Daughter of the Desert

"She is an important figure in British travel, both as a woman doing what she did, traversing the Middle East and breaking stereotypes, and for creating a role of lasting historical significance. It’s exciting to open a book and know that just by setting foot out of Britain Bell was making a huge stride. She was born in the 19th century and lived into the early 20th century. She travelled, yes, but she acted as an archaeologist, studying history and mapping out Mesopotamian ruins. This was a great time for British explorers. She was part of a group who were conquering the territories of the empire to see what stories and history had been left in the ground. Bell seemed to absorb the cultures where she worked; she migrated wholeheartedly, speaking fluent Persian and Arabic and befriending those people she met along the way. She didn’t simply drift across the surface as a historian, but created a bond in the present with the region. Taking on the Arabian deserts, an arid, uninhabitable and male terrain, she demonstrated enthusiasm and positivity and she went on to influence the country that later became Iraq through her understanding of the different groups – Kurds, Shi’ites and Sunnis. She worked closely with Churchill and was instructive in the creation of Iraq, offering clarity on what would and would not be practical in governance. Never losing sight of the importance of history and culture, she began what became the Baghdad Archaeological Museum. The uncrowned queen of Iraq, Bell made all the difference culturally and politically."