This is an archive. See the current website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
NELC S-140
Intensive Ottoman Summer School in Turkey (32465)
(Printable version)
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Limited enrollment.
(8 credits: UN, GR) June 29-August 7. Application deadline, March 1. Full payment deadline, May 15. Tuition $5,950.
The Intensive Ottoman Summer School in Turkey is cosponsored by the Harvard Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and Koç University in Istanbul. The program offers proficiency-based instruction in the reading and translation of Ottoman materials in printed and manuscript form. It is designed to develop students' skills in paleography and their competence in working with original archival documents written in divani, siyakat, and rik'a.
Instruction consists of daily two-hour classes in Ottoman at two levels. Late Ottoman Turkish concentrates on developing the ability to read, transcribe, and translate printed Ottoman texts mainly from the nineteenth century. Early Ottoman Turkish focuses on manuscripts from the fourteenth to the ninteenth centuries. By studying a selection of fermans and sections from mYhimme and tahrir defters, chronicles, biographical works, students are introduced to different grammatical structures and styles in Ottoman Turkish and to various manuscript hands. This is supplemented by daily classes in Persian and Arabic grammar for Ottoman, Persian paleography, and modern Turkish reading and conversation. Formal coursework is also supplemented by daily study hours supervised by teaching assistants and weekly seminars with scholars of Ottoman and Turkish philology and Persian paleography. Prerequisite: a solid knowledge of modern Turkish grammar, along with some experience in reading printed Ottoman texts. A basic knowledge of Persian or Arabic is desirable but not required.
The Intensive Ottoman Summer School is located on the small Aegean island of Cunda (officially called Alibey Adasõ), which is an open museum attached by causeway to the town of Ayvalõk on the northern Aegean coastline. It is near Troy and two hours north of Ephesus.
Application.Students must be 18 years of age or older. They must submit the Harvard Summer School registration form and $50 nonrefundable application fee; the Intensive Ottoman Summer School wthackst@gmail.com); an official transcript; and a letter of recommendation by March 1 to Dr. Wheeler Thackston, Ottoman and Turkish Summer School in Turkey, c/o W.M. Thackston, 43 Linnaean Street, #26, Cambridge MA 02138.
Prospective students who are enrolled in MA or PhD programs or who hold teaching or research positions may apply to various sources for funding (FLAS, ITS, Mellon Foundation) through their respective departments and centers. Partial scholarships are available through Koç University for international students who are not eligible for other funding. Note: Students who wish to attend the Intensive Ottoman Summer School but do not want to earn Harvard Summer School credit should see the Intensive Ottoman Summer School application form for instructions.
Cost. The Cost of the program is $5,950 plus the nonrefundable $50 Summer School application fee. The cost includes undergraduate- or graduate-credit tuition, lodging, and course materials. Students also are respondible for a $150 health insurance fee (which is waived if students have US insurance coverage), travel, and meal expenses.
NELC S-198
Field School and Education Program for Ashkelon Excavations: The Leon Levy Expedition (32237)
(Printable version)
Lawrence E. Stager
Limited enrollment.
Study abroad programs are restricted to students 18 years of age or older.
See Study Abroad for more information.
NELC S-162
Study Abroad in Jerusalem: "Israel" and Jewish Identity from Ancient to Modern Times (32403)
(Printable version)
Jay M. Harris
Limited enrollment.
Study abroad programs are restricted to students 18 years of age or older.
See Study Abroad for more information.