2016-17 Academic Catalog

Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul--The City was the cosmopolitan capital of major world empires for sixteen centuries until 1923, when it became a provincial city in a national republic. Since 1980, however, Istanbul has risen as a global megalopolis. Today's Istanbul is the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East, of the Mediterranean and Central Asia, the hub of one of the world's great airlines. Its expansion has led to great innovations in urban planning and design as well as to intense debate over their course. This course will try to convey a sense of the place--of the past of the city and its vibrant present. Students will visit the great historical sites of the city, go on walking tours of its different neighborhoods, and meet with community groups representing different constituencies to get a sense of current debates about the future of the city. Prerequisite: Enrollment in OCS program