The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting in world history. Less well known than its dynastic and military power is the complex, dynamic, and often hybrid culture it produced. Ottoman culture includes arts, like architecture, painting, calligraphy, and poetry, as well as the ideas expressed in it, about God, man, and the cosmos. It is part of the larger cultural context of the Middle East, and yet distinct in its specific forms, and various subcultures. This course looks at Ottoman culture through the social and symbolic spaces in which it unfolds, and to the human networks which sustain it: The court, the religious institutions, economic activities, the family, as they strive for meaning and beauty.

Intended Audience:

All interested upper-level undergraduates and graduate students

Class Format:

Two 90-minute meetings weekly