New Course in European History – “The Mediterranean World, 1453-1700”
Spring 2010
The course will provide students with an overview of the Mediterranean world from the conquest of Constantinople (1453) to the decline of the region. Main purpose of this course is to offer students a view of the full cultural, political, and religious diversity of the Mediterranean region. Many developments associated with the end of the Middle Ages and the rise of the Renaissance, like increased trade and the growth of cities, can be traced to trade on the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean empires, like the Ottoman and Venetian, played crucial roles in the development of Europe and North Africa. Special emphasis will be placed on cultural and intellectual exchanges between the three religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam). Monday and Wednesday will be lecture classes, but on Fridays we will have discussions based on primary source readings. Students will be expected to write two essays based on the readings, as well as a midterm and a final.
