Istanbul – Tastes and Cultures: Working Towards Inclusive Education While Exploring the City’s History

In this course we walk through the city’s history and look at its food and dishes. We dive back into byzantine and ottoman times to discover their far reaching influence on the modern day history of the city. We focus on the gastronomy: what are its origins, how were people eating, what was the social concept of dining and having their coffee together, how were they preparing the food, what are the different cultures that met here, how does the modern day cuisine reflect all this cultural heritage, etc. Also, how does modern day gastronomy affect and is affected by climate change? How can it be more eco-friendly? Finally, can gastronomy help us become more responsible citizens and more empathetic persons?

As you can understand, gastronomy is only the start of our 6 day journey in time and cultures. Teachers who will participate in our course will have the opportunity to learn about the cultural heritage of the past but also get a better understanding of present day history and culture. They will study multiculturalism and find out how this is reflected in our eating habits and attitudes in general. Using new and interactive ways of teaching and sharing knowledge, they will be able to combine different historical periods, understand social norms, appreciate the value of respecting the environment. They will also be challenged to work on strengthening their skills of critical thinking, team building, bonding, expressing emotions and appreciating beauty and joy in everyday life activities. And as expected we will look at what is required to foster a culture that values diversity, inclusivity, while promoting respect, empathy and understanding in the classroom and society at large.