This seminar is an introduction to some dimension of the history of a nation, region, people, culture, institution, or historical phenomenon selected by the respective instructor. Students will come to understand, and develop an appreciation for: the origins and evolution of the people, cultures, and/or political, economic, and/or social institutions of a particular region(s) of the world. They may explore how human encounters shaped individual and collective identities and the political, economic, and social orders of the region/nation/communities under study. Instructors prioritize critical reading, engaged participation, and focused writing assignments.

In this seminar, we will focus on the history of Constantinople/Istanbul over the last two millennia, from the capital of the Byzantine Empire to the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to a city in Modern Turkey. We will explore the city's history through a series of particular landmarks/buildings, looking at the history of their construction, the actors involved in their processes, their repurposing in different eras, and their primary and secondary representations in writing as well as 2D and 3D visuals. Our goal will be to explore the changing political, economic, cultural, social, and spatial contexts through these particular case studies, which will include famous examples such as Hagia Sophia Church/Mosque, the Topkapı Palace, and rather less known ones such as the Greek School in Phanar. Students can expect to be assigned readings in addition to short films and visual material (maps, postcards, photos). Instructor bio: Dr. Firuzan Melike Sümertaş's research focuses on the urban/architectural/visual culture of the late Ottoman Empire and its capital city Istanbul, with a particular interest in the Greek-Orthodox community. She holds a PhD. in History from Boğaziçi University, Istanbul and B.Arch and M.A degrees from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Department of Architecture, and Program in Architectural History. Her current project in the History Department of UC Berkeley under the umbrella of the Istanpolis collaboration led by Prof. Christine Philliou, focuses on utilizing digital humanities tools for urban/architectural historical research.

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Requirements class fulfills