Lady Hester Stanhope and Her Levant Adventure (1810-1839)

Selda Güner Özden

Makale detayları

Lady Hester Stanhope and Her Levant Adventure (1810-1839)

Yazarlar:

Selda Güner Özden

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.899-924

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338939

pISSN:

2651-3188

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The subject of this study is Lady Hester Stanhope 1776-1839, a member of the British upper class whose family included a prime minister, and her extensive and dramatic life in the Eastern Mediterranean, including her travels from London to the Levant at the beginning of the 19th century. Her life can be traced in six volumes published by her doctor after her death. These texts are valuable because they consist of first-hand observations that contribute to the travel routes, include some accounts from the period, and orientalist literature from the first half of the 19th century. Lady Hester Stanhope was an exceptional figure for her time, as she initiated her travels as a woman, aristocrat, and adventurer. She chose to live outside the strict rules of the English aristocratic culture of her time. According to rules that would evolve into a cultural form then in the Victorian era, the role assigned to noblewomen was to be an ideal wife and mother. However, Lady Hester objected to this role by abandoning the opportunities offered by the British monarchy and leaving her country in 1810. She chose to live in the Levant, specifically in Joun, which was under Ottoman administration at the time, until her death 29 years later. Lady Hester was not alone among female travelers to the Levant or East; familiar names such as Lady Mary Wortley Montagu 1689-1762 and Gertrude Bell 1868-1926 had also visited various regions of the Ottoman territory and documented their visits. Although Lady Hester resided in the region for a longer time, it is difficult to say that she was as fortunate in terms of recognition as the formers were. Therefore, this article increases knowledge about her and her Levant based on her documentary texts.

 The subject of this study is Lady Hester Stanhope 1776-1839, a member of the British upper class whose family included a prime minister, and her extensive and dramatic life in the Eastern Mediterranean, including her travels from London to the Levant at the beginning of the 19th century. Her life can be traced in six volumes published by her doctor after her death. These texts are valuable because they consist of first-hand observations that contribute to the travel routes, include some accounts from the period, and orientalist literature from the first half of the 19th century. Lady Hester Stanhope was an exceptional figure for her time, as she initiated her travels as a woman, aristocrat, and adventurer. She chose to live outside the strict rules of the English aristocratic culture of her time. According to rules that would evolve into a cultural form then in the Victorian era, the role assigned to noblewomen was to be an ideal wife and mother. However, Lady Hester objected to this role by abandoning the opportunities offered by the British monarchy and leaving her country in 1810. She chose to live in the Levant, specifically in Joun, which was under Ottoman administration at the time, until her death 29 years later. Lady Hester was not alone among female travelers to the Levant or East; familiar names such as Lady Mary Wortley Montagu 1689-1762 and Gertrude Bell 1868-1926 had also visited various regions of the Ottoman territory and documented their visits. Although Lady Hester resided in the region for a longer time, it is difficult to say that she was as fortunate in terms of recognition as the formers were. Therefore, this article increases knowledge about her and her Levant based on her documentary texts.

 The subject of this study is Lady Hester Stanhope 1776-1839, a member of the British upper class whose family included a prime minister, and her extensive and dramatic life in the Eastern Mediterranean, including her travels from London to the Levant at the beginning of the 19th century. Her life can be traced in six volumes published by her doctor after her death. These texts are valuable because they consist of first-hand observations that contribute to the travel routes, include some accounts from the period, and orientalist literature from the first half of the 19th century. Lady Hester Stanhope was an exceptional figure for her time, as she initiated her travels as a woman, aristocrat, and adventurer. She chose to live outside the strict rules of the English aristocratic culture of her time. According to rules that would evolve into a cultural form then in the Victorian era, the role assigned to noblewomen was to be an ideal wife and mother. However, Lady Hester objected to this role by abandoning the opportunities offered by the British monarchy and leaving her country in 1810. She chose to live in the Levant, specifically in Joun, which was under Ottoman administration at the time, until her death 29 years later. Lady Hester was not alone among female travelers to the Levant or East; familiar names such as Lady Mary Wortley Montagu 1689-1762 and Gertrude Bell 1868-1926 had also visited various regions of the Ottoman territory and documented their visits. Although Lady Hester resided in the region for a longer time, it is difficult to say that she was as fortunate in terms of recognition as the formers were. Therefore, this article increases knowledge about her and her Levant based on her documentary texts.

 Bu çalışmanın konusu; İngiliz üst sınıfının üyelerinden, başbakan çıkarmış bir ailenin ferdi Leydi Hester Stanhope 1776-1839 ve onun 19. yüzyılın başında Londradan Levanta uzanan seyahatleri ile Doğu Akdenizdeki uzun ve dramatik yaşantısıdır. Bu yaşantı onun ölümünden sonra doktoru tarafından toplam 6 cilt hâlinde yayımlanan metinlerden izlenebilmektedir. Bu metinler 19. yüzyılın ilk yarısındaki yolculuk güzergâhlarından, dönemin kimi aktörlerinden bahsettiği ve oryantalist literatüre katkı verecek birinci elden gözlemlerden oluştuğu için değerlidir. Leydi Hester Stanhope kadın, aristokrat ve macera düşkünü kimliklerini mezcetmiş biri olarak sıradışıdır. Yaşadığı çağın İngiliz aristokratik kültürünün katı kuralları dışında bir hayat sürmeyi tercih etmiştir. Daha sonra Viktorya çağında bir kültürel forma dönüşecek bu kurallara göre soylu kadınlara biçilen rol ideal bir eş ve anne olmaktı. Leydi Hester ise 1810da İngiliz monarşisinin kendisine sunduğu imkânları ve ülkesini terk ederek bu role itiraz etti. 29 yıl boyunca ölümüne dek Levantta, o sıralar Osmanlı idaresindeki Cunda yaşamayı seçti. Leydi Hester Doğuya giden kadın seyyahlar arasında yalnız değildir; öncesinde Lady Mary Wortley Montagu 1689-1762, sonrasında ise Gertrude Bell 1868- 1926 gibi tanınmış isimler Osmanlı coğrafyasının farklı bölgelerini ziyaret etmiş ve bu ziyaretlerini kâğıda dökmüşlerdir. Leydi Hesterin, bölgede daha uzun süre ikamet etmesine rağmen, tanınırlık açısından onlar kadar şanslı olduğunu söylemek zordur. Bu yüzden makale, onun belge niteliğindeki metinlerinden hareketle ona ve Levantına dair bilgiyi arttırmayı hedeflemektedir.

Makale detayları

Lady Hester Stanhope and Her Levant Adventure (1810-1839)

Yazarlar:

Selda Güner Özden

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.899-924

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338939

pISSN:

2651-3188

Lady Hester Stanhope

Levant

Mount Lebanon

OrientalismLeydi Hester Stanhope

Levant

Cebel-i Lübnan

Oryantalizm

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Selda Güner Özden

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi: Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.899-924

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 1/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001338939

pISSN: 2651-3188

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Selda Güner Özden

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.899-924

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338939

pISSN:

2651-3188