MyEducation. Name. Istanbul, Fall 2013 ARTS & CULTURE COMMUNITY & NEIGHBOURHOODS DIVERSITY & IDENTITY GOVERNMENT AND & POWER LANDSCAPE & TIME

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1 ARTS AND CULTURE MyEducation Istanbul, Fall 2013 Name CAPA s MyEducation program offers you the opportunity and independence to decide how to learn about culture according to how you enjoy learning. Compiled by CAPA education abroad advisors, the calendar offers a menu of different activities, events, lectures, visits and self-directed tours to help teach you the most about Turkey. These are often different to standard tourist sites, and by participating you will be able to reflect on how real Istanbullular (Istanbulites) live and think! These events and activities are organised around five core themes which are intended to enhance and complement the material covered in your courses at Bilgi and develop your understanding of the urban environment: COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOODS DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY GOVERNMENT AND POWER LANDSCAPE AND TIME Includes the investigation of cultural sites where culture is produced, contested and consumed by visitors and residents; the investigation of different modes of creativity and their commodification. Investigation of society and space at a variety of urban scales, including mapping and interpretation of social geographies of class and ethnicity in the city. The investigation of social dynamics and the impacts of social change, conflict and collaboration. Appreciation of the interconnections between different communities and neighbourhoods in Istanbul; understanding the self in relation to others in different social contexts, including spaces such as the workplace; active community engagement and involvement in grassroots activism. Investigation of identity politics and related social dynamics; diversity across the city in terms of religious identities, gender, ethnicity, class and sexuality and the interplay between them; exploration of the historical development of cosmopolitan Istanbul and contemporary Turkish society. Investigation of political institutions at different levels: local, regional, national and global and the interplay between them; agencies and actors in politics and political debate; investigation of contemporary urban, national and regional politics including issues of topical concern and regional dynamics such as Europe-Asia relations; forms of power and privilege. Comparative analysis of politics in the region and USA. The impact of history on the city, the city as a text; interpretation of landscape, symbolism and semiotics of architecture; investigation of the historical development of the environment; exploring heritage ; examining the representation of the city and its history in various media. ARTS & CULTURE COMMUNITY & NEIGHBOURHOODS DIVERSITY & IDENTITY GOVERNMENT AND & POWER LANDSCAPE & TIME

2 MyEducation - ISTANBUL SEPTEMBER 2013 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY ARRIVAL DAY CAPA ORIENTATION DAY ISTANBUL CITY TOUR CAPA WELCOME DINNER BILGI INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION Bursa, Turkey (dates Bursa, Turkey (dates Visit the Hagia Sophia Take a BOAT TOUR on the Bosphorous 29 BILGI ACADEMIC REGISTRATION (23-26 September) Arts and Culture Community and Neighbourhoods Diversity and Identity Government and Power Landscape and Time

3 MyEducation - ISTANBUL OCTOBER 2013 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 30 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES Visit the Topkapi Palace ADD/ DROP PERIOD (7-9 October) Visit the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque Visit the Grand Bazaar MID SEMESTER BREAK (14-18 October) NATIONAL HOLIDAY Festival of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) (NO CLASSES October) Visit the Jewish Museum Of Turkey ERASMUS TRIP: CAPPADOCIA (dates Halloween NATIONAL HOLIDAY Republic Day (NO CLASSES October) Arts and Culture Community and Neighbourhoods Diversity and Identity Government and Power Landscape and Time

4 MyEducation - ISTANBUL NOVEMBER 2013 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Attend Galatasaray Football match Visit the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum 7 8 Visit the Greek Orthodox Quarter (Fener) Attend a traditional Sema By Whirling Dervishes Mardin, Turkey (dates 17 Mardin, Turkey (dates MID-TERM EXAMS (18-24 November) Visit the Egyptian Spice Bazaar Arts and Culture Community and Neighbourhoods Diversity and Identity Government and Power Landscape and Time

5 MyEducation - ISTANBUL DECEMBER 2013 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Visit Chora Monastery Visit a traditional Turkish Hamam Edirne, Turkey (dates Edirne, Turkey (dates LAST DAY OF CLASSES FINAL EXAMS FOR CAPA STUDENTS Arts and Culture Community and Neighbourhoods Diversity and Identity Government and Power Landscape and Time

6 ISTANBUL MyEDUCATION: HIGHLIGHTS AND FURTHER INFORMATION September ISTANBUL CITY TOUR A 3-hour walking tour of Istanbul led by a professional tour guide (docent). Since antiquity, Istanbul has been a melting pot, hosting diverse populations of Christians, Jews, and Muslims a layer cake of different people, from different traditions. Our course will take us from the Hippodrome, a center for sport activities and ceremonies famous for the chariot races during the Roman and the Byzantine era to the Blue Mosque, the second largest mosque in Istanbul, built during the Ottoman Period. We will walk to the Grand Bazaar, catch a finicular up to Taksim, and end at Galata tower, where you will have a 360 degree view of Istanbul. Fee: None, part of CAPA program fee. ERASMUS TOUR: BURSA: Details to follow. BOSPHOROUS BOAT TOUR: An excellent introduction to the city and its relationship with its surroundings, including spectacular views of major sites and districts. You can do this activity yourself at your convenience for as little as 10 Turkish Lira per person. Ask the Istanbul Student Services Coordinator for advice. For example, the public ferry departs from Eminonu and you can hop on this ferry by paying about 10 Turkish lira per person. Just outside the ticket selling office, you will find people selling tourist tickets at a very large premium, which are to be avoided. Themes: Landscape and Time; Neighbourhood and Community. Relevant classes: all. HAGIA SOPHIA: A former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and arguably changed the history of global architecture. It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, then converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in Entrance fee: c. 25TL. Themes: Landscape and Time; Diversity and Identity; Arts and Culture. Relevant Classes: HUM 120; HIS 322. October THE TOPKAPI PALACE: (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı) is a large palace that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a global tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword, offers spectacular architecture and views of the city. The Topkapı Palace became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Entrance fee: 25TL. Free with Museum Pass. Relevant Classes: HIS 322; HUM 120; TK 111. SULTAN AHMED (BLUE) MOSQUE: A working mosque, the design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The building is famous for its spectacular blue tiles and highly decorated mihrab. Avoid visiting the mosque at prayer time (especially Midday prayers on Friday) or within a half hour after the ezan is chanted from the Mosque minarets. If you are a woman wear a head covering when entering the Blue Mosque. Head coverings are available at the Blue Mosque entrance for free. Entrance fee: Free, donation encouraged. Themes: Landscape and Time; Diversity and Identity; Arts and Culture; Community and Neighbourhood. Relevant Classes: HIS 322; HUM 120 GRAND BAZAAR: One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops, which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. The Grand Bazaar is located inside the old walled city of Istanbul, in the district of Fatih. Of particular note is the concentration of the same type of businesses along certain roads characteristic of the traditional bazaar for example, jewellers along Kalpakcılar Caddesi;furniture along Divrikli Caddesi; carpets along Sahaflar Caddesi and leather goods along Perdahçılar Caddesi. The Bazaar can easily be reached from Sultanahmet and Sirkeci by trams ( Line "T1", tram stop "Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı"). The Grand Bazaar is open each day except Sundays and bank holidays from 9:00 until 19:00. Themes: Landscape and Time; Community and Neighbourhood; Arts and Culture. Relevant Classes: HIS 322; TK 111. JEWISH MUSEUM OF TURKEY: Fascinating exhibits exploring the ethnography and social life of Turkish Jews, on the site of a 17 th century synagogue. The museum, which opened in 2001, includes sections on the intermingling cultures of Jewish and Muslim Turks and articles that depict the traditions of Turkish Jews, as well as historical accounts of the arrival of Jewish refugees from Catholic Spain to Turkey. Closed on Saturdays and holidays. Entrance fee. ERASMUS TRIP: CAPPADOCIA: Details to follow.

7 November TURKISH FOOTBALL (SOCCER) MATCH: Istanbul is home to three professional football teams, each with its own stadium in different areas of the city. Formed in 1903, Besiktas are the oldest of the trio and have won the league 13 times, while Galatasaray (1905) were the first Turkish team to win a European trophy (the UEFA Cup in 2000) and have 17 titles which is one less than Fenerbahce on the Asian side of town, who remain the country s most universally popular club. Cost: various. Themes: Arts and Culture; Diversity and Identity; Community and Neighbourhood GREEK ORTHODOX QUARTER (FENER): The Church of St. George, in the Fener district on the Golden Horn, is the principal Greek Orthodox cathedral still in use in Istanbul. Since about 1600, it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the senior patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church and recognised as the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians. Themes: Diversity and Identity; Neighbourhood and Community. Relevant Classes: HUM 120. TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM: The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turkish: Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is located in Sultanahmet Square in Fatih district. The building was formerly the palace of Damad İbrahim Pasha, who was the first grand vizier to the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent. The collection includes superb examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs as well as ethnographic displays about various cultures in Turkey, particularly nomad groups. Many displays recreate rooms or dwellings from different time periods and regions. Entrance fee: 10TL, Museum Pass holders free. Closed Mondays. Themes: Arts and Culture; Landscape and Time; Diversity and Identity. Relevant Classes: HIS 322; HUM 120 EGYPTIAN SPICE BAZAAR: Uniquely colourful, this market(turkish: 'Mısır Çarşısı') is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in Fatih, in the neighbourhood of Eminönü, the Spice bazaar was (and still is) the centre for the spice trade in Istanbul. The bazaar is an L -shaped building, consisting of 88 vaulted rooms; the main entrance is in the southwest corner, facing the Yeni Mosque. Open during the working week; closed Sundays and religious holidays. Themes: Landscape and Time; Community and Neighbourhood; Arts and Culture. Relevant Classes: HIS 322; TK 111. SEMA (Whirling Dervish): A remarkable 700 year old communal ritual which includes poetry, Turkish classical music, chanting from the Koran and most famously the whirling of the dervishes (followers of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam). Ask your local representative for advice and recommendations, For example, there are several Sema ensembles in the old Galata district of the city. Cost: variable. Themes: Diversity and Identity, Arts and Culture. Relevant Classes: Hum 120; HIS 322. ERASMUS TRIP: MARDIN: Details to follow. December CHORA CHURCH & MUSEUM: The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora (Turkish Kariye Müzesi, Kariye Camii, or Kariye Kilisesi) is considered to be one of the most beautiful surviving examples of a Byzantine church. Situated in the Edirnekapı neighbourhood, the church has fabulous examples of wall frescoes and other art illustrating the transition between late Byzantine and Ottoman art and culture. Entrance fee: 15TL. Free with Museum Pass. Themes: Art and Culture; Landscape and Time. Relevant Classes: HUM 120; HIS 322. TURKISH HAMAM (Public Bath): started by the Romans and an especially important institution for the Ottomans more than 200 hamams existed in Istanbul associated with ritual cleansing and socialisation alike, a visit on special occasions, such as weddings or circumcisions etc) became a traditional ritual for many Istanbulites. There are a wide variety in Istanbul today, for example, the Suleymaniye Hamami, Ask your local representative for recommendations. Entrance fees: variable. Themes: Diversity and Identity; Community and Neighbourhood. Relevant Classes: HIS 322, TK 111. ERASMUS TRIP: EDIRNE: Details to follow. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT CULTURAL EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS AND FESTIVALS Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM) Taksim Square ( ). Open 10am-noon, 1-7pm daily. No credit cards. This brutalist1970s building looms over Taksim Square. Tickets for several major festivals are sold here; students receive discounts. Istanbul Foundation for Arts and Cultures (Istanbul Kültür ve Sanat Vakfı):

8 Time Out Istanbul in Turkish, English-language translation available. PLAN AHEAD: MyEDUCATION AND YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ISTANBUL While you re studying with us here in Istanbul, use this calendar throughout your time in the city in order to balance the demands of classes and personal travel. Be sure to take careful note of important dates and deadlines on this calendar, including: Field trips scheduled for your classes, as provided in your course syllabi Assignment deadlines for your classes Personal travel dates, which should be determined only after you ve received course syllabi and assignment dates etc. NOTES:

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