F 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Anderson Hall, Room 230
This course explores different aspects of urban culture, power, and conflict in the Middle East. Through an interdisciplinary lens and using case studies in architecture and urban design from the region, the course examines the material and cultural forces that shape physical and social spaces in the Middle East. The course also uses the case of protests and conflicts in some of these cities such as Istanbul, Cairo, Tehran, Beirut, and Baghdad to critically engage with the question of whether and how the design and use of spaces matter in mediating power relations in times of conflict (and beyond). While providing an overview of spatial processes in the Middle East, the course is also attentive to unique historical and geographical contexts and examines differences and nuances within the region.