HIST449 CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF OTTOMAN ISTANBUL
| Course Code: | 2400449 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | History |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Assoc.Prof.Dr. GÜÇLÜ TÜLÜVELİ |
| Offered Semester: | Fall and Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand Istanbul’s Role in World History: Analyze the historical significance of Istanbul as the capital of both the East Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Ottoman Empire, and how this influenced its cultural and social development.
Explore Cultural and Religious Diversity: Study the diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities in early modern Istanbul, including Jewish, Armenian, Greek, and Turkish populations, and examine how these groups interacted and shaped the city’s social fabric.
Examine the Spatial and Architectural Transformation: Investigate how the unique mixture of cultures influenced the city’s architecture, urban planning, and spatial organization during the early modern period, with a particular focus on significant monuments, neighborhoods, and everyday life.
Explore the Social Life of Istanbul: Delve into the social aspects of everyday life in Istanbul during the early modern period, including family structures, gender roles, social hierarchies, and cultural practices.
Assess the Role of Religion: Examine the role of religion in shaping the social and cultural life of the city, with a particular emphasis on Islamic, Christian, and Jewish practices, rituals, and institutions.
Investigate Trade and Economic Life: Understand the economic life of Istanbul, including its role as a center of trade, commerce, and industry, and how these aspects affected the city’s population and everyday experiences.
Engage with Primary Sources: Encourage students to critically engage with primary sources (travel accounts, visual art, and literature) to gain insight into how Istanbul was perceived by contemporaries and how these sources shape our understanding of early modern Istanbul.
Course Content
Being the capital city of two empires, East Roman and Ottoman, Istanbul rightly deserves the attention oriented towards it. In its history, a mixture of cultures including Jewish, Armenian, Greek and Turkish, had shaped its spatial form. This mixture had created a civilization that fascinated everyone visiting the city. This course will explore the cultural and social aspects of everyday life of Istanbul in early modern period.
Course Learning Outcomes
Show an understanding of Istanbul's historical significance as a capital city of two empires, and how its diverse cultural and religious communities shaped its history during the early modern period.
Analyze Cultural and Social Diversity: Demonstrate the ability to analyze the interactions between Jewish, Armenian, Greek, Turkish, and other communities in Istanbul, and how these interactions influenced social dynamics and cultural production.
Examine Urban and Spatial Development: Explain how the mixture of different cultures influenced the architecture, urban planning, and spatial form of early modern Istanbul, recognizing the significance of key structures and districts.
Evaluate Social Structures and Daily Life: Critically evaluate the social structures in early modern Istanbul, considering issues like family dynamics, class stratification, gender roles, and daily activities of the city's inhabitants.
Assess the Role of Religion in Society: Understand the role of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in shaping social life, public practices, and individual identity within the context of the city’s imperial and multicultural setting.
Explore Economic and Commercial Life: Analyze the economic functions of Istanbul as a trading hub and how these influenced the daily lives of its people, from markets to trade routes and the relationship between merchants and laborers.
Engage with Primary and Secondary Sources: Demonstrate the ability to critically engage with and interpret primary sources such as travel accounts, visual representations, and historical texts, using them to build a nuanced understanding of early modern Istanbul.
Connect Past and Present: Reflect on how the historical and cultural life of early modern Istanbul continues to shape the modern identity of the city, connecting the legacies of its imperial past with contemporary issues.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | are familiar with general world historical periods and trends; demonstrate knowledge of key facts, ideas, societies, organizations, cultures, structures and processes related to a variety of historical contexts. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | are familiar with existing scholarly literature, historiography and historical methodology; and have developed the ability to approach them critically. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | are acquainted with interdisciplinary approaches. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | are able to generate research questions and conduct independent historical research by locating and analyzing primary and/or secondary sources; can construct viable arguments based on source interpretation. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | have developed sufficient English language skills; additionally, they have acquired the skill to read both printed texts and manuscripts in Ottoman Turkish. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | are able to present research results both in oral and written form. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | are able to work individually or as part of a team. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | are equipped with academic ethics. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | are aware of modern day issues and current events; have the skills and knowledge to generate informed opinions. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution