The first GHC seminar for FY2017 was held on April 5, 2017 (Wednesday) featuring Nora Fisher Onar, Assistant Professor of Department of Politics, Coastal Carolina University in the United States as the guest speaker. In her talk titled "Between Neo-Ottomanism and Neo-Liberalism: The Politics of Imaging Istanbul," Dr. Onar introduced original research that she also presents in a chapter contributed to the compilation Istanbul: Living with Difference in a Global City (scheduled to be published in 2018), which, incidentally, represents Dr. Onar's first effort as an editor. Drawing contrasts between the religious architecture and districts constructed during the Ottoman Empire that display the then prosperity of Islam and the Western/secular architecture and districts constructed during the Belle Époque following the founding of the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Nora, while describing the daily life of residents in each of these districts, explained how the different character of these districts and people co-exist and form the diverse fabric of modern-day Istanbul. She also discussed how minorities such as members of the Greek Orthodox Church and Armenians who do not fit into these two main frameworks are integrated into the daily life of Istanbul. Dr. Onar's talk was followed by a lively Q&A session and discussion with members of the audience that continued through the post-seminar dinner and late into the night.