Courses

The seminar will examine several “Islamic” cities in depth, focusing on critical moments in their histories. The students will acquire a solid knowledge of these centers. They will study their dynamic and complex histories in an episodic manner, deconstructing their images frozen in a particular moment. We will begin by recent critical theories on the “Islamic” city, the latter concept developed as a rigid formula during the colonial era and reiterated since. As we resituate our case studies in their shifting historic contexts, we will gain insights into the complexity of their formations. More specifically, for example, Damascus will not be constrained to its canonical early medieval period, but will be investigated with reference to its Greco-Roman history, the Ottoman interventions in the pre-modern period, the nineteenth-century reforms, and the French planning experiments under the Mandate. Istanbul will not be limited to its sixteenth-century glamor, but will be scrutinized in terms of its turbulent passage from Byzantine to Ottoman rule, and as a pioneering experiment in nineteenth-century modernization reforms. Situating urban forms, “the tangible substance, the stuff” of cities at the center of our discussions, we will look into the political, social, cultural, and economic factors that framed their development, as well as the subsequent effects the cities made on these realms. The interdisciplinary approach will capitalize on the rich literature in the field and engage in analyses using textual and visual materials in complementary ways. The students will learn how to triangulate their discussions by using arguments and data (including visual documents) from different academic fields. 

The weekly meetings will include presentations by the instructor and the students, followed by class discussions.