Based on the author's long experience in academic life and the public realm, especially in foreign policy, this book argues that a single categoric classification of cities is inadequate, and that cities have had different and varied impacts and positions throughout the history of civilization.
The author examines how the formation, transformation, destruction or reestablishment of many civilizational cities reveals a clearer picture of the cornerstones of the course of human history. These cities, which play a decisive and pivotal role in the direction of the flow of history as well as providing us with a compass to guide our efforts to understand and interpret this flow, are conceptualized by the author as civilizations' "pivot cities". This innovative book explores the role of great cities in political historical change, presenting an alternative view of these pivot cities from a culturalist perspective. Within this framework, the role played by pivot cities in the history of civilization may be considered under seven distinct headings: pioneering cities which founded civilizations; cities which were founded by civilizations; cities which were transplanted during the formation of civilizations; "ghost cities" which lost their importance through shifts in political power and civilizational transformation; "lost cities" which were destroyed by civilizations; cities on lines of geocultural/geoeconomic interaction; and cities which combine, transform or are transformed by different civilizations. The author's concept of pivot cities explores the interplay between vital cities and civilizations, which bears on the future of globalization at a time of instability, as projected continuing de-Westernization becomes a theme in studies of global history.
This book provides highly productive discussions relevant to the literature on city-civilization relationships and the historicity of pivot cities. Its clear language, rich content, deep and original perspective, interdisciplinary approach and rich bibliography will ensure that it appeals to students and scholars in a variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, political science, comparative urban studies, anthropology, history and civilizational studies.
Based on the author's long experience in academic life and the public realm, especially in foreign policy, this book argues that a single categoric classification of cities is inadequate, and that cities have had different and varied impacts and positions throughout the history of civilization.
"A fascinating and conceptually illuminating overview of how crucial cities reflect flourishing civilizations. The author has an astonishing grasp of significant world cities, exhibiting a love of hallowed urban spaces gracefully fused with a deep knowledge of the historic impacts of what he intriguingly calls 'pivot cities.'"
Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, USA
"Ahmet Davutoglu's Pivot Cities in the Rise and Fall of Civilizations is a significant contribution to efforts to build genuinely inclusive and pluralist visions of humanity considering the challenges of globalization that mark our time. It focuses on urban centers where distinctive cultural/civilizational traditions formed, interacted, adjusted, and flourished while maintaining their essential qualities - or melted away.
Davutoglu examines the experience of a broad range of cities comparatively across time and space. This approach provides historical depth and geographical breadth to his analyses of cultural and structural change and continuity. A new perspective calls for methodical adjustments. Davutoglu challenges exclusive models of linear urban development toward a predestined end as defined by western European experience. He also advocates a holistic approach that highlights structural change and material achievements along with the ontological and axiological qualities of respective urban cultural zones.
Davutoglu pays special attention to spatial spread and architectural landmarks of a city. They serve as mirrors of the normative and aesthetic values that distinguish an urban cultural or civilizational tradition and its interaction with others. Davutoglu's normally scholarly and impressively erudite social scientific language acquires a lyrical quality in his discussion of architecture, enabling the reader to feel the beauty and meaning of the settings he describes. This lyricism adds to the quality of Pivot Cities in the Rise and Fall of Civilizations, enhancing its appeal for dialogue, reflection, and broad vision toward a more meaningful and peaceful world."
Engin Deniz Akarli, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at Brown University, USA
