We performed non-contact and non-destructive spatially resolved characterization of traps and recombination centers in semi-insulating SiC wafers using thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) and scanning photoluminescence (PL). In V-free samples, we observe a broad PL band with a maximum at 1.18 eV accompanied with a sharp zero-phonon line at 1.34 eV. Intense TSL in the visible and IR spectral regions yield a glow curve with the maximum at 110K attributed to nitrogen traps. The TSL spectrum closely resembles the PL spectrum of the 1.18 eV PL band. Comparison of TSL in V-doped and V-free samples is performed. TSL images are correlated with PL maps.