Wild Europe: The Balkans in the Gaze of Western TravellersCombining witty commentary with meticulous research, and abounding in historical and cultural detail, Jezernik reveals how the Balkans have been perceived by Western European travellers and experts from the mid-sixteenth to the late twentieth century. Many of these travellers regarded the region as part of Asia, and sought accordingly to inform their contemporaries of its 'exotic', 'outlandish' and 'primitive' ways. The book's rich store of source material includes citations from naturalists, geographers, historians and social scientists, including Joseph de Tournefort and Henry Blount via Karl Baedeker, William Gladstone, Paulina Irby, Edith Durham, Rebecca West and Julia Kristeva. Exploring over a thousand first-hand reports and comparing narratives spanning nearly 500 years, the author demonstrates that the act of observing other people in their environment mirrors the observer's own culture and mentality. Thus the impressions passed down through the ages of the Balkans say more about Western Europe in most respects than about the lands and peoples in question. |
From inside the book
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Page 27
... passed made room for more , as the situation continually changed , always introducing something new to record , a new subject to depict , a new problem to explain , a new complication to disentangle.19 Thus , the images of Balkan people ...
... passed made room for more , as the situation continually changed , always introducing something new to record , a new subject to depict , a new problem to explain , a new complication to disentangle.19 Thus , the images of Balkan people ...
Page 60
... passed both islands on a steamboat , saw the situation quite differently : The Venetians even purposely avoided every measure that could enrich , or better the condition of the people , in order , more easily , to rule Dalmatia , while ...
... passed both islands on a steamboat , saw the situation quite differently : The Venetians even purposely avoided every measure that could enrich , or better the condition of the people , in order , more easily , to rule Dalmatia , while ...
Page 231
... passed by . 148 Lattice windows were removed and the walls that surrounded houses in Balkan towns were demolished , but in domestic life new customs were adopted at a much slower pace . When Martin Gjurgjević visited an acquaintance , a ...
... passed by . 148 Lattice windows were removed and the walls that surrounded houses in Balkan towns were demolished , but in domestic life new customs were adopted at a much slower pace . When Martin Gjurgjević visited an acquaintance , a ...
Contents
List of Illustrations | 13 |
The Land Where the East Begins | 23 |
The Magic Carpet of the East | 32 |
Copyright | |
22 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Wild Europe: The Balkans in the Gaze of Western Travellers Božidar Jezernik No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
According Account Albania appearance Asia Athens authors Balkan Peninsula barbarous beautiful became beginning Black Bosnia bridge British building built Bulgarian called carried changed Christian church claimed coffee houses Constantinople culture custom described East Eastern enemies Europe European European Turkey Express eyes fact Fortis Freedom French Greece Greek half hand heads Herzegovina History inhabitants instance Istanbul Italy Journey King Land less Letters Levant lived London looked lost M. E. Durham Macedonia Manners Montenegro mosques Mostar Muslims nature never nineteenth century Notes Observations once Orient origin Ottoman Empire political Present Provinces Question Relation remained reported Roman seen Serbian Serbs severing Slavonic stone story Sultan taken took Tour town Travels Turkey Turkish Turks twentieth century visited visitors Voyage West Western Wilkinson Woman women
References to this book
Women in the Ottoman Balkans: Gender, Culture and History Amila Buturovic,Irvin Cemil Schick No preview available - 2007 |