What do you think?
Rate this book
البوابات الجنوبية لجزيرة العرب.. رحلة إلى حضرموت عام 1934م
أصدرت دار الكتب في هيئة أبوظبي للسياحة والثقافة الترجمة العربية لكتاب «البوابات الجنوبية لجزيرة العرب، رحلة إلى حضرموت عام1934م» للرحالة البريطانية فريا ستارك.
الكتاب صادر عن سلسلة رواد المشرق العربي المخصصة لنقل كتابات الرحالة الأجانب إلى العربية، وترجمته وفاء الذهبي، وعلق عليه الباحث المتخصـّص في التاريخ الإسلامي والتاريخ الحديث، الدكتور أحمد إيبش، الذي وصف في مقدمته المؤلفة بأنها «مثيرة للجدل»، إذ «أبحرت في البحر الأحمر في نوفمبر 1934، ونزلت في عدن المرفأ الرئيس للمحمية البريطانية في جنوب الجزيرة العربية. وكانت المكتشفة النشيطة الجذابة الصغيرة قد حازت شهرة، واختارت اليمن، وبشكل خاص وادي حضرموت النائي، مسرحاً لمغامراتها التالية، وثار جدل كبير حولها في لندن، فتوقعوا أنها ستهبط بطائرتها الخاصة، أو ربما تأتي وهي تقود قافلة جمال. وكان بعضهم على ثقة بأن وصولها لم يعنِ أي شيء سوى المتاعب، لكن مع ذلك احتشد الجميع للقائها في مقر الإقامة البريطاني».
كان هدفها أن تجد مدينة «شبوة» الخفية، عاصمة مملكة حضرموت القديمة المسماة في الأسفار «حبس الموت».
أثناء وجودها في حضرموت، استطاعت ستارك أن تخترق كل الحواجز المقامة حول نساء العرب هناك، وتعمقت في هذا المجتمع، ناقلة صوراً كثيرة مختلفة من جوانب عدة عن المجتمع النسائي الحضرمي قبل ما يزيد على 75 عاماً. وتكلمت عن أمور كثيرة في حضرموت، ابتداءً من السياسة وانتهاءً بالأحاديث النسائية في داخل البيوت الحضرمية العادية. وأسلوب الكاتبة ممتع وتفاعلي، تغلب عليه رهافة الشعور مع تعاطف محبب مع الناس الذين قابلتهم وعاشت معهم فترة خمسة أشهر من الزمان، وتشعر بأنها فعلاً استطاعت فهم هذا المجتمع وتعاملت معه بكل محبة ومودة.
وعدا عن المحور الإنساني الذي اهتمت به فريا في حضرموت، انصب تركيزها أيضاً على تاريخ طريق اللبان (البخور) الذي كان في العصور القديمة بمثابة ثروة نادرة اختصت بها هذه الزاوية من العالم في جنوب جزيرة العرب.
الكتاب صادر عن سلسلة رواد المشرق العربي المخصصة لنقل كتابات الرحالة الأجانب إلى العربية، وترجمته وفاء الذهبي، وعلق عليه الباحث المتخصـّص في التاريخ الإسلامي والتاريخ الحديث، الدكتور أحمد إيبش، الذي وصف في مقدمته المؤلفة بأنها «مثيرة للجدل»، إذ «أبحرت في البحر الأحمر في نوفمبر 1934، ونزلت في عدن المرفأ الرئيس للمحمية البريطانية في جنوب الجزيرة العربية. وكانت المكتشفة النشيطة الجذابة الصغيرة قد حازت شهرة، واختارت اليمن، وبشكل خاص وادي حضرموت النائي، مسرحاً لمغامراتها التالية، وثار جدل كبير حولها في لندن، فتوقعوا أنها ستهبط بطائرتها الخاصة، أو ربما تأتي وهي تقود قافلة جمال. وكان بعضهم على ثقة بأن وصولها لم يعنِ أي شيء سوى المتاعب، لكن مع ذلك احتشد الجميع للقائها في مقر الإقامة البريطاني».
كان هدفها أن تجد مدينة «شبوة» الخفية، عاصمة مملكة حضرموت القديمة المسماة في الأسفار «حبس الموت».
أثناء وجودها في حضرموت، استطاعت ستارك أن تخترق كل الحواجز المقامة حول نساء العرب هناك، وتعمقت في هذا المجتمع، ناقلة صوراً كثيرة مختلفة من جوانب عدة عن المجتمع النسائي الحضرمي قبل ما يزيد على 75 عاماً. وتكلمت عن أمور كثيرة في حضرموت، ابتداءً من السياسة وانتهاءً بالأحاديث النسائية في داخل البيوت الحضرمية العادية. وأسلوب الكاتبة ممتع وتفاعلي، تغلب عليه رهافة الشعور مع تعاطف محبب مع الناس الذين قابلتهم وعاشت معهم فترة خمسة أشهر من الزمان، وتشعر بأنها فعلاً استطاعت فهم هذا المجتمع وتعاملت معه بكل محبة ومودة.
وعدا عن المحور الإنساني الذي اهتمت به فريا في حضرموت، انصب تركيزها أيضاً على تاريخ طريق اللبان (البخور) الذي كان في العصور القديمة بمثابة ثروة نادرة اختصت بها هذه الزاوية من العالم في جنوب جزيرة العرب.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1936
35 people are currently reading
1226 people want to read
About the author
Freya Stark
128 books176 followersFreya Stark was born in Paris, where her parents were studying art. Her mother, Flora, was an Italian of Polish/German descent; her father, Robert, an English painter from Devon.
In her lifetime she was famous for her experiences in the Middle East, her writing and her cartography. Freya Stark was not only one of the first Western women to travel through the Arabian deserts (Hadhramaut), she often travelled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been.
She spent much of her childhood in North Italy, helped by the fact that Pen Browning, a friend of her father, had bought three houses in Asolo. She also had a grandmother in Genoa. For her 9th birthday she received a copy of the One Thousand and One Nights, and became fascinated with the Orient. She was often ill while young, and confined to the house, so found an outlet in reading. She delighted in reading French, in particular Dumas, and taught herself Latin. When she was 13 she had an accident in a factory in Italy, when her hair got caught in a machine, and she had to spend four months getting skin grafts in hospital, which left her face slightly disfigured.
She later learned Arabic and Persian, studied history in London and during World War I worked as a nurse in Italy, where her mother had remained and taken a share in a business. Her sister, Vera, married the co-owner.
In November 1927 she visited Asolo for the first time in years, and later that month boarded a ship for Beirut, where her travels in the East began. She based herself first at the home of James Elroy Flecker in Lebanon and then in Baghdad, where she met the British high commissioner.
By 1931 she had completed three dangerous treks into the wilderness of western Iran, in parts of which no Westerner had ever been before, and had located the long-fabled Valleys of the Assassins (hashish-eaters). During the 1930s she penetrated the hinterland of southern Arabia, where only a handful of Western explorers had previously ventured and then never as far or as widely as she went.
During World War II, she joined the British Ministry of Information and contributed to the creation of a propaganda network aimed at persuading Arabs to support the Allies or at least remain neutral. She wrote more than two dozen books based on her travels, almost all of which were published by John Murray in London, with whom she had a successful and long-standing working relationship.
In her lifetime she was famous for her experiences in the Middle East, her writing and her cartography. Freya Stark was not only one of the first Western women to travel through the Arabian deserts (Hadhramaut), she often travelled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been.
She spent much of her childhood in North Italy, helped by the fact that Pen Browning, a friend of her father, had bought three houses in Asolo. She also had a grandmother in Genoa. For her 9th birthday she received a copy of the One Thousand and One Nights, and became fascinated with the Orient. She was often ill while young, and confined to the house, so found an outlet in reading. She delighted in reading French, in particular Dumas, and taught herself Latin. When she was 13 she had an accident in a factory in Italy, when her hair got caught in a machine, and she had to spend four months getting skin grafts in hospital, which left her face slightly disfigured.
She later learned Arabic and Persian, studied history in London and during World War I worked as a nurse in Italy, where her mother had remained and taken a share in a business. Her sister, Vera, married the co-owner.
In November 1927 she visited Asolo for the first time in years, and later that month boarded a ship for Beirut, where her travels in the East began. She based herself first at the home of James Elroy Flecker in Lebanon and then in Baghdad, where she met the British high commissioner.
By 1931 she had completed three dangerous treks into the wilderness of western Iran, in parts of which no Westerner had ever been before, and had located the long-fabled Valleys of the Assassins (hashish-eaters). During the 1930s she penetrated the hinterland of southern Arabia, where only a handful of Western explorers had previously ventured and then never as far or as widely as she went.
During World War II, she joined the British Ministry of Information and contributed to the creation of a propaganda network aimed at persuading Arabs to support the Allies or at least remain neutral. She wrote more than two dozen books based on her travels, almost all of which were published by John Murray in London, with whom she had a successful and long-standing working relationship.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 29, 2022
To begin this review, I would like to state that my copy of this book is a vintage (1945) cerise Penguin edition. It is in what I would call fragile condition, its spine significantly worn and friable, with very thin and delicate pages. The type is very small, and the line-spacing very close. In short, it was very hard to read! This may have affected my review!
I have a huge amount of admiration for Freya Stark, and what she achieved in terms of travel throughout her life. This is the second book she published, and covers the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsular - modern Yemen. The area at the time though was complex with Yemen being split off into the Aden Protectorate (East and West) and provinces in the north being fought over with Saudi Arabia, and the entirety split into Bedouin clan lands.
In this book, Stark proposes to travel to the ancient city of Shabwa, rumoured to be the capital of the Queen of Sheba, located on the high Hadramaut plateau. Shabwa was also renowned in antiquity as the source of frankincense. In fact the Incense Route forms a part of her journey, although I struggled with the geography of this - more below.
Travelling however she is able, by donkey, camel, on foot and in vehicles she shows her persistence and bravery. No doubt Stark is able to endear herself to the people - she speaks Arabic well, she maintains an honest respect for their culture, observing their behaviours and being careful not to offend, but preserve their dignity. In this way she is afforded unprecedented access to the women in the harims as well as political and religious leaders in each area she passes through. These people of power, Bedouin clan leaders etc assist her on her way, providing guides and assistance, although this extends only as far as their power - and Yemen at the time is fragmented into Bedouin clan territories.
It is not a simple read - not withstanding the above description of my physical copy, the text has its own complexity - it is dense, the repetitive and similar names in Arabic are a handful, and placenames and geography are confusing. The map, such as it was in my copy, is woefully inadequate - I could find barely any of the places she visits on it, yet it tried to demonstrate the Incense Route and a great number of historical sites. The reader should not expect to learn much about Freya Stark herself - the focus here is all outward. In fact she never really shares her motivation in reaching Shabwa - other than that in recent time, no European before her has.
There were eight pages of black and white photographs, which were very good - a range of subjects from ruins and landscapes to portraits and people. I am always glad of the inclusion of photographs, especially when they are mentioned as having been taken during the narrative.
I don't think it is too bigger spoiler to advise that she falls short of completing her journey to Shabwa. Catching measles, dysentery, and then what she believes is malaria, but turns out to be worse, the last third of the book shows her persistence in travelling at all, and sees her progress slow then stop. Laid up in Shibam, she believes her time is up, extracting promises that she won't be buried for at least a half day after she dies (she was concerned with being buried if she was to faint) and writing a farewell letter, before she was saved by the arrival of a doctor, and then airlifted by the RAF to Aden.
Stark was to return to Southern Arabia in following years, and published her account of the region in three books - this one The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut (1936), followed by Seen In The Hadhramaut (1938) and A Winter in Arabia (1940).
4 stars
I have a huge amount of admiration for Freya Stark, and what she achieved in terms of travel throughout her life. This is the second book she published, and covers the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsular - modern Yemen. The area at the time though was complex with Yemen being split off into the Aden Protectorate (East and West) and provinces in the north being fought over with Saudi Arabia, and the entirety split into Bedouin clan lands.
In this book, Stark proposes to travel to the ancient city of Shabwa, rumoured to be the capital of the Queen of Sheba, located on the high Hadramaut plateau. Shabwa was also renowned in antiquity as the source of frankincense. In fact the Incense Route forms a part of her journey, although I struggled with the geography of this - more below.
Travelling however she is able, by donkey, camel, on foot and in vehicles she shows her persistence and bravery. No doubt Stark is able to endear herself to the people - she speaks Arabic well, she maintains an honest respect for their culture, observing their behaviours and being careful not to offend, but preserve their dignity. In this way she is afforded unprecedented access to the women in the harims as well as political and religious leaders in each area she passes through. These people of power, Bedouin clan leaders etc assist her on her way, providing guides and assistance, although this extends only as far as their power - and Yemen at the time is fragmented into Bedouin clan territories.
It is not a simple read - not withstanding the above description of my physical copy, the text has its own complexity - it is dense, the repetitive and similar names in Arabic are a handful, and placenames and geography are confusing. The map, such as it was in my copy, is woefully inadequate - I could find barely any of the places she visits on it, yet it tried to demonstrate the Incense Route and a great number of historical sites. The reader should not expect to learn much about Freya Stark herself - the focus here is all outward. In fact she never really shares her motivation in reaching Shabwa - other than that in recent time, no European before her has.
There were eight pages of black and white photographs, which were very good - a range of subjects from ruins and landscapes to portraits and people. I am always glad of the inclusion of photographs, especially when they are mentioned as having been taken during the narrative.
I don't think it is too bigger spoiler to advise that she falls short of completing her journey to Shabwa. Catching measles, dysentery, and then what she believes is malaria, but turns out to be worse, the last third of the book shows her persistence in travelling at all, and sees her progress slow then stop. Laid up in Shibam, she believes her time is up, extracting promises that she won't be buried for at least a half day after she dies (she was concerned with being buried if she was to faint) and writing a farewell letter, before she was saved by the arrival of a doctor, and then airlifted by the RAF to Aden.
Stark was to return to Southern Arabia in following years, and published her account of the region in three books - this one The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut (1936), followed by Seen In The Hadhramaut (1938) and A Winter in Arabia (1940).
4 stars
April 25, 2016
Freya Stark was a remarkable woman who travelled throughout the Middle East in the 1930’s. She was fluent in Arabic and Arabian history and wrote many popular travel books at a time when women did not travel alone. When travelling through Yemen, she hired members of local Bedouin tribes to guide her to historical regions, old villages, and along the ancient spice routes. The Hadhramaut region of Yemen is the home of the rare Frankincense tree from the species Boswellia. This is a humorous and delightful look at a region of the world that is still today largely unknown and misunderstood.
January 31, 2018
existentialist trek through Hadhramaut
Trekking over the desolate, rocky plateau that lies between the coast and the interior valleys of Hadhramaut, Freya Stark travelled in 1935 with a group of Bedu and a government slave-soldier. The area has been known as Aden Protectorate, the Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Makalla, South Arabia, the People's Democratic Republic of South Yemen, and is now part of united Yemen. She visited several of the interior towns, almost never seen by Europeans at that time (though the RAF did maintain a presence), and has written beautiful descriptions of the unusual physical environment as well as a kind and sympathetic treatment of the people she met. She talked in Arabic with the ladies of the harim as well as with the rulers, scholars, and ordinary men of the communities. Stark aimed to travel to Shabwa, a long-lost ancient city much further in the interior of the Arabian peninsula, to an area then contested between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Illness prevented her from doing so. This book then, is an account of her curtailed trip. She was evacuated by airplane from the interior, lucky to be alive. I always like travellers who respect the people they visit and who do not condescend. Freya Stark is certainly among them. For a travel book that describes a time long gone and a place still far from the beaten track-do you know many people who have been to Shibam, Makalla, Tarim, or al Qatn ?---you cannot do much better. You might use it as a guide as to how you could get along with people of a very different culture to your own---step number one, don't try to force them to adhere to your value system.
However, one thing about this book puzzled me. Compared to most travel literature, it is a most existentialist piece. "Here I am, travelling through remote Hadhramaut." That's cool, but we never find out why she was travelling to Shabwa-well, OK, it is old, it is a kind of `forbidden city', and it might hold ruins of interest---but why her ? Who was she ? What was her purpose ? What were her qualifications ? I realize full well that we can read her biography, we can look her up in the encyclopedia or on Google, that she wrote many other books. But, I had never read anything else by her, knew nothing of her life. I wondered who she was. The book offers absolutely no clue. Why did the rulers all welcome her ? How did she have such good connections with the powers that be in Aden ? I put this existentialist atmosphere down to a kind of British reticence, a reluctance to reveal much about oneself, not the proper form, etc. That is all well and good, each to her own culture, but it does cast a cloud of vagueness over the whole book. Compared to Wilfred Thesiger in his "Arabian Sands", Stark tells little of her aims or background, but is more willing to accept the Arabs as they were, not as she wished they would be.
Trekking over the desolate, rocky plateau that lies between the coast and the interior valleys of Hadhramaut, Freya Stark travelled in 1935 with a group of Bedu and a government slave-soldier. The area has been known as Aden Protectorate, the Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Makalla, South Arabia, the People's Democratic Republic of South Yemen, and is now part of united Yemen. She visited several of the interior towns, almost never seen by Europeans at that time (though the RAF did maintain a presence), and has written beautiful descriptions of the unusual physical environment as well as a kind and sympathetic treatment of the people she met. She talked in Arabic with the ladies of the harim as well as with the rulers, scholars, and ordinary men of the communities. Stark aimed to travel to Shabwa, a long-lost ancient city much further in the interior of the Arabian peninsula, to an area then contested between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Illness prevented her from doing so. This book then, is an account of her curtailed trip. She was evacuated by airplane from the interior, lucky to be alive. I always like travellers who respect the people they visit and who do not condescend. Freya Stark is certainly among them. For a travel book that describes a time long gone and a place still far from the beaten track-do you know many people who have been to Shibam, Makalla, Tarim, or al Qatn ?---you cannot do much better. You might use it as a guide as to how you could get along with people of a very different culture to your own---step number one, don't try to force them to adhere to your value system.
However, one thing about this book puzzled me. Compared to most travel literature, it is a most existentialist piece. "Here I am, travelling through remote Hadhramaut." That's cool, but we never find out why she was travelling to Shabwa-well, OK, it is old, it is a kind of `forbidden city', and it might hold ruins of interest---but why her ? Who was she ? What was her purpose ? What were her qualifications ? I realize full well that we can read her biography, we can look her up in the encyclopedia or on Google, that she wrote many other books. But, I had never read anything else by her, knew nothing of her life. I wondered who she was. The book offers absolutely no clue. Why did the rulers all welcome her ? How did she have such good connections with the powers that be in Aden ? I put this existentialist atmosphere down to a kind of British reticence, a reluctance to reveal much about oneself, not the proper form, etc. That is all well and good, each to her own culture, but it does cast a cloud of vagueness over the whole book. Compared to Wilfred Thesiger in his "Arabian Sands", Stark tells little of her aims or background, but is more willing to accept the Arabs as they were, not as she wished they would be.
November 25, 2009
In the early 1930s, Stark, a single British woman, traveled through southern Arabia alone, visiting country that few other Europeans had seen, particularly few women. This might sound incredibly dangerous, and it probably was, but Stark was helped along by her passion for Arabic history and her genuine interest in the people she met (as well as near fluency in Arabic, as far as I can tell), as well as her poise, charm, humor, and sense of adventure. She befriends bedouins and sheiks alike, as well as their women (with the women she tends to rely on a natural love of fashion, which endears her to just about every harem she encounters, and she often comes away with gifts of beautiful clothes). Unfortunately, Stark's travels are beset by illness: she comes down with the measles, and though she recovers, she's later struck with heart troubles and has to be rescued by the R.A.F. Her biggest concern is the fact that she won't be the first European to explore the ruined city she wants to get to. She has more fortitude than many travel writers I've read (but she still travels with face cream!).
I should admit that this was a difficult book to get through, and it took me a few weeks. I think this is because the language is so rich, and because it is true travel writing: not just the story of one person's journey, but a real picture of a place and a time and the people who lived there and how they lived. It's all the richer for that. I highly, highly recommend Freya Stark, and I'm looking forward to finding more of her work soon.
I should admit that this was a difficult book to get through, and it took me a few weeks. I think this is because the language is so rich, and because it is true travel writing: not just the story of one person's journey, but a real picture of a place and a time and the people who lived there and how they lived. It's all the richer for that. I highly, highly recommend Freya Stark, and I'm looking forward to finding more of her work soon.
April 17, 2010
I think this pretty much says it all:
"On the occasion of the arrival of the free and respected one, and of her honouring the court of our excellent school, I rise to welcome her happy visit to the abode of the noble Sharifs, the country of Al Ahqaf, the place of residence of our venerated ancestors and that where our forebears were born. Her spirit and firm courage are show to us inasmuch as she is the first woman to visit the province of Hadhramaut alone, without any companion of her own sex or associate of her people, and that in her wandering and moving from place to place she travels entirely by herself.
"We are not told by history that since Hadhramaut became a land, any woman of Western race has come to it in this manner; she is the first woman who has trodden its soil and succeeded in travelling there. Therefore we thank the nation that has produced this noble lady, and do tribute to her lofty enterprise and her aspiring soul.
"And I, the writer, stand forth to represent my brothers the pupils of the educational school, asking the Lord that she may have a happy journey and a fortunate return, and that peace accompany her when she alights and proceeds, and in conclusion I offer the heartiest greeting."
I withheld a fifth star because no photographs were included in the book. I am hoping some were published somewhere at some time.
"On the occasion of the arrival of the free and respected one, and of her honouring the court of our excellent school, I rise to welcome her happy visit to the abode of the noble Sharifs, the country of Al Ahqaf, the place of residence of our venerated ancestors and that where our forebears were born. Her spirit and firm courage are show to us inasmuch as she is the first woman to visit the province of Hadhramaut alone, without any companion of her own sex or associate of her people, and that in her wandering and moving from place to place she travels entirely by herself.
"We are not told by history that since Hadhramaut became a land, any woman of Western race has come to it in this manner; she is the first woman who has trodden its soil and succeeded in travelling there. Therefore we thank the nation that has produced this noble lady, and do tribute to her lofty enterprise and her aspiring soul.
"And I, the writer, stand forth to represent my brothers the pupils of the educational school, asking the Lord that she may have a happy journey and a fortunate return, and that peace accompany her when she alights and proceeds, and in conclusion I offer the heartiest greeting."
I withheld a fifth star because no photographs were included in the book. I am hoping some were published somewhere at some time.
August 11, 2018
Sometimes, there is more to be said for an unfinished symphony. Freya Stark's The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut ends with its author becoming ill midway on her journey to her ultimate destination, Shabwa, center of the ancient trade in frankincense. Ultimately, Stark is evacuated by the RAF, who send a plane to pick her up from Shibam. Yet her eyes are always open, and she continues to observe and note the events of her days, even when she is lying in bed.
The Southern Gates of Arabia is considered a classic, despite the fact that, ostensibly, it was a failure. The reason is that Freya Stark is a superb writer. Despite she is a woman traveling alone in a particularly warlike part of Arabia (namely, Yemen), she manages to find acceptance almost wherever she goes.
Stark lived to be over 100 years old and wrote some 30 books about her travels in the Middle East.
The Southern Gates of Arabia is considered a classic, despite the fact that, ostensibly, it was a failure. The reason is that Freya Stark is a superb writer. Despite she is a woman traveling alone in a particularly warlike part of Arabia (namely, Yemen), she manages to find acceptance almost wherever she goes.
Stark lived to be over 100 years old and wrote some 30 books about her travels in the Middle East.
Read
January 29, 2018I go for romantic imagery, none here. Just a matter-of-fact recounting of where she went, alone of course, because BROWN and BLACK MEN ARE NOT HUMAN. I prefer one eloquent phrase to pages of 'and then I went here' and "I saw this'. The magic of the journey seems to have eluded her; not unlike those today who race from place to place, photographing where they've been and posting on Facebook. TE Lawrence described the desert in 7 Pillars of Wisdom which was also dull in part, but the exotic and mystical essence of the environment and his awareness of it are evident.
August 29, 2020
Talking about travel books recently made me remember this book and how great it was. Freya Stark was a European woman who went traveling alone to places like Asia and the Middle East, get this, in the 1920s and 30s! In 1923 she enrolled in college in London to study Arabic, and in 1927 off she went. I mean, dang, Freya, good on ya.
I read this book a long time ago (2000?) and I remember it being one of the first times that it occurred to me that you might not HAVE to be afraid of the Middle East. It's not a page-turner; if anything it's the LACK of drama that's remarkable. She travels around as a single white woman, takes it all in, treats everyone with dignity and is treated well in return, and writes about it in really thoughtful prose. Five stars, because brave women are cool, and for opening my eyes a little.
I read this book a long time ago (2000?) and I remember it being one of the first times that it occurred to me that you might not HAVE to be afraid of the Middle East. It's not a page-turner; if anything it's the LACK of drama that's remarkable. She travels around as a single white woman, takes it all in, treats everyone with dignity and is treated well in return, and writes about it in really thoughtful prose. Five stars, because brave women are cool, and for opening my eyes a little.
January 2, 2016
I learned of Freya Stark when I read Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell, when he was the Minister of Information in Cyprus. Stark was building a house in Cyprus, and was known to take off at a moments notice to parts unknown. So when I found this book, I knew I had to read it.
The Southern Gates of Arabia was published in 1936, and became an instant bestseller. Stark traveled to the Hadhramaut region (now part of Yemen) in 1934 to find the lost city of Shabwa, which is along the ancient frankincense trade there. What was unique about this trip, was that she traveled alone (in other words without servants or fellow countrymen), but local Bedouin tribes, Sultans and Sheiks helped her along her route.
The Southern Gates of Arabia was published in 1936, and became an instant bestseller. Stark traveled to the Hadhramaut region (now part of Yemen) in 1934 to find the lost city of Shabwa, which is along the ancient frankincense trade there. What was unique about this trip, was that she traveled alone (in other words without servants or fellow countrymen), but local Bedouin tribes, Sultans and Sheiks helped her along her route.
November 9, 2014
Maybe 3.5 stars, as I did feel my eyes glazing over from time to time, but generally I really enjoyed both her account, as well as the opportunity to read a description of a Middle Eastern region from a historical perspective.
October 1, 2020
فاريا ستارك شابة بريطانية كان لديها ميول لدراسة الشرق وتراثه درست في مدارس اللغات الشرقية وتعلمت العربية زارت أغلب المدن العربية ثم قادها ولعها بالشرق أن تزور عدن التي كانت محمية بريطانية في ذلك الوقت لتكون أول امرأة أوروبية تسافر لوحدها إلى هذه المنطقة مدفوعة بشغف أن تتبع طرق قوافل البخور والتجارة القديم حتى تصل إلى مدينة شبوة التي ذكرت في الانجيل والكتب القديمة بأنها تحتوي على معابد وثروات لا توصف و قررت أن تكون أول من يصل إليها من الأوروبيين ويكتشف أسرارها .في رحلتها صاحبها اثنان من البدو من أبناء البلد وتذكر فاريا كيف قطعوا المسافات ضمن قافلة صغيرة ومخيمين في الصحاري وما تعرضوا له من متاعب و ما تخللها من نقاشات وأحاديث . تتنقل فاريا من مدينة لمدينة في حضرموت مخالطة وجهاء المدن والبدو وأبناء تلك القرى ..تتوقف عند أهم الأماكن التي تحوي الآثار السبأية والحميرية وتصف مشاهداتها و تسرد ما رأته من مظاهر اجتماعية ودينية من أعياد و حفلات زفاف و خصوصية المجتمع النسائي و مظاهر الشعر و الغناء والعلاج الشعبي والمنازل وطعام وغيرها من أوجه الحياة في بيئة حضرموت ذلك الوقت.. تتوقف أحيانا متأملة ومحللة كفيلسوفة وبلغة أدبية شاعرية وهي وقفات جميلة. بعض التفاصيل كانت تثير الارتباك قليلًا خاصة حين يتعلق الأمر بجغرافية المكان الذي كان وصفه قد تطلب مني البحث عن خريطة لفهمه .. أيضاً الترجمة نوعاً ما غير متماسكة ولكن يبقى كتاب يؤرخ لفترة زمنية لم يسلط عليها الضوء كثيراً ومكان مهم تاريخياً .للأسف لا تصل فاريا إلى هدفها حيث يتغلب المرض عليها وتضطر لإلغاء رحلتها والعودة إلى عدن بطائرات سلاح الجو البريطاني ..أحببت جداً شجاعتها وتصميمها على المضي في شغفها وتواضعها وتقديرها لتراث وشعب حضرموت ..كتاب مسلي وعن نفسي أحب الكتب التي تتحدث عن رحلات من هذا النوع خاصة في الجزيرة العربية قديماً
April 5, 2024
Glad to finally read this book that's been on my shelf 20 years!
This one was tough, & tho it was a small book, I read it a little at a time. Because the area, place names, & customs were entirely unfamiliar to me, as was the historic context- I was constantly disoriented. There were maps in the front of the book, but they weren't good, easy to read ones. A map that clearly showed the region & the path of her travels would have been super helpful in following the story. This was not a good book to start with if you're unfamiliar with the area.
I liked Stark's descriptions & her sense of humor. She was well-versed in the history of the area & the tales historic travelers, as well recent European visitors who preceded her.
Definitely not a "starter" book on Arabia, but worth reading, & I may pick up another of her books one day.
This one was tough, & tho it was a small book, I read it a little at a time. Because the area, place names, & customs were entirely unfamiliar to me, as was the historic context- I was constantly disoriented. There were maps in the front of the book, but they weren't good, easy to read ones. A map that clearly showed the region & the path of her travels would have been super helpful in following the story. This was not a good book to start with if you're unfamiliar with the area.
I liked Stark's descriptions & her sense of humor. She was well-versed in the history of the area & the tales historic travelers, as well recent European visitors who preceded her.
Definitely not a "starter" book on Arabia, but worth reading, & I may pick up another of her books one day.
March 14, 2025
An astonishing trip through a region that had been little travelled by Europeans and which probably remains so to this day. Freya Stark’s resourcefulness and resilience, combined with her capacity to see humanity make her a compelling guide. Perhaps the best aspect of the book is her access to the world of women, which would have been closed to male travellers. In Stark’s account we get a much more rounded understanding of life as it was than is available elsewhere. I was saddened that illness curtailed her journey and that she never got to Shabwa. I suspect she may have managed to get access where others had not. All in all this is an extraordinary read and the photographs in the Folio edition are beautiful and really add to the experience.
August 17, 2008
Later writers have snide things to say about her, but which other woman was riding about without a man to protect her in the back country east of Yemen back in the 1930's. And, she is a literate writer. Thus the 4 stars.
It's a quick read, but it is soooo personal, in contrast to all the geo-political tomes of today.
Yes, she heavily edited the friction out of this, but it's a great glimpse inside the closed society of the emirates area when significant remnants of the ancient economy and society were still visible -- before WW II, before much access to foreign news and radio, and before much foreign travel by the local aristocracy.
It's a quick read, but it is soooo personal, in contrast to all the geo-political tomes of today.
Yes, she heavily edited the friction out of this, but it's a great glimpse inside the closed society of the emirates area when significant remnants of the ancient economy and society were still visible -- before WW II, before much access to foreign news and radio, and before much foreign travel by the local aristocracy.
February 10, 2017
I don't think I could have read this travel description if I hadn't first read the biography of her by Jane Fletcher Geniesse also wrote the forward to this book. And also I had to read Wikipedia's entry on Yemen as my knowledge of the area was not much, and the names of many places she visits have changed. A few more footnotes would have helped. The writing by Stark is lovely and I envy her traveling in these parts in a time when a well-connected western woman traveling alone was so unusual that all the tribal leaders and royalty graciously entertained and housed her wherever she went. And I learned a lot, a 3.6
July 6, 2016
Beautifully written, engrossing, and poignant, with great insights into life and human character. This book proves that violence is not required for a great adventure, and that the smallest details of life create a sweepingly romantic story.
August 31, 2009
Another intrepid traveller
in Araby. I so love these
people and the luck of living
when they did and the worlds
they got to see.
in Araby. I so love these
people and the luck of living
when they did and the worlds
they got to see.
February 12, 2011
Beautiful. Especially suited to the 1980's in Manchester during a slow burning heroin habituation. Somehow nodding out didn't spoil a thing...
Want to read
April 23, 2013Freya Stark was mentioned in To War with Whitaker
By Hermoine Ranfurly. They met during WW2.
By Hermoine Ranfurly. They met during WW2.
October 11, 2020
After a brief introductory chapter giving the history of the Hadhramaut (roughly modern Yemen), Stark starts her travel story by wondering why a ship appears to be a more satisfactory possession than a woman for peace loving men! She also remarks upon the indigo on the skin of the beduin (sic, and not Arabs) who she meets at Cana, which I hadn’t heard about before.
Some of these beduin guide and escort her into the interior of the Hadhramaut, as she rides a donkey and walks as the impulse takes her for the first part of her journey and than travels by car. The book is copiously illustrated with photos taken by Stark, and although these are in black and white, and not high resolution as they were taken in 1935, they help in conjuring up a world which may have appeared ancient and unchanged for centuries to Stark, but would subsequently change rapidly.
The beduin were dressed not at all as I expected, with those travelling with Stark wearing little more than loin cloths that look like shorts (but have folds where they keep tobacco, sugar and tea), some form of head wear (not a turban), a knife in a sheath, and little else.
I preferred the first part of the journey, where Stark would sleep on the trail or receive hospitality from the rulers of towns. However the whole journey is described in what are now such romantic terms, with a charming style journey was and gently humorous manner, describing places now lost following the impact of the West and “civilisation “.
Unfortunately Stark became ill before she managed to reach her notional destination, so the ending is abrupt, but the journey was full of beautiful descriptions and is well worth the read
Some of these beduin guide and escort her into the interior of the Hadhramaut, as she rides a donkey and walks as the impulse takes her for the first part of her journey and than travels by car. The book is copiously illustrated with photos taken by Stark, and although these are in black and white, and not high resolution as they were taken in 1935, they help in conjuring up a world which may have appeared ancient and unchanged for centuries to Stark, but would subsequently change rapidly.
The beduin were dressed not at all as I expected, with those travelling with Stark wearing little more than loin cloths that look like shorts (but have folds where they keep tobacco, sugar and tea), some form of head wear (not a turban), a knife in a sheath, and little else.
I preferred the first part of the journey, where Stark would sleep on the trail or receive hospitality from the rulers of towns. However the whole journey is described in what are now such romantic terms, with a charming style journey was and gently humorous manner, describing places now lost following the impact of the West and “civilisation “.
Unfortunately Stark became ill before she managed to reach her notional destination, so the ending is abrupt, but the journey was full of beautiful descriptions and is well worth the read
March 1, 2025
This interesting book by explorer Freya Stark charts her movements through Arabia as she searches for the ruined city of Shabwa (in modern day Yemen). The things I loved most were Freya's descriptions. They are many. They are vivid. They bring the writing to life. On her travels, she met various sultans in the region, and her descriptions of her time with them are hugely insightful.
I definitely enjoyed this book more than "The Valleys of the Assassins". However, I have a couple of similar complaints. The first is that there are absolutely no photos. Freya talks about using her camera, always looking to document through pictures. None of those pictures made it into this book. There are a couple of hand drawn illustrations. That is all. The second is that the book, like the first, feels anti-climactic. She talks on and on about how she is looking for Shabwa, but in the end, sickness puts a stop to her journey, which is frustrating for both her and me!
Still, this is a highly readable travelogue.
I definitely enjoyed this book more than "The Valleys of the Assassins". However, I have a couple of similar complaints. The first is that there are absolutely no photos. Freya talks about using her camera, always looking to document through pictures. None of those pictures made it into this book. There are a couple of hand drawn illustrations. That is all. The second is that the book, like the first, feels anti-climactic. She talks on and on about how she is looking for Shabwa, but in the end, sickness puts a stop to her journey, which is frustrating for both her and me!
Still, this is a highly readable travelogue.
May 30, 2023
استمتعت جدا برحلة "فريا ستارك" في ربوع حضرموت و محاولتها الوصول إلى "شبوة" و استطعت من خلال الكتاب فهم الكثير من الأمور التي لها علاقة بنظام الحكم في ذلك و الوقت و حدود الدولتين القعيطية و الكثيرية و كيفية تعامل البدو مع هذا التباين ..
كما يتيح لك الكتاب فرصة التعرف على مظاهر الحياة في حضرموت و الطابع الإجتماعي السائد في ذلك الوقت ..
أدهشني إطلاع الكاتبة على الكثير من كتب التراث العربي و تاريخ المدن العربية و إطلاعها الدقيق على ما كتبه العرب مثل الهمداني و الحموي و المقدسي و غيرهم فقد كانت الكاتبة تشير مرارا إلى ما كتبوه عن حضرموت و مدنها و قراها ..
الكثير من الأمور التي حكاها لنا أهلنا و أجدادنا كانت مذكورة في الكتاب مثل "نظام الرهائن" و "التقسيم القبلي للمناطق" و غيرها
كتاب قيّم و مهم لمحبي أدب الرحلات ..
snapchat: ahmed-ad10
كما يتيح لك الكتاب فرصة التعرف على مظاهر الحياة في حضرموت و الطابع الإجتماعي السائد في ذلك الوقت ..
أدهشني إطلاع الكاتبة على الكثير من كتب التراث العربي و تاريخ المدن العربية و إطلاعها الدقيق على ما كتبه العرب مثل الهمداني و الحموي و المقدسي و غيرهم فقد كانت الكاتبة تشير مرارا إلى ما كتبوه عن حضرموت و مدنها و قراها ..
الكثير من الأمور التي حكاها لنا أهلنا و أجدادنا كانت مذكورة في الكتاب مثل "نظام الرهائن" و "التقسيم القبلي للمناطق" و غيرها
كتاب قيّم و مهم لمحبي أدب الرحلات ..
snapchat: ahmed-ad10
Read
February 1, 2024حياة فريا ستارك حزينة
عقد نفسية منذ الصغر و الزواج من مثلي الجنس و دفع ثمن حياة اخرى تسبب بها والدتها
طفلة غير شرعية و عقدة من الرجال و حياة الرحلات ابتدات في عامها الرابع و الثلاثون
في الكتاب تنتقد الغرب بشدة اذا انهم ثوريون اكثر مما يجب للدرجة التي جعلتهم يتلاعبون باساسات و اصول الكون عكس العرب الذين يتعاملون ببساطة اكثر مع الحياة و بتقبل اكبر للنتائج و الاسباب
انتقدت كذلك فكرة ان الجنس هو الدافع الوحيد بل كتبت ان التوق للتحرر و الحقيقة هما الدافعان الاكثر اهمية
من ضمن الاقتباسات :
حري بالرحالة ان يعود نفءه على طريقة حياة سكان البلد الاصليين فهذا امر ضروري ومفيد ان هو رغب بالسفر و المتعة في جزيرة العرب
عقد نفسية منذ الصغر و الزواج من مثلي الجنس و دفع ثمن حياة اخرى تسبب بها والدتها
طفلة غير شرعية و عقدة من الرجال و حياة الرحلات ابتدات في عامها الرابع و الثلاثون
في الكتاب تنتقد الغرب بشدة اذا انهم ثوريون اكثر مما يجب للدرجة التي جعلتهم يتلاعبون باساسات و اصول الكون عكس العرب الذين يتعاملون ببساطة اكثر مع الحياة و بتقبل اكبر للنتائج و الاسباب
انتقدت كذلك فكرة ان الجنس هو الدافع الوحيد بل كتبت ان التوق للتحرر و الحقيقة هما الدافعان الاكثر اهمية
من ضمن الاقتباسات :
حري بالرحالة ان يعود نفءه على طريقة حياة سكان البلد الاصليين فهذا امر ضروري ومفيد ان هو رغب بالسفر و المتعة في جزيرة العرب
June 21, 2021
A great escape to a different time and place . This book takes you on a journey through the beautiful landscape that is the hadramaut region (modern day Yemen) Stark's descriptions of the towns and their people pull you into this amazing land. Also one thing I loved about the layout of this book was that instead of just having a section of photo plates in the middle of the book where you either have to flick back and forward or you don't see any of them for the first half of the book this book has a plate per chapter so you can relate what you are reading at that time.
April 5, 2020
Delightful. A true classic of travel writing. Stark was amazing; even to conceive of going to Yemen in 1934 unescorted was breaking social norms in both cultures. She must have been very good company as she was accepted and treated well by (almost) all she met, both Bedouin and townspeople. Her descriptions are lovely - made me feel like I was there with her. Recommended for those who enjoy being immersed in a time and place they might otherwise never know about.
January 6, 2023
Faith question box
My question about the Catholic faith is…
Faith question box
My question about the Catholic faith is…
The author was the first female to travel alone into rural parts of Arabia, what is now Yemen. This is her account of that trip in the 1930s highlighting the people she met and the things she observed.
My question about the Catholic faith is…
Faith question box
My question about the Catholic faith is…
The author was the first female to travel alone into rural parts of Arabia, what is now Yemen. This is her account of that trip in the 1930s highlighting the people she met and the things she observed.
March 18, 2025
Freya Stark’s mind- what a pleasant place to spend some time. I indulged in this on occasion for the past year. It is full of deep thoughts and those unique moments particular to travel writing from a remote era and location. I’m immediately ready to begin reading it again, especially as I can’t claim to have translated every foreign phrase, quote or word I encountered- there were too many!
November 12, 2021
I have read one of her other books and really enjoy it so that is why I purchases this one. However, I felt this was poorly written and not well organized. (obviously i am alone in my thinking).
I am 30% into the book, but am setting it aside. I want to enjoy the books I read.
I am 30% into the book, but am setting it aside. I want to enjoy the books I read.
February 21, 2022
I really wish I had read her biography first. To be honest, it was hard to follow as I don't know the area at all. My plan now is to go back and re-read this book now that I've read "Passionate Nomad" to see what more I can get from this book.
March 13, 2017
A MUST READ
A WOMAN AHEAD OF HER TIME!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews