Fall 2009

MES 301K • INTRO TO THE MIDDLE EAST: REL/CUL/HIST FOUNDATIONS

Course Description

An introduction to the impact of Islamic civilization in the Middle East from its inception to the rise of the Ottoman and Safavid dynasties. Emphasis on the the political, social, and cultural contributions that transformed the medieval world from Spain to Iran. The course traces the varied, sophisticated, and complex nature of past Muslim societies with attention to their unique intellectual contributions within and beyond the Middle East, past and present.

Grading Policy

3 exams (25% each) 1 paper 25%

Texts

Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power; In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of A Traveler's Tale; Politics, Gender, and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of `A'isha Bint Abi Bakr, The Word of Islam. Also, a packet of primary historical source readings.

back