COURSE LIST AND DESCRIPTIONS FOR REGIONAL TOPICS

Generally, summer school courses at METU are of 3-credits and meet 7 hours weekly for 6 weeks (including examinations). However, TFL 271 and IR 245 courses are a part of the orientation program and TFL 271 starts one week earlier than the regular courses. Most of the following courses are interdisciplinary and are open to upper level students. However, permission of the instructor is required.

See the courses offered for the summer of 2006 and also On-Line Catalog for the general descriptions of the courses.

 

Course Description for Regional Topics

 

TFL 271 Beginning Turkish I (3-credits)

In this course students should learn enough basic conversational and written Turkish for daily activities as well as provide a basis for further study in Turkish language and culture. Explanations about grammar are in English; otherwise the course is carried out primarily I Turkish. Practice sessions are designed to introduce students to various aspects of life in Turkey as well give students opportunities to practice Turkish in natural settings. Throughout the term special speakers will give short talks in English about Turkish history and culture which will be used to introduce specialized vocabulary and preliminary to optional tours of places of interest in the city.

IR 245 Contemporary Turkey: Turkish State and Society (3-credits)

A survey of contemporary Turkish state and society issues designed specifically for METU's exchange and visiting students. It covers the historical, economical, political, social, cultural and foreign policy developments of modern Turkey from the late 19th century Ottoman Empire to the present. The course is organised both on the basis of lectures, field trips, cultural events and student participation through discussions and short papers. There will be a term paper on a specific aspect of Contemporary Turkish State and Society and a final examination. Students are expected to decide on the paper topics in consultation with the instructor. Students are expected to attend seminars for each subject and to participate in the class discussions. The final examination is in multiple choice type that covers the various issues of the seminar topics.

HIST 241 Early Anotalian Civilizations (3-credits)

All civilizations in Anatolia from the Neolithic period through the Hellenistic period with the conquering of Anatolia by Alexander the Great will be covered in this course. Day excursions to near-by representative archaeological sites are optional but recommended. Cost of trips are not included in tuition.

 

HIST 449 Cultural and Social Aspects of Ottoman Istanbul (3-credits)

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.

 

HIST 217 Byzantine History I (3-0)3. This is an introductory course that explores the establishment of the Byzantine Empire and basic foundations. The basic topics in this course are the importance of the Byzantine Empire to world history, the political and economic history of the Byzantine State, the foreign relations of the Byzantine Empire, and civil strife in Byzantium.

HIST 233 Nomads, Farmers and Dervishes (3-0)3. Focusing on the nomads, farmers and dervishes, the course will explore Anatolian society before the rise of the Ottomans as an empire. Demographic, cultural as well as political and economic trends in Anatolia in the 12th to 15th centuries will be studied with readings in history, literature and arts.