The Ottoman Istanbul

The course examines aspects of the social life in Ottoman Istanbul from the 15^th to the 18^th century. The topics upon which the seminar focuses concern: the organization of life after the conquest and the resettlement methods followed by the Ottomans, the role of the Islamic vakıfs in the development of the city, the formulation of the city quarters and of the major market areas, the migration into the city, the socially marginal groups and outburst of violence, the physical disasters and the epidemics that hit the city, the Ottoman millets, and European travellers and Ottoman Istanbul.

The course aims to the familiarization of the students with aspects of the social life in Ottoman Istanbul. After the successful completion of the course, the students will be able to formulate a historical image of Istanbul as a continuity of the Byzantine Constantinople and understand how the political and economic center of the most powerful Islamic empire of the early modern era functioned.

1^st week: The Ottoman conquest and the resettlement methods.

2^nd week: From Byzantine Constantinople to Ottoman Istanbul

3^rd week: the Top Kapı palace, vakıfs and urban organization

4th week: The formation of quarters and the house construction.

5^th week: The quarter of Galata the presence of the Europeans

6^th week: Hans, covered and open-air markets.

7^th week: Migrants and work force

8^th week: Diseases, epidemics and healthcare

9^th  week: Physical destructions

10^th  week: Social margin and violence

11^th week: non-Muslims: Orthodox, Jews and Armenians

12^th week: European travelers and Istanbul

13^th week: Synopsis and discussion of the most important topics

Ph. Mansel, Κωνσταντινούπολη. Η περιπόθητη πόλη, Αθήνα 1995. R. Mantran, Η καθημερινή ζωή στην Κωνσταντινούπολη τον αιώνα του Σουλεϊμάν του Μεγαλοπρεπούς, Αθήνα 2008. E. Boyar-K. Fleet, A Social History of Ottoman Istanbul, Cambridge 2010.

Teaching, discussion of specific papers available to the students through the e-class, analysis of translated Ottoman as well Greek sources, use of power point.

The evaluation derives from a combination of the students’ participation in the discussions during the seminar, the oral presentation of the paper, and the submitted seminar paper.