Netherlands Institute in Turkey Summer course, June 10-21, 2013
Constantinople/Istanbul
History and Heritage in a Global City
June 15, 2013
13:00-17:00 Historic quarters and contemporary issues: Fener-Balat neighbourhoods with Banu Pekol
About the Summer Course:
Credits: The course load has an equivalent of 5.0 ects (6.0 ects with additional assignment). Students need to apply to their examination committee to request that credits are awarded.
Language: English and Dutch, or completely English in the case of non-Dutch speaking participants.
Faculty: NIT staff and faculty of universities in Istanbul. Dr. Fokke Gerritsen is the academic coordinator of the course.
Level: BA 2-3 (2nd/3rd year in a 3-year BA program).
Outline
History
The city of Byzantium-Constantinople-Istanbul was the capital of a sequence of world empires during many centuries (330-1923), each of which exerted a major influence on the history of Europe, the Mediterranean and the Near East. This course maps this history by looking at the built and urban heritage of the city (palaces, churches, mosques, monuments, neighbourhoods, communication routes).
Urban landscape
In particular, we will look at the ways in which the city was made into the centre of a world empire through building projects and processions, religion and imperial tradition. Istanbul offers unique opportunities to investigate how dynasties in power brought about continuity and change through their interactions with the heritage of their predecessors. Over the many centuries, complex layers of space and meaning have come about.
Heritage and urban renewal
Even though Istanbul is no longer a capital city, it is the largest metropolis in Europe as well as the cultural and economic heart of Turkey. Past and present rub together everywhere, and create a continuous stream of new connections and clashes. The course will also take these contemporary issues into account, by looking at societal changes, and the role of heritage in processes of urban renewal and expansion.
Aims of the course
1 – To familiarize students with concepts and perspectives from several disciplines that study cultural historical, political, ideological and heritage-related aspects of cities and urban culture.
2 – To introduce students in a new environment to a multi-disciplinary approach, and to offer them, through guest lectures by scholars from different countries based in Istanbul, an international perspective on research themes and traditions.
3 – To give students an overview of the history of Istanbul from Constantine to the end of the Ottoman Empire.
For whom?
BA students (min. 8, max. 12) at the end of the second or third year of a three year BA program from different universities in the Netherlands. The course is open to students from a broad range of humanities and social sciences, and they will be selected to make up a diverse group.
Format
Lectures, excursions, discussions, self-study
Evaluation
Students are evaluated on the basis of their active participation as well as an essay to be written during and directly following the course.
Readings
To prepare, the participants will have to read book chapters and articles before coming to Istanbul, totalling about 300 pages. In addition, each student will be assigned an essay topic, and will use literature available in the NIT library for this.
For more info: http://www.nit-istanbul.org/constantinople2013.html
