Topics in Architectural History: African Architecture and Urbanism

3 units

This architectural history course examines the built and social environments of select great African cities from 200 BCE to the 21st century. Our case studies will include, among others, Alexandria, Timbuktu, Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg. In addition to considering the varieties of urban expression on the continent itself, we will also look at the impact of the African presence upon cities in the diaspora. Can we identify African contributions to architectural or artistic forms in North America, the Arabian penninsula, or Asia?