Ana Torlak, Associate Professor, investigates attitudes toward the cultural heritage of antiquity through travelogues and studies by both domestic and foreign authors from the 18th and 19th centuries, including, for example, Marc de Casotti, Sir John Gardner Wilkinson, and Johann Neigebauer. Particular attention is given to the transition in research focus: from examining individual epigraphic finds to understanding sites within a broader cultural, historical, and geographical context. Although travel writing has long been studied from a literary perspective, it has only recently been acknowledged as a valuable source for history and art history, making this study particularly innovative. Using a multidisciplinary methodological perspective encompassing history, literature, art history, and cultural studies, the aim is to analyse how these travelogues shaped the perception of monumental complexes and contributed to the formation of the region’s cultural identity.
