Voyages en Orient. Journal de la Comtesse de Perthuis. Manuscrit Inedit Decouvert par Fouad Debbas. 1853-1855. 1860-1862.

DESCRIPTION

246 pp. of French text; numerous b/w & color photographs, drawings, maps, fascimile pages from original manuscripts, biblio. Hardback binding in dust wrappers; Copy in mint condition. New. A rare manuscript discovered by Fouad Debbas and printed here for the first time. A rare manuscript discovered by Fouad Debbas and printed here for the first time. An account of Madme de Perthius who travelled to the Near East twice in 1853-1855 and 1860-1861. She was the mother of Edmond de Perthuis, a significant player in the economy of Syria. He contrsuted the first major road between Beirut and Damascus which was opened in 1863. Through Madame de Perthuis memoirs, we are able to move in the social circles her son frequented. It was a hight society taht was not as wordly or powerful as that of,say, the capital istanbul, but it carried its weight as the high society of an Ottoman provincial commercial center on the rise. The memoirs are valuable because they capture an important moment of transition in the history of the Middle East and the West and, as such, constitute a valuable resource for anyone interested of the modern middle east and its relations with Europe. ISBN: 9953741328