Every year a city is chosen by the European Union for a period of one calendar year and announced as the European Capital of Culture. For 2010 Istanbul was designated as one of the cultural capitals of Europe. For many centuries Istanbul had been a capital city for different imperial powers, Byzantine and Ottoman and it retains the traces of those past civilizations in Istanbul. This historically and culturally rich city has a natural beauty that is unique. Istanbul is the only city that connects two continents, united by the Bosphorus.
In this course Istanbul will be examined with all the aspects in the historical trajectory within its multicultural setting. Istanbul’s population has faced many wars, domestic conflicts, ethno-religious clashes in every period, while also being a remarkable example of co-existence. This course will look at the issues that have forcefully been forgotten in order to uproot them. Art and architecture of Istanbul will be among our topics. We will read primary and secondary documents, books, novels, articles, watch movies and documentaries, and listen to music from Istanbul about Istanbul.
Please see a flyer of this course here.