How Turkey Came To Be

One of the most fascinating regions of the world, Anatolia (as the Greeks called it) or Asia Minor (its Roman name), is now home to the country we call Turkey.  And it is only within the last hundred years that Turkey has evolved.  Before the 1920's the land was simply a part of some vast empire, be it Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine or Ottoman.  This land has played a major role in the history of three of the world's main religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  And from the days of the Silk Road, it has served as a bridge between the East and the West.

This course will begin with prehistoric Anatolia, before the Hittites, and continue through the Greek and Roman periods.  The framework will be a series of  lectures on video by Professor Kenneth Harl of Tulane University.  These lectures will be augmented by guest speakers who will address specific topics of interest.  Class participation, in the form of short reports, will be encouraged.  There is no required textbook for the course.

Participants going to Turkey in March/April 2006 will have precedence.

BOB KOESTER'S interest in Turkey dates all the way back to 2001 when he discovered that a total solar eclipse would be visible within that country in March of 2006.  While reading and talking to people about Turkey it became apparent that an ILEAD Study/Travel Program would offer members a wonderful opportunity for learning, travel and the unforgettable experience of witnessing an eclipse.