ARTH 224-601
Architecture at the Beginninging of Time: Architecture in the Ancient Near East 
Instructor: Omur Harmansah
W 4:30-7:10

Course Description

This course intends to provide a comprehensive survey of the architectural history of the Near Eastern City in its socio-cultural and economical context from prehistory into the Hellenistic period. The extensive geography of the Greater Mesopotamia and the variety of its archaeological landscapes are to be explored, spanning the entire Southern and Northern Mesopotamian plains, the Central Anatolian plateau, Western Iran and Khuzistan as well as Syria-Palastine wherever it will be relevant. The discussions will focus on the monumental art and the urban architecture of Ancient Near Eastern settlements throughout their long-term historical development in relation to the social practices of their urbanized societies. Important lines of inquiry will be the social/ritual production of the religious spaces and the design of monumental complexes, issues of wide scale urban planning, ideological aspects of architectural and sculptural display, and the development and circulation of construction materials and techniques. Hellenistic Near East will also be covered as the aftermath of this impressive line of tradition.