The Women of Cario, Scenes of Life in the Orient is a travel book by French Romanticist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9rard_de_Nerval) Gerard de Nerval ,
first published in 1846. It describes a 1-year trip to Cairo, Egypt and
other places in the Ottoman Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries the
Islamic Orient was a great mystery to Europeans giving rise to myths
fueled by tales in the Arabian Nights. There were myths about the
Harem, the oriental despot, the mysteries of Egypt ("Look Upon My
Works, Ye Mighty, And Despair"), the stories of the Crusades, oriental
virgins and slaves, etc. Romantic-era authors such as Lord Byron,
Shelley, Walter Scott, Coleridge, Thomas Quincey (opium eater) and so on
lived out the myth of the Orient in works and person. Nerval was
central in that tradition and his journey is revealing for its
myth-making and myth-busting.
The first volume of this unabridged translation centers mostly on Cairo.
Before leaving Europe, Nerval had been dumped by his love interest, an
actress. Arriving in Egypt, Nerval begins searching for a new female
companion, which legally could only be achieved through marriage. He
ends up buying a slave woman who is from India, but not before going on
one adventure after the next trying to find (or buy) his new mate in the
warrens of Cairo. It's a fascinating look at old customs, largely
hidden from public view, some of which are funny (Nerval has been
compared with Charlie Chaplin) and other scenes are disturbing (the sale
of pre-pubescent girls to amuse the buyers "darkest desires"). Nerval
describes scenes in flowery romanticized imagery, but also dispels some
myths about harems and slaves. As it turns out women have much more
control over their lives, even the slave girl pushes Nerval around and
balks at the idea she might be set free (a terrible fate in her mind
since she would then have to actually work for a living). Other
memorable scenes are climbing the Great Pyramids with the help of four
Bedouins, two on top who pulled your arms and two on bottom who push
upward, block after block, until you reach the top. There were no other
tourists around. The Sphinx still laid mostly buried in the sand. A book
filled with fascinating little details of Egypt before the modern era.

motw/The Women of Cairo_ Scenes of Life on the - Gerard de Nerval.pdf

The Women of Cairo : Scenes of Life on the Orient (Two Volume Set)

The women of Cairo scenes of life in the Orient

Conrad Elphinstone

Gérard de Nerval

Gerard de Nerval

A M S Press, Incorporated

Harcourt, Brace

United States, United States of America

New York, New York State, 1982

Vol I, PT, 1929

New York, 1980

June 1929

producers:
Recoded by LuraDocument PDF v2.16

Memory of the World Librarian: Quintus

Reprint. Originally published: London : G. Routledge & Sons, 1929.
Selections translated from the author's Le voyage en Orient.

Reprint. Originally Published: London : G. Routledge & Sons, 1929. Selections Translated From The Author's Le Voyage En Orient.

2025-10-27