Freya Stark

[Alexias]

In 1930-31 Freya Stark travelled through the region of northern Iran south of the Caspian Sea. She published a record of her travels in 1936 'The Valleys of the Assassins and other Persian Travels'. Travelling mostly by mule with Persian guides, she traversed this very mountainous and, at the time, very undeveloped region just as the Persian government were beginning to make modernisations, forcing the monads to abandon their tents and live in houses, wear westernised clothing, and building modern roads. As such it is a valuable record of a disappearing way of life of and of, at times, extreme poverty and a hospitality that refuses to take payment for a meal but rifles through the luggage at night.

The book isn't directly related to Alexander (though he gets a few mentions) as he passed to the east of these mountains, the province of Hyrcania being to the south east of the Caspian sea. What is interesting though is the sheer height of these mountains (up to and over 15,000 feet), and the Jungle (not really visited) which lies north of the mountains and south of the Caspian in which, allegedly, there were tigers as late as the 1930s. Also, the difficulties of travelling through uncharted territory with only local knowledge (sometime faulty), and local guides (who sometimes had their own agenda) to rely on. Stark failed to reach the summit of the Throne of Solomon (the highest peak) because her guide had been convinced that to take a woman to the summit would pollute it.

It would have helped if I had know more of the geography and history of the region before reading it as the unknown names are a bit overwhelming, but it is still an eye-opening read. Stark also followed Alexander's footsteps through Caria 'The Footsteps of Alexander', but I haven't read that. Anyway, I thought the maps might be interesting.

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[marcus]

I haven't read that book, I don't think, although I have read another of Stark's books about travelling in the Middle East. I have read "Alexander's Path", however. Fantastic books, and beautifully written. Thank you for this one - I will find it and read it at some point!

[Alexias]

There is an interesting biography of Freya Stark here https://www.academia.edu/90812468/Freya_Stark with some photos.

[marcus]

That looks really interesting, thanks.

I realise that the other Stark books I've read (apart from 'Alexander's Path') are 'The Lycian Shore' and 'The Valleys of the Assassins'. Both really good.