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That Untravell'd World
Nicholas Dylan Ray grew up next to an American national park, whose mountains and forests he explored to escape his troubled home. As ayoung man, he left the United States, and aged twenty-two set out on a six-month journey from France to Tibet, travelling through Turkey. That journey forms the first chapter of this book, and led to a career working with the Middle East. In middle age, the author returned to the road, travelling throughout Turkey. In the six subsequent chapters, one for each journey, he recounts his adventures, discusses the archaeology and history of the places visited, and the people met along the way.
In Konya he is transported by the beauty of an Arabic quotation from the Qur'an inscribed on Rumi's tomb. In Istanbul, among Syrian refugees, he considers the concept of charity in Islam. In Antalya, just after the Islamic State terrorist attack in his home country of France, he analyses the textual foundations of jihadism in Islamic law. Within earshot of the shelling in Syria, he contemplates genocide, and climbs Musa Dagh mountain, the last redoubt of the Armenians who fought the Ottoman troops in 1915. In the coastal region of the Black Sea, he examines the monastic urge in religion and experiments with fasting during Ramadan. And finally, on the north-western Mediterranean coast, he visits two battlefields, Troy and Gallipoli, before returning to Istanbul for a last visit to Sultanahmet, the centre of the Islamic world for five centuries.
During these wanderings Nicholas Dylan Ray shares with the reader his deep knowledge of Islamic religion, culture and history, discussing the foundational texts and their role in current events in the Middle East. He also takes note of those who have travelled these lands before him and reflects on the mixed experience of travel itself.
In Konya he is transported by the beauty of an Arabic quotation from the Qur'an inscribed on Rumi's tomb. In Istanbul, among Syrian refugees, he considers the concept of charity in Islam. In Antalya, just after the Islamic State terrorist attack in his home country of France, he analyses the textual foundations of jihadism in Islamic law. Within earshot of the shelling in Syria, he contemplates genocide, and climbs Musa Dagh mountain, the last redoubt of the Armenians who fought the Ottoman troops in 1915. In the coastal region of the Black Sea, he examines the monastic urge in religion and experiments with fasting during Ramadan. And finally, on the north-western Mediterranean coast, he visits two battlefields, Troy and Gallipoli, before returning to Istanbul for a last visit to Sultanahmet, the centre of the Islamic world for five centuries.
During these wanderings Nicholas Dylan Ray shares with the reader his deep knowledge of Islamic religion, culture and history, discussing the foundational texts and their role in current events in the Middle East. He also takes note of those who have travelled these lands before him and reflects on the mixed experience of travel itself.
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Published April 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 22, 2022
One and a half stars, actually.
It is a special kind of art, being able to take the material based on seven fabulous travels, and spin it in such a dull, self-centric, cold and sometimes insulting monologue.
I feel sorry for people who, in spite of the privilege to travel and discover new worlds, prefer to centre on their paranoiac self and lament all the things they did not see, instead of being able to be happy with everything they experienced. It must be difficult to live like that, not ever being satisfied.
It is a special kind of art, being able to take the material based on seven fabulous travels, and spin it in such a dull, self-centric, cold and sometimes insulting monologue.
I feel sorry for people who, in spite of the privilege to travel and discover new worlds, prefer to centre on their paranoiac self and lament all the things they did not see, instead of being able to be happy with everything they experienced. It must be difficult to live like that, not ever being satisfied.
September 25, 2019
This book is extremely interesting and informative; it engaged my interest all the way through. The author is passionate about his subject. He integrates the history and culture of Turkey into the daily flow of his travels, citing his own experience and incorporating relevant textual sources. Few Americans have the necessary knowledge to explore and present Islamic civilization both historically and contemporaneously. The book contains an excellent map on which to follow the author's path, and two sections of beautiful color photos from his trips. Bravo for an impressive effort of courage and introspection! That Untravell'd World
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews