Historical Dynamics of Muslim Cities

The emergence of alternative forms of development cooperation has been gaining ground in recent years. The growing involvement of new actors, such as the BRICS group, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, has brought increasing attention to new priorities, strategies and methods of development cooperation. Their actions are challenging the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) model of development and the way aid is both conceived and delivered.

This study will portray the socio-economic and cultural bases of the alternative modernity claims of three Anatolian cities: Kayseri, Gaziantep and Eskisehir. The intention is to build a picture of the local socio-economic and cultural capacities of these cities and compare them. This comparative analysis will also involve a temporal dimension in the differentiation between the pre-1980s and post-1980s periods.