Orientalism and Tourism in the Ottoman Empire during the 19th Century

This thesis examines the role of Orientalism in the development and practice of tourism in the Ottoman Empire over the course of the nineteenth century. It argues that tourism provided a framework through which pre-existing Orientalist representations of the East were encountered, reproduced, and eventually reinforced. Close contact between the traveler and “the traveled” did not necessarily produce deeper understanding or lead to the correction of preconceived representations. Even when the reality on the ground did not correspond to preexisting assumptions, visitors often found various ways to disregard this mismatch, missing an opportunity to challenge the Orientalist discourse. Ottoman actors, in their part, responded differently to this sustained exposure to Orientalism. While state actors and Ottoman intellectuals challenged particular representations of the Ottoman Empire –but not the discourse itself– market actors often prioritized economic gain and catered to persistent Orientalist demands, creating an economy in which Ottoman actors could benefit from Orientalist expectations only by allowing themselves to be reduced to them. These processes came together to create a self-reinforcing loop in which tourists returned home with strengthened assumptions about the Orient, making tourism an important social and international channel for the reproduction of the Orientalist discourse.