During the winters between 1882 and 1890, the intrepid explorers Theodore and Mabel Bent left their home and opulent lifestyle in London’s fashionable West End to meander around the Greek islands and the Turkish coast in search of adventure in the exotic Levant.
Theodore and Mabel Bent were truly intrepid explorers who travelled extensively in Greece and along the Turkish coast. Their thirst for adventure later saw them in Africa, Arabia and Persia. Read about their extraordinary lives on the website tambent.com.
They travelled by steamer, sail-boat, mule and on foot, staying in the finest houses, the humblest dwellings and under open skies, often sharing their sleeping quarters with brigands, fleas and domestic animals. Along the way Mabel penned her diary and Theodore made notes recounting their amazing adventures, local customs, music, dance and much more.
In March 1886, the couple visited Astypalea and stayed for 10 days. Their writings represent a unique record of Astypalean life, customs and beliefs at a time when the island was still under the control of the Turkish Ottoman empire and normal life was developing after the scourge of the piracy of previous centuries.
Theodore wrote about their adventures in contemporary magazine articles and in his best-selling book ‘The Cyclades or Life Among the Insular Greeks’. This e-book is a digitised edition of the article he wrote for the March 1887 edition of The Gentleman’s Magazine entitled 'ASTYPALÆA'.
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