On October 7, 2021, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Social Sciences Senior Research Assistant Dr. Istvan Santha gave an online seminar titled “Hungarian orientalism as seen through the photographs of György Almásy’s second expedition to the Kazakh and Kyrgyz territories in 1906”

Dr. Istvan Santha conducted a seminar on Hungarian orientalism through the photographs of Gyorgy Almasy’s second expedition to the Kazakh and Kyrgyz territories in 1906. He presented a biography of Gyorgy Almasy. Dr. Santha described his early experience and focused on his Central Asian expeditions. Almasy in his monograph, which was published in Hungarian, in details, explained his journey to Kazakh and Kyrgyz territories. The first expedition was scientific. Gyorgy Almasy summarized his findings on many aspects of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz people, including social, cultural, economic, and other aspects. 

During his second expedition, Gyorgy Almasy aimed to explore geography. Almasy’s journeys and studies significantly contributed to Hungarian orientalism. In particular, through historical photos, Almasy’s book helped to understand Kazakh and Kyrgyz culture from the imperialist, orientalist, and bureaucratic approaches