Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• mohsen parvish

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili , Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

Travelogues, as one of the most important historical and cultural documents, play a key role in shaping one nation’s perceptions of another. A particular and frequently stereotypical image of Iranian women has been presented in Western travelogues about Iran, particularly in recent centuries. These representations have not remained confined to texts alone; rather, they have exerted profound effects on the lived realities, security, and modes of social presence of Iranian women in public spaces. This article provides a critical examination of the portrayal of Iranian women in Western travelogues and illustrates that these texts serve as more than just historical documents; they also serve as methods for the construction of a “Oriental Other.” The present study delineates the construction and solidification of the stereotypical image of the Iranian woman as an isolated and confined being restricted to the private sphere within these travelogues, drawing on Edward Said's theoretical framework of Orientalism and Mulvey’s concept of the “gaze.” This article investigates the tangible repercussions of these representations on the lived experiences of Iranian women, transcending the confines of strictly textual analysis. The results suggest that these portrayals have not only influenced the perceptions of Western audiences but have also had a profound and enduring impact on the psychological and physical security of Iranian women, as well as on the quality and nature of their social presence in public spaces, as a result of their infiltration into domestic discourses.

Keywords

• Iranian women
• Western travel writers
• social security
• public space
• orientalism

Main Subjects

• Historic