Freya Stark

Freya Stark was a prolific explorer and writer in the 20th century, penning more than two dozen books on her travels through the Middle East. She was one of the first non-Arabs to travel through the southern Arabian Desert in modern times. Her journey to the fabled Valley of the Assassins is one of the great adventure stories of the era.

Episodes

Freya Stark – Part 1 – Early life and the lands of the Druze

We take a look at the early life of Freya Stark, including her near death as a youth, and her time as a nurse in WWI. We then take Stark on her first adventure, a journey into the forbidden lands of the the Druze – a secretive and closed society in modern-day Syria.

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Freya Stark – Part 2 – The Valley of the Assassins

Freya Stark heads into the mountains of Persia in search of the Valley of the Assassins – as well as the ruins of their legendary fortresses – including Alamut and Lambsar castles.

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Freya Stark – Part 3 – The Lost Assassin Fortress and Solomon’s Throne

In part 3 of our story, Freya Stark returns to the mountains of northern Persia in search of Lambsar – the lost fortress of the Order of Assassins. She will also nearly die after contracting malaria, and make an attempt to climb the mountain known as Solomon’s Throne.

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Freya Stark – Part 4 – Treasure Hunting in Luristan

In this episode we follow Freya Stark on two expeditions into Luristan – which is western Persia. She will go into these wild and unexplored regions in search of bronze relics and treasure. We also cover the publication of Stark’s first book, The Valleys of the Assassins: and Other Persian Travels.

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Freya Stark – Part 5 – Yemen

Between 1935 and 1938, Freya Stark took part in two expeditions into the mountains of Yemen, looking to find the lost city of Shabwa, and document the incense route that had thrived on the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years.

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Freya Stark – Part 6 – WWII and later years

In the final episode on the life of Freya Stark, we take a look at her work in the Middle East in World War II, as well as the latter half of her life – including her many publications. We finish up with a look at the legacy of our explorer and traveler.

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Maps

Freya Stark’s Journeys through northern Persia

Resources

Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark, by Jane Fletcher Geniesse, 2001. This is the best biography of Stark that I could find. It covers her entire life, and really goes into depth on the things outside of her travels and explorations.

Books by Freya Stark