Life on the Golden Horn

This is a great excerpt from Mary Wortley Montagu's letters written 1716-1718, and offers a fascinating glimpse not only of her travel to Constantinople, and at the Turkish court etc, but of the thinking of the day. The blurb on the back of the edition sums it up very well: “She had reached the beautiful town of Sofia, famous for its hot baths. Naked women reclined on cushions and rich carpets, their long hair dressed with pearls and ribbons as they bathed. Mary Wortley Montagu's journey across Europe to Constantinople allowed her to investigate the hidden lives of women - from elaborate dinners in exotic Turkish harems to the freedom of wearing a muslin veil, her adventures exposed a reality never reported before.”

The letters are to her sister and various other people. I am not sure if the excerpt is reprinted in full or specifically edited to suit the short format. Either way it works well as a short read.