Program
Department of Middle Eastern and African History
Concentrations: Modern Middle East, Islam, Modern Africa
Overseas Student Program (summer, semester, one-year non-degree)

Degrees Offered
BA
MA
PhD
School for Overseas Students (English-language instruction) MA in Modern Middle Eastern History

Middle Eastern Languages
Arabic (all levels)
Persian (all levels)
Turkish (beginning, intermediate)
Ottoman Turkish
Hebrew (all levels)

Courses
Undergraduate
Government and the Transfer of Power in the History of Islam, the Middle East and Africa
History of the Arabs and Islam
Islam as Religion
History of the Middle East in the Middle Ages
Introduction to the Middle East in the Modern Era
History of the Ottoman Empire
Undergraduate seminars based on the history of one modern nation (e.g. Syria, Lebanon,Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan)
The Timurid Empire
Crossroads of the Old World: Introduction to the History of Muslim Central Asia
The City in Middle Eastern History
Religion, Nationalism and Ethnicity in Modern Turkey
Arabic Media as a Means to Understanding the Middle East
Readings in Classical Arabic Grammarians
Islamic Understandings of Reward and Punishment
Intellectual History of the Middle East
Political History of the Middle East
Social History of the Middle East
Socio-Economic History in the Middle East
Economic Issues in the Modern Middle East
Geography of the Middle East
The Struggle for Syria (1946-1970)
Between Islam and Modernity: Thought and Action in Contemporary Muslim "Fundamentalism"
The Bedouins in Palestine from the Muslim Conquest to the Eighteenth Century
The Bedouins in Palestine and the State of Israel in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: A Society in Transition
Basic Chapters in the Modern History of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent
Ethiopia: Meeting-Place of Two Worlds
Algeria under French Colonial Rule
South Arabia and East Africa: Islam, Trade and Slaves
Political Elites in the History of the Arab World
History of Palestinian Nationalism: The First Phase
Imperialism, Economy and Social Change in Qajar Iran
Issues in Iranian Foreign Relations in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Revolt and Revolution in the Middle East
Religion and State in the Modern Middle East
Asad of Syria: A Balance Sheet of Three Decades
Introduction to Law in the Contemporary Arab World
Classical Arabic Texts
Topics in the History of Women in Early Muslim Societies
Women and the Cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean
Women and Families in the Middle East and Africa: Analysis through Film
From Birth to Adulthood in Pre-modern Muslim Societies
Islamic Law
Quran and Commentary
Death and Burial in Islam
The Shi`a and other Sects in Islam
Attitudes to the Other in Islam
From Maktab to University: Education in Islam
The Dream as an Historical Document
Descriptions of Syria and Palestine in Arabic Geographical Literature
Oil, Society and Regimes in the Middle East
Poverty and Charity in Islamic Societies
Printing, the Press and the Media in Arab Societies
Religious Scholarship and National Politics in the Middle East
Political Thought in Islam
Youth, Education and Politics in the Middle East
Philosophy and Theology in Islam
Islamic Movements of Opposition to Foreign Conquest
Myth, History and Politics
Muslim Administration in the Middle Ages
Study Tour of Egypt
Introduction to the History of Africa
Introduction to the Anthropology of Africa
Introductory and Advanced Readings in Sources of African History
European Imperialism and the Division of Africa
Tradition and Change in Africa: Women in Muslim Societies
The Anthropology of Social Change
Armies and Military Regimes in Africa
Modern East Africa
De-Colonization in Africa
Introduction to African Philosophy
Modern Senegal
Slavery and Colonialism
Regimes and Politics in Pre-Colonial Africa
African Politics Under Colonial Rule
White Settlement in Africa
South Africa: Security and Government
Swahili: Language and Society in Africa
Art and Society in Africa
Elites and Intellectuals: The Construction of Identity and Social Stratification
On God, Gods and Man: A Case Study in Asia and Africa
Political Geography of Africa
Geography of the Third World
Philosophy and Politics in Africa
Society, Government, Religion and Economics in Africa
Study Tour of East Africa

Cross listed from Arabic Language and Literature:
The `Mirrors for Princes' Literature (Yosef Sadan)
Ahl al-Dhimma: Status of Non-Muslims in Muslim States (Camilla Adang)
The Umma of Muhammad: Aspects of Muslim Self-Perception (Uri Rubin)
Readings in Early Shi`ite Texts (Avraham Hakim)
Topics in Islamic Civilization (Yosef Sadan)

Cross listed from Jewish History:
An Introduction to the History of Jews in Muslim Countries, 1830-1914 (Yaron Tsur)
Jerusalem: From the Muslim to the Mamluk Conquest (638-1260) (Yoram Erder)
Jerusalem and Safed 1492-1700 (Shalom Ratzabi)
Sacred Communities and Holy Cities: Centers of Judaism in the Ottoman Empire of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (Yaron Ben-Naeh)

Cross listed from Philosophy:
The Writings of al-Farabi (Ilai Alon)
The Philosophy of History of Ibn Khaldun (Ilai Alon)

Cross listed from Art History:
Introduction to Islamic Art (Hannah Taragan)
The Mongols in India (Nomi Heger)

Graduate
History and Historians (required of all School of History students)
Departmental Methodology Seminar (required of all graduate students working in Middle Eastern History)
Relations between Islam and State in Middle Eastern History
Comparison of Arabic to Hebrew in the Eyes of the Jews
Tales and Fables of Animals from the Classical Tradition
Readings, Writing and the Media in Arabic Societies
The Great Powers and the Middle East
State and Society in the Arab World
Religion and State in the Eyes of Iranian Intellectuals
Intellectuals, Society and Culture in Egypt between the Two World Wars
Negotiation in Islam
The Arab-Israeli Peace Process: The Spectrum of Sources and Accounts
Iran in the Nineteenth Century
The Ottoman Empire in the Early Modern World: Issues and Sources
Imparting Myths in Modern Iraq
Formation of the Nation State: The Middle East and Latin America
Black Africa in International Relations
Cities in Africa from a Historical-Anthropological Perspective

Faculty Council of the Department
Ami Ayalon (modern Middle East, Egypt)
Nasser Basal (Arabic language and literature)
Dan Becker (Arabic)
Ofra Bengio (Arabic, Iraq)
Haggai Erlich (modern Africa and Middle East, Ethiopia)
Moshe Gammer (Caucasus, Central Asia)
Israel Gershoni (modern Middle East, Egypt)
Yekutiel Gershoni (African history, relations between Africans and African-Americans)
Leah Kinberg (Arabic, history of Islam)
Joseph Kostiner (social history, Arabian Peninsula)
Paul Lipetz (African society and politics)
Meir Litvak (modern Middle East, Iran, Islamist movements, Shi'a)
David Menashri (modern Middle East, Iran)
Uzi Rabi (modern Middle East, Arabian Gulf and Peninsula)
Itamar Rabinovich, President of the University (modern Middle East, Arab politics, Syria)
Galia Sabar (social history of modern Africa)
Shimon Shamir (modern Middle East, Egypt, Arabic thought)
Aryeh Shmuelevitz, emeritus (Ottoman Empire, Turkey)
Amy Singer (Ottoman Empire, waqf, philanthropy)
Asher Susser (modern Middle East, Jordan, Palestinians)
Nurit Tsafrir (Islamic law, history of Islam)
Mordechai Tumarkin (African politics, South Africa)
Ehud Toledano (Middle East social history, Ottoman Empire, Egypt)
David Wasserstein (Islam, Middle Ages, Spain)
Michael Winter (history of Islam, Ottoman Empire)
David Yerushalmi (Persian language and literature)
Eyal Zisser (modern Middle East, Syria)

Adjunct Faculty
Shukri Abed
Reuven Aharoni
Yoav Alon
Maggie Azaryad
Irit Bak
Gidon Biger
Yigal Boni
Ali Daab
Elena Eubnow
Dafna Efrat
Meir Hatina
Shalem Kulibali
Anat lapidot
Jacob Lassner
Hatem Mahamid
Benny Neuberger
Eli Rekhess
Soli Shahvar

Chair
Yekutiel Gershoni, Chair, Dept. of Middle Eastern and African History, which administers the BA programs in the three concentrations Joseph Kostiner, Head, School of History, which administers the MA and PhD degrees in most fields of history, including Middle Eastern and African history Rachel Bar-El, Director, The Lowy School for Overseas Students Hal Klopper, Tel Aviv University Office of Academic Affairs in New York City

Degree requirements
BA: Each concentration has different distribution requirements. All three concentrations include a core of required courses, seminars in both the second and third years, and electives, for a total of approximately 56 semster hours. Courses are either of two or four semester hours. In addition, the Modern Middle East and Islam concentrations include 12 semester hours per year of Arabic instruction, beginning and intermediate levels, for students who begin their studies without knowledge of Arabic. Arabic reading competency is expected by completion of the degree. Students may also study either Persian or Turkish at the BA level.

Students may study any two concentrations in the department in combination as a double-major in the Faculty of Humanities. They may also elect to do a single, intensive major which includes the Modern Middle East concentration, courses from the Islam and Africa concentrations, as well as courses from the Department of General History and from other departments as well.

Students are required to pass competency tests in English, and in Hebrew if they have not matriculated from an Israeli high school.

MA: Students may receive an MA either with or without a thesis. Students in both tracks take several seminars and to write research papers; participate in their departmental seminar; participate in the School of History seminar entitled "History and Historians"; and pass a reading exam based on five works from a common list of "classic historical works" of which only one may be in their field of specialization. Specific requirements may differ depending on the background of the student. Thesis students submit a work of original research of no more than 100 pages. Non-thesis students take a final general examination.

PhD: Dissertation. Doctoral students are required to study a second Middle Eastern language. Other requirements are decided in consultation with the thesis advisor and the head of the School of History. Outstanding BA students who achieve highest marks in their first year as MA students may request admittance to the "direct track" PhD, and thereby be admitted to begin dissertation work without having to complete an MA degree.

Scholarships
Competitive undergraduate fellowships are available, based on need and/or merit, administered by the Department of Middle Eastern and African History for undergraduates.

Competitive graduate fellowships based on need and/or merit, administered by the School of History for MA and PhD students. Fellowships are also available for the School for Overseas Students based on financial need and/or merit.

Special Features
The department offers post-doctoral fellowships with stipends each year. For the academic year 2000-2001, three post-doctoral fellows will be in residence.

The Department of Middle Eastern and African History, in cooperation with the School for Overseas Students, offer a full graduate program leading to an MA degree in Middle Eastern History, with English as the language of instruction. Students are required to study both Hebrew and Arabic or to prove competency. In addition, students are accepted for one-semester and one-year of graduate studies.

Several research institutes based in the Faculty of Humanities sponsor lectures and research projects, and offer competitive fellowships open to students in the department. These include:

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies (www.dayan.org)
The Cummings Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies (www.tau.ac.il/~russia/)
The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (www.tau.ac.il/jcss/)
The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research (www.tau.ac.il/peace/)

Inquiries
Department of Middle Eastern and African History
Tel-Aviv University
Ramat-Aviv, 69978
Israel
972-3-640-9450, -9461
fax 972-3-640-6924
mideast@post.tau.ac.il
www.tau.ac.il/humanities/mideast/

The School of History
Tel-Aviv University
Ramat-Aviv, 69978
Israel
972-3-640-9625
fax 972-3-640-9469
www.spinoza.tau.ac.il/history/

The Lowy School for Overseas Students
Tel Aviv University Office of Academic Affairs
39 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10006
1-800-665-9828
www.tau.ac.il/overseas/

Last update Tuesday, August 19, 2003