The Islamic Area: Societies, Cultures, Mentalities – (M.Sc.)

The master's program in The Islamic Space: Societies, Cultures, Mentalities is designed as a multidisciplinary approach to a cultural area which is currently a topic of justifiably keen interest, but whose complex and often subtle connections with the Balkan area are seldom fully acknowledged. Islam comprises a great variety of populations and cultures, both ancient and modern, speaking Arabic, Turkish, Farsi etc., shaped by centuries of multiple interactions in politics, history, trade and culture. This interaction has led to significant mutual influences and to the development of a shared space of civilisation which, apart from expected variation in language, society and culture, can be defined as an Islamic space. Leaving aside the dominant religion, Islam, which creates the premises for a clearly defined community of values, Islamic cultures exhibit an outstanding complexity, due to their highly diverse heritages and historical experiences. The aim of this master's program is to introduce the students to a cultural space of remarkable richness and contemporary relevance.