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This travel study
program focuses on the history of Ottoman period. We will
learn about how Islam helped the Ottomans extend its influence
all over the world. We
will also explore the culture, food, art and architecture of
Ottoman Turks.  Furthermore, we
will interact with common Turkish people in various localities
and learn about their point of views in life.
Please note that this
is not a religion-intensive
studies program. The focus is on history, culture and society,
relying on the expertise of guides from the region and the
lived experience of Muslims in Turkey.
There will be brief
lectures and discussions throughout the program. Our friendly
historian and guide will address the questions you may have
throughout the tour. The main mode of learning, however,
will be daily walking tours with commentary by the tour guides
and other staff members, and local community
members.
We will watch artisans
engaged in various handicrafts, visit one of the greatest
mosques ever built, attend Friday prayers with tens
and thousands of people under the greatest domes ever built,
Sultanahmet and Suleymaniye mosques, see the Rumeli
Castle, pay a visit to the tomb of great companion of the
Prophet, Eyub Ansari -
a companion of Prophet Mohammad
(peace & blessings be upon
him), sail through the
breathtaking Bosphorous sea,
and visit palaces and other monuments in Turkey, explore
restaurants, mosaics, architecture, museums, tiles, carpets,
bazaars
Apart from the
above sight seeing places, as part of the academic program,
we will also explore Ottoman Society, Mosque Architecture,
The Art of Ottoman Calligraphy, Architect Sinan and more.
Istanbul, once known
as the capital of capital cities, has many unique features. It
is the only city in the world to straddle two continents, and
the only one to have been a capital during two consecutive
empires - Christian and Islamic. Once capital of the Ottoman
Empire, Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and
cultural pulse of Turkey, and its beauty lies in its ability
to embrace its contradictions. Ancient and modern, religious
and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly all
co-exist here.
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The
Roman Empire Period
By
200 BC, it became difficult for the imperial
capital Rome to rule over the vast empire
reaching from Spain to Mesopotamia. A new
administrative center was needed : Byzantion,
which was situated on the crossroads of the
trade routes, became Nea Roma. It assumed an
important role in world politics and culture
and new constructions were started : harbors,
waterways, a hippodrome.
The city was renamed Constantinople after
the Emperor Constantine took the throne (330
A.D.)
The
Byzantine Empire
The
Byzantines, whose capital was regarded as an
extension of Rome, expressed more and more the
desire to direct themselves toward the
heritage of Greek antiquity.
The cathedral Aya Sofya continues to stand in all its
splendor ...
The most destructive blow hit the city during
the Latin invasions who damaged the city.
Reconstruction was started in 1261 yet the
city could not reach its former glory.
Its population, formerly 500,000, had
decreased to 50,000. Production diminished and
people suffered of hunger. A 1000 year-old
history was coming to an end and the city was
preparing for rebirth.
The
Ottoman Empire
In
1453, the Sultan Mehmet II conquered the city.
On the ruins of the Byzantine foundations, the
basic Ottoman institutions were build and some
Byzantine constructions, such as waterways,
were just repaired.
With the addition of the buildings of the
architect Sinan, the city had again become the
capital of a great empire. The arrival of
people of different religions and colors, a
cultural variety brought in by the richness of
the city.
In the 19th century, modernizations were
undertaken and when Istanbul entered the 20th
century, the city was worn out by its history
as the capital of three great empires.
The
Republican Era
After
WW-I, resistance movements in Istanbul and
occupation by the Allied led to an
Independence War to end with the creation of
the Republic in 1923.
This led to much new construction such as
family houses in the 1930's, reorganized road
system, bridges to join Europe to Asia.
Today Istanbul is a world metropolis ever
changing and developing in all its aspects :
from the slums built over night to the huge
shopping centers and giant industrial
structures.
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Get ready for an
adventure of a
lifetime!
Mosques
Mosques
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Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque)
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Eyub Mosque
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Suleymaniye Mosque
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Fatih Mosque
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Arab Mosque
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Yeralti Mosque
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Nuruosmaniye Mosque
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Dolmabahce Mosque
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Grand Mosque, Bursa
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Green Mosque, Bursa
Museums and Monuments
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Topkapi Palace
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Dolmabahce Palace
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Beylerbeyi Palace
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Old Islamic Arts and History Museum
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Hagia ( Aya ) Sophia - Being Nominated as one of the world's
wonders
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Islamic Calligraphy Museum
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Military Museum
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Basilica Cistern
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Baths of Roxelana (Hurrem Sultan)
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Fountain of Ahmet III
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Hippodrome
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Rumeli Castle
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City Walls
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Golden Horn
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Milenium Point
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Pierre Loti
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Acqua Duct
Shopping
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Grand Bazaar
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Book Bazaar (Sahaflar)
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Spice Bazaar -
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Ceramic Shops
Attractions
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Bosphorus Boat Trip
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Golden Horn
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Whirling Derwishes Ceremony at Mawlawi Monastery
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Ottoman Military Band Ceremony
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2 Friday prayers in major mosques
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Istanbul Skyline View from Galata Tower
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Crafts Center - so you can observe artists at work
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Cable car visit - to mount Olympus Bursa
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Experience Traditional Mystic Water Pipe, (Nargile)
- Turkish Bath with the renowned Turkish Massage ( Optional
)
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