For precise schedule of offerings see department catalog during pre-enrollment week each semester.

In this class we will consider the changing meanings of community and the changing dynamics of cities from the 16th to the early 20th century, highlighting Istanbul as the Ottoman imperial capital. In what ways was the capital city a microcosm of empire? In what ways was it one city among many? In what ways was it an unchanging entity and in what ways in constant flux? And in what ways was community enacted by its inhabitants, differently over time? Discussion will open out into comparisons with provincial cities within Ottoman realms, capital cities of other empires (Rome, Isfahan, Petersburg, Paris, for instance), and methodological considerations for urban history and sociology. For those with knowledge of Ottoman Turkish, an extra weekly session can be offered to discuss primary source materials, but knowledge of Ottoman is not required for the 280/285. We will read a combination of classic works and cutting edge recent scholarship.

Repeat Rules