Following Miss Bell

Beskrivelse

Follow the journey of Gertrude Bell, the renowned British archaeologist and explorer, as she travels through Turkey in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pat Yale retraces Bell's footsteps, uncovering a Turkey rich in history and culture beyond the typical tourist view.

Exploring Turkey through the eyes of two British travellers, past and present.

In 1889, Gertrude Bell arrived in Constantinople (now Istanbul), beginning a series of visits that would span twenty-five years. During this time, she explored the length and breadth of what is now Turkey, scaling mountains like Hasan and Cudi, crossing the Dicle (Tigris) River on a raft made from inflated goatskins, and capturing some of the earliest photographs of the country's remote regions.

Following Bell’s trail, veteran guidebook author Pat Yale embarks on her own journey through Turkey, mirroring the travels of this remarkable British woman. Her route leads her to the Syrian border, where Bell once met Lawrence of Arabia, to secluded monasteries still inhabited by solitary caretakers, and to villages where conversations in three languages echo a more multicultural past.

Along the way, Yale encounters the diverse people of Turkey: followers of fading faiths, young men guarding barricades in the turbulent southeast, refugees striving to rebuild their lives, settled nomads adapting to modern tourism, and countless taxi drivers whose stories capture the essence of the Turkish dream.

The intertwined stories of these two travellers reveal a Turkey that is far more intricate and layered than the familiar images seen by most visitors today.

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