Lifelong Learners: Istanbul Adventures

Description:

Istanbul is fascinating because of its long and varied history and historic location, both physically and culturally on the boundary between Europe and Asia, between East and West. Though modern and Western in many ways, the city retains many aspects of a way of life very different from ours. After a brief review of the major tourist attractions, this talk will focus on sites off the beaten path and aspects of life in Istanbul few tourists get to see.

Presenter:

Andy Seager, Staff Member, Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, Tukey

“I grew up in New York City. I studied architecture at Cornell University and Iowa State University and then began a teaching career, first at Iowa State and then at Ball State. In addition to teaching, I served several terms as acting director of the graduate program in historical preservation at Ball State, and I directed the architectural archives in the College of Architecture and Planning from 1079 until my retirement in 2008. Since 1964, I have been associated with the archaeological expedition to the ancient city of Sardis, in Western Turkey. I spent 14 summers at the site between 1964 and 2013. Each year, I stayed in Istanbul for 3-4 nights on the way to Sardis and on the way back. Altogether, I have lived in Istanbul for well over 2 months, over a time span of almost 60 years. I just finished the manuscript for a book about the work I did at the site. It is to be published this Spring by Harvard University Press.”

The Association of Lifelong Learners (ALL) is a group of retirees and community members interested in continuing to learn and engage with each other on a variety of educational topics. If you're not already a member, feel free to attend a meeting or two to see what we're about before making the commitment. Find out how to join by visiting us at www.bsu.edu/lifelonglearners