Gertrude Bell, a renowned travel writer and explorer, takes her readers on a captivating journey through the ancient city of Hamah in her book, ‘The Desert And The Sown’. Bell’s books are known for their vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to detail, providing readers with a unique perspective on the cultures and histories of the places she visits.

In ‘The Desert And The Sown’, Bell immerses herself in the northern Syrian city of Hamah, situated along the Orontes river in Syria. Through her unexpected encounters with the city’s rich historical sites and diverse local personalities, Bell delves into the intricate social fabric of Hamah and unveils the layers of culture, tradition, and religious practices that shape the city’s identity.

Key Takeaways

• Gertrude Bell’s journey to Hamah in Syria was marked by a deep exploration of the city’s historical significance, including its French colonial era influence.
• Bell interacted with locals, including a Syrian station-master and a local archaeology enthusiast, enhancing her understanding of Hamah’s ancient roots and culture.
• The spotlight was cast on the aristocratic Muslim families who ruled Hamah, showcasing their influence on the city’s social and political landscape.
• Bell observed simmering discontent and potential unrest in Hamah due to religious differences, highlighting the complexities of social dynamics.
• The author delved into the surrounding villages to understand the cultural and architectural aspects that defined not just Hamah but the wider Syrian society.
• Religion played a significant role in shaping the identity of Hamah and its residents, with a focus on Sunni Islam but also the presence of Ismailis and Nosairis.
• Bell’s keen observations painted a vibrant picture of Hamah’s diverse cultural mosaic, emphasizing harmonious coexistence despite religious differences.

Journey to Hamah: Discovering the City’s History

When Gertrude Bell embarked on her journey to Hamah in Syria, she found herself eagerly leaning into the unexpected. The hidden city, nestled on the fertile plains of the Orontes river, unveiled itself to her serendipitously after a strenuous journey. With every bend in the river, a new vista revealed itself, adding to her mounting anticipation of finally being in the city of Hamah.

Hamah’s historic significance lay shrouded in its labyrinthine alleys and ancient fortifications. Its fortresses, once seemingly impregnable, stood as reminent silent narrators of countless conflicts, intrigues, and negotiations that wove Hamah’s intricate historical tapestry. Bell, known for her zeal for history, sought to peel back these layers, centuries-old, to expose the historical heartbeat of Hamah beneath its modern façade.

Interestingly, Hamah’s history seemed inextricably intertwined with that of the French colonial era. The city served as an important railway terminus, marking the end of the line on the French-controlled rail network. The vestiges of this era continue to echo in its architectural style, street name inscriptions, and Franco-Arabic accents – a vivid reminder of the times when Hamah was under the administration of a French-appointed Muteserrif.

The Orontes issued from the town below us amid gardens of flowering apricot trees, the golden evening light lay behind the minarets, and a great Na’oura ground out a delicious song of the river. Hamah is the present terminus of the French railway,* and the seat of a Muteserrif. The railway furnished me with a guide and companion in the shape of a Syrian station-master, a consequential half-baked little man, who had been educated in a missionary school and scorned to speak Arabic when he could stutter in French.

Gertrude Bell: The Desert And The Sown (1907)

To Bell, however, the city was more than just its colonial history. Nestled in its cradle-like fold were tales of ancient civilizations, trade networks, culture, faith, and living histories breathing life into centuries-old brickwork. Her encounter with Hamah, therefore, was not just an exploration of a city, but a reflection of global narratives spun around river bends, stemming from ancient fortresses, and filtering through the sands of conquered lands.

Interaction with Locals and Exploration of the City

Bell’s experience of Hamah was further enriched by her interaction with the locals. Guided by soldiers and a local Turk, she trekked through the city’s remote terrains, seeking a suitable ground for their camping site. In these interactions, Gertrude Bell got a closer look at the life of the locals, their daily routines, their expressions of hospitality, and the dimensions of their lives interwoven with the landscape of Hamah.

Among the many personalities she met, one that stood out was a Syrian station-master, who was passionate about the history and architecture of his city. He provided Bell with valuable insights about Hamah’s erstwhile rulers, the architectural brilliance of its structures, and the tales whispered in the ruins.

Another intriguing associate of Bell’s was a local archaeology enthusiast named Monsieur Kbes. His knowledge and fascination with the city’s ancient roots helped Bell dig deeper into its historical significance, enhancing her understanding beyond the narratives of guidebooks and travel brochures. Monsieur Kbes bridged the gap between Bell and the long-lost era of Hamah, enabling a rich, personal exploration of the city’s past.

Together, they explored the untouched charm of Hamah’s bazaars, rich in aromatic spices, vivid fabrics, and colourful crafts, offering her first-hand interaction with the bustling trade and traditional crafts of Hamah. Making her way through labyrinthine alleys led her to the imposing edifice of the central mosque, once a Byzantine church. This architectural metamorphosis echoed the city’s rich history of religious and cultural amalgamation, delivering a profound understanding of the city’s multicultural heritage.

Each encounter, each exploration, unwrapped a new layer of Hamah, and in the process, Bell rooted herself deeper into the soil of the city, allowing its spirit to seep into her, eroding the borders of an outsider and an observer, until she became a part of the city’s vibrant tapestry.

Observations on the Culture and Social Structure of Hamah

Throughout Gertrude Bell’s journey, a particular spotlight was cast on the aristocratic Muslim families who ruled the city. These ancient families, many of whom claimed direct lineage from the Prophet Muhammad, were key players in Hamah’s social and political landscape. Their influence was far-reaching, from causes as nobly diverse as patronising the arts and charities to maintaining subtly complex networks of power and influence.

Four powerful Mohammadan families are reckoned as the aristocracy of the town, that of ’Azam Zadeh Teifur, Killani and Barai, of which last I had seen a member in Damascus. The combined income of each family is probably about /6000 a year, all derived from land and villages, there being little trade ‘ in Hamah. Before the Ottoman government was established as firmly as it is now, these four families were the lords of Hamah and the surrounding districts ; they are still of considerable weight in the administration of the town, and the officials of the Sultan let them go pretty much their own way, which is often devious.

Gertrude Bell: The Desert And The Sown (1907)

Interactions with a spectrum of people, from soldiers, to the local aristocracy, to an educated Afghan man and a Turkish telegraph clerk, provided Bell with a rare, multidimensional insight into the social structure of the city. Each encounter was an individual thread skilfully woven into the rich social fabric of Hamah – a fabric characterized by its diversity, complex history, and enduring customs.

Perhaps the most potent revelation of her journey was the simmering discontent and potential unrest due to religious differences. Bell observed the friction between the largely Sunni population and the Shia minority, fuelled by historical grudges and contemporary politics. Even though most of her accounts painted pictures of peaceful coexistence, these instances of sectarian friction evoked a sense of unease, hinting at deep-seated tensions spanning centuries.

However, as she meticulously chronicled these fascinating encounters, Bell also took care to depict the people of Hamah beyond the stereotypes. Hamah was not just a city of power struggles and religious tensions. It was a city where an educated Afghan man could engage in intellectual debates on the merits of the Western education system, and where a humble Turkish telegraph clerk would go above and beyond his duties to ensure the smooth flow of communication lines.

Hamah, through Bell’s eyes, stood as a symphony of cultures, a testament to the resilience and adaptability of its people. Her keen observations and narratives painted a vibrant, authentic portrait of a city that was an intricate tapestry of tradition, culture, history, and social dynamics. Undeterred by the complexities of her surroundings, Bell explored Hamah with an open heart, and in doing so, she captured the essence of the city by intertwining her own journey with the lives of its resilient inhabitants.

Surrounding Villages and Varied Religious Practices

Throughout her journey, Bell maintained an open eye for the cultural and architectural minutiae that defined the city as well as its peripheries. Not satisfied with experiencing Hamah within its borders alone, she ventured into the surrounding villages. The rural landscape thus unfolded before her, offering glimpses into the simpler, yet equally rich, facets of Syrian cultural life. It was in these places that the author really got to observe the rhythm of the working day, the communal relations, architectural vernacular, and the daily customs which were imbued with religious significance.

Religion was an ever-pervasive theme in both Hamah and its surrounding villages. The vast majority followed the teachings of Sunni Islam, yet there were signposts of other religious practices as well. Perhaps most notable were the Ismailis, a Shiite sect who traced their roots back to the progeny of the seventh Ismaili Imam, Isma’il ibn Jafar, and the Nosairis, often known as Alawites, another heterodox religious group within Shia Islam. Stark acknowledged that such diversity was a testament to the ways in which faith manifested across different communities and cultures, each with its unique interpretation and practice.

As we rode, Matoud told tales of the Ismailis and the Nosairis. Of the former he said that the Agha Khan’s photograph was to be found m every house, but it is woman that they worship, said he. Every female child bom on the 27th of Rajah is set apart and held to be an incarnation of the dmnity. She is called the Rozah. She does not work, her hair and nails are never cut, her family share in the respect that is accorded to her, and every man in the village will wear a piece of her clothing or a hair from her body folded in his turban.

Gertrude Bell: The Desert And The Sown (1907)

Her curiosity in the religious practices of others led her to take up temporary residence within one of the town’s many lodging places. Here, she had an unexpected encounter with a religious gathering that went on into the night. Observing this communal act of worship, Bell was struck by the unity of purpose exhibited by a diverse crowd. This experience elucidated the vital role religious affiliations and practices played, not only in grounding a sense of community but also in shaping the cultural identities of Hamah and the smaller villages in its wake.

The author detailed how these religious practices are interwoven with the societies’ social structures, impacting everything from their architectural landscape to local traditions and customs. Bell noted the tangible echoes of the Byzantine history in the grandeur of the mosque, while ancient traditions gracefully danced through the vibrant markets. Even though religion was a major dimension of Bell’s exploration, she did not forget to account for the many instances of peaceful coexistence, reminding her readers that despite religious differences, harmonious living was and continues to be a possibility.

Bell succeeded in presenting a vivid portrayal of this diversity, a true cultural mosaic, which she owed to her adventurous spirit, marked by a willingness to share in the lives of locals, whether in the buzzing city or in the quietude of the surrounding villages. This balance of attention, providing equal weight to Hamah and its neighbouring areas, thus painted a complete and layered portrait of Syrian society – an achievement that distinguishes ‘The Desert And The Sown’ as more than a mere travelogue.

Asia’s Interconnectedness and Influence of International Events

In ‘The Desert And The Sown’, Stark offered a discerning view of the interconnectedness of Asia, witnessed especially through her riveting account of the journey through Hamah and its surrounding villages. She subtly brought to her reader’s attention the ways in which the tapestry of Asian cultures had been woven on a shared loom of historical triumphs, disillusionments, and spiritual awakenings.

Bell’s journey spoke to the powerful influence of the Silk Road, that ancient network of trade routes that not only facilitated commerce but also cultural exchange and intellectual discourse, linking far-flung peoples and civilizations from Constantinople to Chang’an. Hamah, much like the other notable stops enroute, bore its silent testimony to this enduring legacy in the form of its unique blend of Asian and European architectural elements, religious practices, and social norms.

What sets Bell apart as an observer, however, was her ability to intuit a deeper, more pervasive interconnectedness within the apparent diversity. She extrapolated from the anecdotal reflections of her companions – the soldiers, the Afghani man, the Turk – to weave a narrative that spoke of the shared human experience. Not unlike the intertwining tributaries of the River Orontes, she saw the unified stream of human aspirations, faith, struggles, and triumphs within the plurality of Asia.

Parallel to her insights on interconnectedness, Bell also dwelled on the impact of international events on the smaller communities dotted around Hamah. The geopolitical gambles being played out on the world stage during her travels had a profound impact on these tucked-away populations, too far removed physically to be immediate stakeholders, yet too closely bound by shared histories and cultures to be unaffected.

Her interactions and observations laid bare the taut thread of anxiety that ran through the social fabric of these communities. The shadow of evolving world events loomed over Hamah, often igniting the sparks of sectarian flashpoints and subtly influencing the local socio-political dynamics. Even as she reported observing instances of religious friction, Bell qualified these as summation undercurrents in an otherwise harmonious social ecosystem – hinting perhaps at the collateral damage inflicted by power games played out on a global chessboard.

Bell’s extensive narratives formed a larger commentary, not only on the rich cultural tapestry of Hamah and its neighboring villages but also the transcendental quality of human experience. Her work bore testament to the ways in which large-scale historical events and cross-cultural interactions ripple through the annals of time and space, contouring each society, from significant urban hubs to remote rural clusters, with a ubiquitous touch.

Conclusion

As Gertrude Bell concluded her secretive journey through the ancient city of Hamah and its surrounding villages, she found herself immersed in the rich tapestry of Syrian culture and history. What had begun as a mere exploration of a hidden gem along the Orontes river had blossomed into a profound understanding of the complexities and nuances that defined the region.

Bell’s experiences in Hamah had unveiled the layers of culture, tradition, and religious practices that shaped the city’s identity. Her encounters with soldiers, locals, aristocrats, and religious practitioners had provided her with a unique perspective on the social structure and dynamics of the city. From the historic fortresses to the bustling bazaars, from the grand mosques to the quiet villages, Bell had traversed a landscape steeped in history and alive with the vibrant spirit of its people.

Reflecting on her journey, Bell marveled at the interconnectedness of Asia and the influence of international events on the local communities. The echoes of the Silk Road, the shared human experience, and the ripple effects of global geopolitics had all left their mark on Hamah and its surroundings. Through her keen observations and insightful analysis, Bell had painted a vivid portrait of a region where history, culture, and traditions intertwined to create a timeless tapestry.