The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of Occident, the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the continent of Asia, loosely classified into the Western Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and sometimes including the Caucasus. Originally, the term Orient was used to designate only the Near East, and later its meaning evolved and expanded, designating also the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Far East.
Orientalism is a term used to describe the way that people in the Western world have historically viewed and portrayed people and cultures from the East, particularly those in the Middle East and Asia. It often involves a romanticization or exoticization of these cultures, as well as a tendency to stereotype and generalize about them. Additionally, orientalism can also involve a belief in the inherent superiority of Western culture over Eastern cultures. This idea of orientalism was first popularized by Edward Said in his book "Orientalism" (1978).
Orientalist photography is a style of photography that emerged in the 19th century and was popular among Western photographers. It depicted the people, landscapes, and architecture of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia in a way that reinforced stereotypes and exoticized the cultures depicted. These photographs were often used to support the colonial narrative and depict the people of the East as inferior and in need of Western civilization.
The Ottoman Empire was a state that existed from 1299 to 1923, which was ruled by the Ottoman dynasty. It was initially founded by Osman I in Anatolia, and at its height, it controlled a vast area that included much of southeastern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. The empire was dissolved after World War I and replaced by the Republic of Turkey.
Edward Said was a Palestinian-American literary theorist, cultural critic, and professor of literature at Columbia University. He is best known for his book "Orientalism," which was published in 1978. In this work, Said argues that the West has a long history of creating a stereotypical and demeaning image of the East, particularly the Middle East and the Islamic world. He also critiques the ways in which this representation has been used to justify Western imperialism and domination in these regions. Said's work has had a significant impact on the fields of postcolonial studies and cultural studies. He passed away in 2003.
Postcolonial studies has been heavily influenced by Said's work on Orientalism, and many postcolonial scholars have built on Said's ideas to explore the ways in which colonialism and imperialism have shaped the world we live in today.
Said's work has contributed to the critical examination of the relationship between knowledge, power, and representation and how the West has represented the East.
In his book "Orientalism," Edward Said argues that the West has a long history of creating a stereotypical and demeaning image of the East, particularly the Middle East and the Islamic world. This idea can also be applied to the way the East has been represented in photography.
Orientalist photography, which emerged in the 19th century, often depicted the East as exotic, mysterious, and primitive. Photographers often focused on the "exotic" costumes, architecture, and landscapes of the East, while ignoring the everyday lives and realities of the people who lived there.
In addition, many Orientalist photographs depict Eastern women as passive and sexually available objects, which reinforces the stereotype of the "Oriental harem" and reinforces the notion of the East as a place of sensuality and sexual freedom.
Furthermore, these photographs were often used to justify Western imperialism and the belief in the cultural and racial superiority of the West. By depicting the East as exotic, primitive, and in need of the "civilizing" influence of the West, these photographs helped to create a narrative that supported colonial expansion and the subjugation of the East.
In short, orientalist photography reinforced stereotypes of the East as exotic, mysterious, primitive, and sexually available, which in turn helped to justify Western imperialism and the belief in the cultural and racial superiority of the West.
In the 19th century, Armenian photographers in the Orient played a significant role in capturing and preserving the cultural and social landscape of the region. During this time, the Ottoman Empire, which encompassed present-day Turkey, Iran, and parts of the Middle East, was home to a large Armenian community. Many Armenian photographers established studios and produced photographs that document the daily lives of people, landscapes, and architecture. These photographs provide valuable historical records of a region undergoing significant change during this period.
Some notable Armenian photographers from the 19th century Orient include Antoin Sevruguin, who is considered one of the first photographers in Iran.
Lehnert & Landrock were a photographic studio based in Tunis, Tunisia, active at the beginning of the 20th century. The studio was founded by two German/Austrian photographers, Auguste Lehnert and Ernst Landrock. They produced a wide range of photographs, including portraits, landscapes, and ethnographic images of Tunisia and other parts of North Africa.
Lehnert & Landrock's photographs were known for their high technical quality and attention to detail. They captured the landscape, people, and architecture of Tunisia and the surrounding region, often in a highly stylized and romanticized way. They were also known for their images of local women, which were often posed in a sensual and erotic manner.
Lehnert & Landrock's photographs were popular with Western tourists and were widely distributed in postcard form. They also published several albums of their work, which were sold in Europe and North America. The studio's work was an important source of visual information about North Africa for Western audiences and helped to shape Western perceptions of the region.
The studio was active from 1902 to 1914 and became one of the most successful commercial photography studios in Tunisia. Many of their photographs were also used in postcards and travel guides, which helped to popularize Tunisia as a tourist destination.
Gateways to the orient
- Tanger
- Alger
- Tunis
- Cairo
- Sarajevo
- Istanbul