Announcement: Istanbul Trip 2026 "Metropole über die Zeiten"

Istanbul is a city that combines contrasts: Europe and Asia, land and sea, ancient metropolis and modern megacity, Christianity and Islam, Greco-Roman, Ottoman-Turkish, and many other cultural layers—all of this comes together here in such a unique way that history, with its processes of continuity and change, becomes more vivid and tangible in Istanbul than in almost any other place.

The aim of the field trip is to make this fascinating diversity tangible and understandable. It will enable all those who already have prior knowledge, especially in the field of antiquity, to sharpen their image of the past considerably and add many new facets to it (for example, in the field of late antiquity). It also invites anyone interested to open up whole new horizons—such as the Byzantine Middle Ages, which, on a trip to Constantinople/Istanbul, proves to be much more vivid, colorful, and exciting than we often assume from a “Western” perspective, and, of course, Ottoman Turkish culture, which still has much to offer us in terms of surprising discoveries.

In summer and fall of 2026, we will embark on a journey to explore the Turkish metropolis with three names and its nearly 3,000-year history. All students and staff of Classical Philology and related disciplines are invited to join us and actively contribute to the design of the excursion (in the form of seminar papers, short tours, questions, etc.).

When? 
September 26 to October 4, 2026

Some highlights:
Şakirin Mosque and Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Archaeological Museum, “Museum of Innocence” (Orhan Pamuk), Grand Bosphorus boat tour, explorations on the European and Asian sides, ...

Further information — particularly about regarding content and organizational aspects — can be found in the OPAL course. If you are interested, please register until November 15. Binding registration is also possible there now — secure your place: first come, first served!