1893-1993

British Explorer and Writer

Freya Madeline Stark was a British explorer who lived during a time when explorers were regarded as heroes. She traveled to remote areas of the Middle East, where few Europeans—especially women—had traveled before. She also traveled extensively in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Nepal, and Afghanistan. She was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1972. Through her writings, she contributed to our knowledge and understanding of the people, landscapes, and conditions unique to the world between World War I and World War II.

Stark was born in Paris in 1893 to British expatriate parents. Although she had no formal education as a child, she moved about with her artist parents and learned French, German, and Italian. She entered the University of London in 1912, but with the entry of Britain into World War I...