Each semester the SUI program offers one weekend and one full day academic field trip as a part of the Signature Seminar. These trips are much more than excursions to remarkable sites; they are carefully designed to expose students to unique local experiences and perspectives, to challenge students to discover and reflect on deeper cultural, sociological, political or historical dynamics.
Destinations vary by semester. Below are some examples of past field study trips:
Assos Region, Aegean Coast
Staying in a family owned coastal hotel in the village of Sivrince, students experience Aegean coastal life, learn about the significance of olive oil in Turkish/Ottoman cuisine, and explore the ancient Temple of Athena and the town where Aristotle once lived and opened the Academy of Assos.
Cappadocia, Eastern Anatolia
Cappadocia is famous for its early Christian (medieval) painted cave churches and monasteries, underground cities, ‘fairy’ chimney volcanic rock formations and magical lunar landscapes. Students have the opportunity to experience these wonders, while at the same time examining the impact of the growing tourist industry on local businesses and cultural practices, the natural environment, and the historical and geographic sites themselves.
Ephesus/Pamukkale/Aphrodisias/Priene
Nowhere else in the world are students allowed to touch with their hands remains of Antiquity as in these ancient Turkish sites!
Architect Sinan walking tour, Istanbul
Architect Sinan was the most prominent and prolific architect in Ottoman history. Sinan and Istanbul have a unique relationship that is almost unmatched in architectural history. Sinan shaped the historical panorama of the imperial capital with hundreds of his works, which also reveal all of the stages of the architect’s life, many of them within walking distance of one another in what is now the modern metropolis. This walking tour introduces students to Sinan’s architectural heritage and provides them with the necessary knowledge to continue their personal discovery of the architect and of the city.
For more information on this remarkable architect and his works, check out the ÇEKÜL Foundation’s ‘Respect to Sinan’ project .
Independent travel
Turkey offers and incredibly diverse range of affordable destinations for student travel, including stunning beaches and secluded fishing villages along the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea coasts, ancient cave monasteries in the mountainous regions, and many other remarkable locations for historical exploration, hiking and kayaking. Optional trips may be offered throughout the semester, including the opportunity to join a five-day study to Rome, Italy, where students join SU Madrid students to examine the origins of ancient Judaism, early Christianity, and medieval Islam. See Rome as you have never seen it before!