History of art and architecture of the Islamic Middle East at SOAS, with her research work focusing on Ottoman architecture and its relations to the Mediterranean.