The image of Arabia in the letters and diaries of Gertrude Bell

Abstract

Gertrude Bell je jednou z nejvyznamnejsich auton1 cestopisu britskeho puvodu na pfelomu devatemlcteho a dvacateho stoleti. Vynika zejmena svou erudovanosti ale take vlivem, ktery mela na oblast Blizkeho vychodu, kde pusobila ve vysokych funkcich a zaslouzila se 0 vznik moderniho statu Irak. Bell milovala psani a psat zacala uz v dobe svych studii na Oxfordu, posleze psala zejmena dopisy svym rodicum. Jeji prvni dopisy z cest popisuji jeji vypravu do Persie, kde si zamilovala Blizky vychod a dokonce pfelozila verse perskeho basnika Hafeze. Bell cestovala nejenom ze zajmu 0 nove kultury, ale take kvuli vyzkumlll11 na poli archeologie, kterou vystudovala, a v neposledni fade jako spi6nka ve sluzbach britske vlady. Jeji prvni zpravodajska cesta za ucelem zjistiteni politickych pomeru v Arabii byla do mesta Ha'il primo v srdci Arabskeho poloostrova. Bell tady stravila dva tydny v zajeti, behem kterych se ji podafilo nejen zmapovat situaci a pomery ve vladnouci rodine Rasidll, ale take poznat blize zivot zen, ktere zily ve vladnouci rodine. Bell tak pronikla do nejintimnejsich oblasti zivota kocovnych Arabu. Z teto cesty se zachovaly dopisy, ktere autorka adresovala svym rodicum, a ktere byly vydane laatce po jeji smrti; mnohem pfinosnejsi a objevnejsi jsou ale dopisy venovane jejimu milenci Charlesu...

Gertrude Bell is an English writer, scholar, archeologist and politician who lived at the beginning of the 20th century and enormously influenced the political situation of the postwar Middle East. She literally drew the borders of the newly-emerging state of Iraq and advised the appointed King Faisal in political matters. Long before Gertrude Bell took her role in the high politics, she traveled across the Middle East to learn the Arabic language, to get to lmow the Arabic culture as well as to photograph, work on excavations and, very importantly, to spy. She never failed to keep a diary of some sort to remember her individual journeys and adventures for her beloved ones. Her book of letters addressed to her parents consists of hundreds of letters which introduce us to the Arab world of the early 20th century. The Arabian Diaries, which she wrote in the year of 1914 give us a chance to take a glimpse at the most important, the most adventurous but also the most dangerous journey she undertook in her life - the journey to the city of Ha'il, which lies in the middle of the Arabian desert. This work will examine Gertrude Bell's life and travels before her journey to Ha'il, her reasons for 'visiting this city and her political activities prior to the visit. The focus then will be on the Diaries, which is a...