REL 421 Istanbul
This course will provide students with a survey of the modern Middle East by looking specifically at the ways in which religion and politics have been inextricably linked through the last two millenniums. And in turn, the course will explore the deep historical and cultural connections between global religions (especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and modern geographies (especially Europe and Asia). Istanbul is an ideal place to examine this relationship because of its long history as a cosmopolitan city and capital for the Orthodox Christian Byzantine and then Sunni Muslim Ottoman Empire. As the Ottoman imperial center, it became the nexus of cultural connections between global religions. Most of the trip will be centered around Istanbul with day- or overnight-trips to other points of interest. Within these cities, our course will focus on sites of religious practice and interactions (like houses of worship), commemoration (monuments and cemeteries), and places of public memories (museums, historic landmarks, etc.). Students will also meet with representatives of political parties, civic organizations, and religious communities to examine the contemporary practices and interactions of various religious communities.