Selected representative readings from the iconic masterpieces of classical heroic and romantic epic poetry, including the Persian national epic, Shahnameh; the magisterial ode of Khaqani on the ruins of a Sasanian palace; and tales from the Khamseh, or Quintet, of Nizami about the star-crossed lovers Laili and Majnun, and the world-conqueror Iskandar, or Alexander the Great. Emphasis is on close reading and analysis of the linguistic and literary content and style of these works, and discussion of their historical and cultural backgrounds. Students will acquire essential skills in the technical requirements of classical Persian poetry, such as prosody, rhyme, and poetic devices.

Selected representative readings from the ethical works of Sa'di (Bustan and Gulistan); the mystical parable Mantiq al-tayr of 'Attar and the Masnavi of Rumi; and the ghazals, or mystico-erotic lyrics, of Rumi and Hafiz. Emphasis is on close reading and analysis of the linguistic and literary content and style of these works, and discussion of their historical, cultural, and religious backgrounds. All readings are in the original Persian. Students will acquire essential skills in the technical requirements of classical Persian poetry, such as prosody, rhyme, and poetic devices, as well as an understanding of the key concepts and terminology of Persian Sufism.

The Persian literature of advice on kingship and kingly ethics constitutes an important source for understanding medieval Islamicate political philosophy and concepts of rule and social organization. These works are sometimes referred to as "mirrors for princes," although they are not consistent in terms of their contents. Excerpts from selected texts dating from the 11th to the 17th centuries will be read and analyzed, including such classics as the Qabusnameh of Kay Ka'us, the Siyar al-muluk of Nizam al-Mulk, and Nasir al-Din Tusi's Akhlaq-i nasiri.

An introduction to medieval Persian codicology, including the technical terminology used in the study of manuscripts; paleographical issues, such as script styles and dating; textual criticism and editing techniques; and the use of manuscript catalogues. Some attention will also be paid to the arts of the book. Digital copies of selected Persian manuscripts will form the basis of study.

The course focuses on the Persian treatises (rasa'il), or "visionary tales," of Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhravardi (d. 1191), known as Shaikh al-Ishraq. It examines the philosophical and cosmological background of his writings, the ancient Iranian mythological motifs they incorporate, and the framework of Islamic Sufism in which they were written.

This seminar is concerned with Persian historical writing and documentary sources for the study of the history and culture of greater Iran during the medieval Islamic period. Selected excerpts from major Persian chronicles and other historical writings will be read and analyzed in their historical contexts. Students will also be introduced to Persian diplomatics, i.e., the study of various types of documents, including correspondence and legal documents, as well as chancery manuals and notarial formularies.

The course studies the views on cosmogony and cosmology of the Zoroastrian religion. It focuses on the Zoroastrian doctrines on the origin and history of the cosmos in Zoroastrian sources (the Avesta and the Middle Persian texts) and in texts by non-Zoroastrian authors dating to the pre-Islamic early Islamic periods. It highlights the position of these doctrines in the system of beliefs and practices of the Zoroastrian religion, such as the relation between the spiritual and the material planes of existence, and the function of ritual in the Zoroastrian worldview.

The course studies the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian doctrines on individual and universal eschatology, and the texts describing these doctrines. It principally focuses on the Zoroastrian apocalyptic texts in Middle Persian, which present divine beings disclosing to human recipients the future developments of history, and the structure of the netherworld. The course also compares the Zoroastrian eschatological doctrines with Jewish and Christian eschatological doctrines, and discusses the question of the relationship of Zoroastrian apocalypses with Jewish and Christian apocalypses.

The course studies the relations between the classical (Greek and Roman) world and the pre-Islamic Iranian civilizations. It focuses on the passages of Greek and Latin authors that talk about the culture, history, and religion of the ancient Iranians, and on the textual references to the Romans in Iranian sources. It also overviews the iconographic representations of the Iranians coming from the Greek and Hellenistic worlds, and from the Roman Empire, as well as the representations of the Romans in the Sasanian art. Through the analysis of these textual and iconographic sources, the course highlights how the relations between the Graeco-Roman world and the Iranian world were characterized at the same time by a hostile attitude, and at the same time by a deep admiration.

This course investigates the three Persian empires of pre-Islamic Iran, the Achaemenids (559-330 BCE), the Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) and the Sasanians (224-651 CE). On the basis of the primary written and archaeological sources from Persia and the Near East, as well as the classical texts of Greek and Roman writers on Persia, we will discuss the foundation of empire, the king and his court, religion and the ideology of kingship, and the political and social organisation of the empire. Special attention will be paid to the topos of "the Other," or "the Barbarian," created by the Greeks in the aftermath of the Greco-Persian wars of 480/79 BCE, and continued by the Romans who regarded first the Parthians and then the Sasanians as their main rival and enemy.

The course studies the religious life of the Sasanian empire (224-651 CE). It studies the diversity of the Sasanian Zoroastrian religious beliefs, and the interplay between religion and politics in the Sasanian period, the period during which Zoroastrianism was the state religion. The course also studies various religious traditions that enjoyed popularity in different phases of Sasanian history and in different areas of the Sasanian empire. Among these traditions, it mainly focuses on Manicheism, Christianity, Judaism, and Mazdakism. In the course, these religious traditions are studied on the basis of an analysis of relevant primary and secondary textual sources, as well as of material sources.

The political, religious, and cultural history of greater Iran from Late Antiquity to the Mongol invasions in the early 13th century. The course surveys the reigns of the kings of the Sasanian empire (3rd–7th centuries); traces the progress of the Muslim Arab conquests in the mid-7th century that resulted in the Persian empire's collapse and the gradual Islamization of its population; and examines the subsequent formation of regional Iranian dynasties that were instrumental in the creation of a new Perso-Islamic cultural identity.

The course focuses on the period of the Safavid dynasty (16th–18th centuries) which represented a watershed in the history of Iran not only because of its adoption and promotion of Shi'ism as the state religion, but also on account of its fostering an imperial court culture that patronized the arts and architecture. The reigns of the Safavid shahs will be examined from the point of view of their political, religious, economic, and cultural history, as well as their relationship to the polities that immediately preceded them and their interactions with the contemporary Muslim states they neighboured, in particular, the Ottomans in the west and the Mughals in the east.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to Turkish for learners with no previous experience with this language. A variety of speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities will be included to develop both spoken and written language skills. By the end of the course, students will be able to carry out basic conversations in Turkish in everyday social encounters, have a grasp of the basics of the Turkish grammar and understand elementary texts such as simple excerpts from news articles or literary works. They will also have gained a basic understanding of the cultural contexts in which Turkish is spoken.

This course is designed for students who have already completed NMC2300Y or have an equivalent level of proficiency in Turkish. It aims to expand students' communicative skills, grammatical knowledge, and vocabulary. A variety of intermediate-level speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities will be included to further develop both spoken and written language skills. By the end of the course, students will be able to read, understand, and translate various authentic texts of intermediate difficulty. They will be able to write short essays and talk about a wide range of general topics. They will also have gained a deeper understanding of the cultural contexts in which Turkish is spoken. The course also serves as a preparation for the advanced study of Turkish.

This course is designed for students who have already completed NMC2301Y or have an equivalent level of proficiency in Turkish. It aims to build upon the existing competence of the students in Turkish and to further improve their four skills through a variety of advanced speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities. By the end of this comprehensive course, students will be able to read, understand and translate various texts of different genres such as literary work. They will be able to write essays on a wide range of topics. They will demonstrate the ability to express themselves both orally and in writing through complex grammatical structures and a rich vocabulary. They will also have gained thorough understanding of the social and cultural contexts in which Turkish is spoken. In the second semester the course will also include an introduction to Ottoman Turkish, the extent of which will depend on the interests and needs of the students.

A survey of the Ottoman Empire from its late 13th to early 14th century origins as a border principality through the classical age of Mehmed the Conqueror and Süleyman the Magnificent when, as a mature Islamic empire, it ruled lands in Europe, Asia, and Africa, to the internal and external challenges it faced during the 17th century that forced it to either transform or decline. The end point is the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. Attention is also paid to the immediate predecessors of the Ottomans — the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, the Mongols, and the principalities known as beyliks that came into being with the decline of the Seljuks and led to the rise of the Ottomans. Coverage includes topics in Ottoman institutions, economy, society, and culture.

A survey of the Ottoman Turks from their late 13th to early 14th century origins on the frontiers of the Seljuk, Mongol, and Byzantine empires to their establishment of an Islamic empire. Topics include the principalities known as beyliks that came into being in Anatolia as the above empires declined, the nature of the early Ottoman beylik, conquests in the Balkans, the destruction of the early Ottoman state by Timur and its rebirth, and Mehmed II's conquest of Constantinople. Coverage includes Ottoman institutions, economy, society, and culture.

A survey of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. From the victory by Selim I the Grim over Safavid Iran and conquest of Syria and Egypt to the resplendent age of Süleyman the Magnificent to the internal and external challenges that forced transformation or decline. Topics include wars in Europe, the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and with Iran; internally, the rise of the harem and "sultanate of the women," rebellions in Anatolia, military reform, religious controversies, and art and architecture. The endpoint is the Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) when the expansion of the empire ended.

This course provides an in-depth coverage of the history of the Ottoman Empire from the end of the 18th century until its dissolution over the course of World War I. It explores the main political, social, economic, and intellectual developments by looking at a variety of experiences throughout the Ottoman domains. Students are introduced to key historiographical debates and research methodologies through critical engagement with secondary and some primary sources. The course also traces the Ottoman legacy in Turkey, the Middle East, and the Balkans. Topics include decentralization and the politics of the notables, Ottoman reforms, the Hamidian period, the Young Turk revolution and regime, WWI, and the functioning and transformation of a diverse society.

A series of fortnightly seminars in which discussion will focus on pre-selected topics from pre-nineteenth century Ottoman history.

The course examines the history of modern Turkey from the beginning of the 20th century until the present day. Topics include transition from empire to nation-state; the establishment of the Turkish republic; the Kemalist reforms and legacy; nationalism and nation-building; Islam and politics; gender and sexuality; as well as recent political, social, and cultural developments. The course seeks to situate the history of Turkey in a broader regional context and introduces students to some historiographical debates. In seminar discussions, students are encouraged to explore topics from a critical post-nationalist perspective and to think about current events in a historical context.

This course is an introduction to the reading and analysis of Ottoman historical texts in the original manuscript — chronicles, gazavatnames, nasihatnames, travel accounts, and epics. Principles of textual criticism are introduced. For each seminar meeting, excerpts from original Ottoman manuscripts are assigned for reading and analysis.

This course is an introduction to Ottoman palaeography and diplomatics. The participants are presented with a range of Ottoman documents such as imperial edicts (firman/hükm) and their registrations (mühimme defterleri), diplomas (berat), reports and petitions ('arz-i hal, 'arz), vizierial summaries (telhis), memoranda (tezkire), receipts (temmesük), and legal registrations (sicill, hüccet). In addition, there will be samples from various types of registers (defter), for example, surveys of taxable population (tahrir defteri) or records of the financial department (maliye), such as day books (ruznamçe defterleri) and financial edict registry books (ahkam defterleri). For each seminar meeting, photocopies of original Ottoman documents will be assigned for reading and analysis.

Explores the roles of Turks, Mongols and other primarily pastoral nomadic peoples as raiders, migrants, slave-soldiers, and empire-builders in the ancient and medieval history of Eurasia (Inner and Central Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe) including the formation of the Islamic world, as well in the configuration of the modern world in general. Topics covered include long-distance economic and cultural contacts ("silk roads") facilitated by so-called "steppe empires," Islamization of the Turks in Central Asia, and their gradual takeover of Iranian, Arab, and other lands, the partnership of Turks and Mongols in conquests in Eurasia from China to Ukraine and beyond, and from Siberia to the Middle East. In addition, lifeways (especially pastoral nomadism), economic and cultural interplay between nomadic and sedentary societies, political structures, steppe warfare, and the roles of physical geography and environment. The chronological coverage is from prehistoric (ca. 1000 BC) to early modern times.

How does the workings of capital intersect with technological innovation and political visions in the modern Middle East? This course approaches this question through critical reading in the histories of capitalism, crisis, science, politics, and intersections between cultural history and technology studies using the Middle East as a starting point for the study of global phenomena. We will examine the ways in which constructions like race and ethnicity, gender, and the human/non-human divide have mediated the social and spatial expansion of capital in the region, especially through technological infrastructure and utopias between the late 18th and the 21st centuries.

This highly visual course explores the history of cartography in the Ottoman World between the 15th and 20th-centuries. Focusing on the social life of images, it examines how the Ottomans and their rivals governed the territory through navigation, astronomy, architecture, property, and geographical surveys. From religious to scientific visualizations, maps make history. Yet not long ago, they were rare and strange technical objects, and their value as historical source has shifted again and again. Each week illuminates moments of this story by centering on a topic including empire, image, boundaries, print, reform, visualization, infrastructure, spatial literacy, map wars, and verticality.