History and Culture in Istanbul, Turkey study abroad program’s application deadline has been extended until March 9, 2012.
Please see the flyer here and contact me, if you are interested.
I will lead a study abroad program in Istanbul, Turkey in the summer of 2012 (May 18 – June 29, 2012).
In this six-weeks program, two classes will be offered: ASIA 244-History of Istanbul and ASIA 243-Turkish Culture and Society. These courses will fulfill both General Education and Elective course requirements.
The program will be hosted by the Middle East Studies Institute of Marmara University, which is located in the district of Sultanahmet. Marmara University is a large public university that was officially established during 1982-1983 academic year with nine faculties, one vocational school and one institute, although it has a much longer history over more than a hundred years as an institution of higher education in Turkey.
Turkey, geographically situated at the meeting point of Asia and Europe, has a rich multi-ethnic culture. The city of Istanbul is one of the magnificent historic cities of the world, having been continuously populated for about 3000 years. For many centuries, Istanbul has been a capital city for different imperial powers such as the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and it retains multiple traces of those past civilizations.
You can see its flyer here.
By Joe Parkinson
Don’t talk to Togra Saydan about the global downturn. The Istanbul-based tour guide is working 18-hour days and has had to cancel his vacation.
Unrest in the region, a weak Turkish currency and Ankara’s closer ties with neighbors are driving up tourism in Turkey. Hotels in Istanbul are clocking the highest occupancy rates in Europe, while many of the city’s conference halls are booked well into next year, industry groups and analysts said. Turkey’s coastal resorts say they are turning away customers.
“Istanbul is having a renaissance; our economy is strong and political problems on our doorstep are all bringing tourists here,” Mr. Saydan said. “These are the kinds of problems I always wanted to have.”
The latest data on Turkey’s $25 billion tourism industry show the number of tourists—local and foreign—increased by almost 11% in the first seven months of this year compared with the same period in 2010, according to the Ministry of Tourism. And 2010 was a bumper year.
The visitors include record numbers arriving from Europe and the Mideast. The crowds are bringing with them a welcome injection of foreign currency. Turkey’s economy is cooling from heady growth earlier this year and needs to finance a huge trade imbalance and a current-account deficit forecast to hit as much as 10% of gross domestic product by year’s end.
Read more at Wall Street Journal.. (Subscription required)
10th anniversary of September 11 Attacks, Hurriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/g.php?g=245&p=58#gallerytop
National Geographic’s Ultimate City Guides
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/istanbul-turkey/
20 great things to do in Istanbul, Time Out Istanbul www.timeout.com
http://www.timeout.com/istanbul/features/278/20-great-things-to-do-in-istanbul
An ancient capital of culinary delights
http://www.theworld.org/2011/09/capital-culinary-ottoman-kokorec/
Retracing the route of a 17th century Ottoman traveler
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=retracing-the-route-of-a–17th-century-ottoman-traveler-2011-08-07
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Works and Arts renovated
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=museum-of-turkish-and-islamic-works-and-arts-renovated-2011-08-02
Istanbul announces bid to host 2020 Olympics
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=istanbul-announces-bid-to-host-2020-olympics-2011-08-14
Turkey Istanbul
http://www.goturkey.com/content.php?cid=48777&typ=b&lng=en&title_alias=History
Sacred Sites around the world
http://www.sacred-destinations.com
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/sacred-sites
TTh 3:30-4:45pm
Smith Hall, 107
For many centuries Istanbul had been a capital city for different imperial powers such as the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and it retains traces of those past civilizations.
This historically and culturally rich city was built in a most beautiful and enchanting landscape. Istanbul is the only city that connects two continents Asia and Europe, united by the Bosphorus.
History of Istanbul as a city will be our main theme. We will study Istanbul’s history with Istanbul’s formation, population, architecture, monuments, music, art, literature in Istanbul and on Istanbul, and affects of politics. Using history as a base, we will also discuss Istanbul in the global sphere, and observe how it fits into both Asia and Europe, and the efforts of politicians, civil society, and the media to either further or limit this projection.