The Global City (378-0-1)
Topic
Babylon
Instructors
Oya Topcuoglu
847/491-2402
Crowe 4-121
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
Topic: Babylon
Considered one of the greatest cities of antiquity, Babylon was the seat of successive powerful empires, a center of culture and political power in the ancient world. And yet, no ancient city was so desired and feared, so admired and despised. Babylonian citizens saw their city as a paradise—the center of the world and symbol of cosmic harmony, while Greek historian Herodotus called it the world's most splendid city. But for the Jews, it was a city of sin and pride. For millennia, the city and the myth of Babylon have inspired artists, writers, and philosophers all over the world.
In this course, we will explore the art, architecture, and urban history of Babylon from its foundations to the present day, as well as the artistic legacy of this ancient city in the modern world. We will survey the visual culture of Babylon in a variety of media from the miniature art of cylinder seals to the grandeur of its monuments like the Ishtar Gate. We will study the city's palaces, temples, and colossal walls as representations of imperial ideology, and inspiration for fantastic structures, like the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens. In addition to the ancient artistic legacy of Babylon, we will consider the historical and cultural memory of the city in the modern world, through grand artistic depictions since the Renaissance, and visual representations in popular culture from films to video games to sci-fi and opera. Finally, we will examine how the city and its monumental buildings were instrumentalized by Saddam Hussein as symbols of nationalism and propaganda in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Class Materials (Required)
No textbook required.
Class Notes
There is an internal waitlist for this class. Register for the waitlist here: https://arthistory.northwestern.edu/courses/2023-2024/registration_waitlist.html
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area