Week One - Jan. 8-10: Introduction, Rome, Byzantium and Persia in the Middle East before Muhammad
Week Two - Jan 15-17: Muhammad and Arabia in the 6th - early 7th Centuries
Week Three - Jan 22-24: The First Muslim State - and the Umayyad Dynasty
Week Four- Jan 29-31: Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate There is no class on Thursday, January 31.
Week Five - Feb 5-7: Abbasid Civilization - Economy, Society, Politics
Week Six - Feb 12-14: Islamic Spain and Central and South Asia
Week Seven- Feb 19-21: The Western Crusades - Middle East and Spain Finish reading Maalouf
Week Eight- Feb 26-28: Work on Museum Project and first essay There is no class meeting this week. First Essay Due Wednesday March 12, 6:00 pm - via email. - It will focus on weeks 1-7. Questions for this first essay at Take-Home-Essay.
SPRING BREAK
Week Ten - March 18-20: Beginnings of the Ottoman Empire Kresge Art Museum Project Due Thursday March 20, in class.
Week Eleven - March 25-27: Mehmed II, Conquest of Constantinople, Establishment of Ottoman State System Finish reading Peirce.
Week Twelve - April 1-3: Kanuni Suleyman (the Magnificent)
Week Thirteen - April 8-10: Safavid Iran
Week Fourteen - April 15-17: Jews and Christians in the Ottoman State Finish reading Goffman.
Week Fifteen - April 22-24: Middle East Reforms in the 18th century - arrival of Russia and France
Last essay due (electronically) by the time of the scheduled Final Exam - Tuesday, April 29, 12:45 p.m. - of course, you may submit it earlier.