Remarkable Cities of the World: Barcelona, Esfahan, Hanoi, Yogyakarta, La Paz and Santiago

• Week 1: Barcelona
  We’ll explore the capital and largest city of Catalonia, and Spain’s second-largest city. Located directly on the northeastern Mediterranean coast, Barcelona has a rich history dating back to Carthaginian times. We’ll wander around the Ciutat Vella, featuring one of the best-preserved Gothic quarters in Europe. We will also see the whimsical architecture created by Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Week 2: Esfahan
  Esfahan in Iran is known for its Persian-Muslim architecture, grand boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, tiled mosques and minarets. We will discover “Half the World” as we enjoy the beauty of Persian Gardens, admire masterpieces of Islamic architecture, amazing bazaars and stunning Armenian churches located in the city. Along the way we will discover the real Iran, home of a warm and fascinating people living within an ancient and sophisticated culture.
• Week 3: Hanoi
  The speed with which Vietnam has been able to transcend its recent past comes as a surprise to visitors who visit its capital, Hanoi. The city is alternately bustling and tranquil, and its food is a destination unto itself. We’ll visit Ho Chi Minh’s house, the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university. We’ll wander around the Old Quarter and watch a traditional water puppet show. We will explore the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with other nearby World Heritage sites.
• Week 4: Yogyakarta
  As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an important centre for classical Javanese fine arts and culture, such as batik textiles, gamelan music visual arts and wayang puppetry. We’ll explore the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Borobudur and the ancient Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries; the Hindu Prambanan Temple Compounds; The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks; and the nearby Sangiran Early Man Site.
• Week 5: La Paz
  Bolivia’s La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. While three centuries of Spanish colonial rule have left their mark on Bolivia’s language, religion and architecture, this European influence is no more than a thin veneer overlaying Indigenous cultural traditions that stretch back to long before the conquest. We will explore sacred Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world; the city of Tiwanaku, capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire that dominated a large area of the southern Andes between 500 and 900 CE; and the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat (dry lake bed) in the world.
• Week 6: Santiago
  Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago has served as the capital city of Chile since colonial times. We explore the downtown core characterized by 19th-century neoclassical architecture and winding side streets with a mix of Art Deco, Gothic Revival and other styles. Santiago’s cityscape is defined by several standalone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River, which starts high up in the Andes Mountains visible from most parts of the city. We will discover renowned vineyards and the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of the Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Describe ways in which history, tradition and modernity intertwine to create the vibrancy of these cities
• Identify nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites
• Appreciate the incredible diversity within each of these remarkable cities
• Get insights useful to travellers

• Participation in Zoom seminars with multi-image musical video presentations
• Participation in class discussions
• Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.