The archives of Gertrude Bell, “Uncrowned Queen of Iraq”
The archives of Gertrude Bell, sometimes referred to as the “Uncrowned Queen of Iraq” ( how I hate that title!), are at Newcastle University in the UK. If you do not know who Gertrude Bell is, or simply wish to know more about her, then click here.
The archives include this first photo of a Shammar camel rider, with horses in the background, near the ancient Arab ruins of al-Hadr (ancient Hatra), in Iraq; and this second photo of Fahd Ibn Haddal, leader of the ‘Amarat Bedouins, and Gertrude’s “friend”.
Ibn Haddal leader of all Aenzeh
The transcribed letters include several references to Lady Anne Blunt:
Dec 28, 1906, Cairo, to Gertrude Bell’s mother: “We are going out into the country tomorrow to see Lady Anne Blunt – I wonder what sort of a visit that will be! She answered my suggestion that we should go with the utmost cordiality. I felt I could not not write to her, what with Lord Lovelace and all!”
Jan 1, 1907, Cairo, to Gertrude Bell’s mother: “a most successful afternoon we spent with Lady Anne. She was dressed in full Bedouin costume and we saw her Arab horses and her garden with wolves and foxes wild in it, and she told us all about the lawsuit with Wilfred Blunt and insisted that we should come down again before we left. I must try and go. She is an interesting woman.”
Jan 11, 1907, Cairo, to Gertrude Bell’s mother: “I lunched with Lady Anne today and spent a couple of hours in her charming garden. I forgot to tell Hugo that she loves being photographed – no, I think I told him. We have become great friends. Today as I went away she said “How shall I do with not seeing you again?” It’s not a demonstrative affection, quite prim and formal in fact, very odd altogether. But I take a great pleasure in wandering about with her through her orange groves and listening to her funny disjointed talk. You will realize her quite well from Hugo’s photographs.”
Dec 6, 1915, Cairo, to Gertrude Bell’s mother: “Yesterday I made holiday for an afternoon and went to see Lady Anne who was most kind and affectionate. We had great talks about Arabia and I shall go down to her again next Sunday. It’s an oasis of peace and quiet after the noise and crowd of Cairo.”
Jan 25, 1916, Cairo, to Gertrude Bell’s mother: “Last Sunday I was so frozen that I could not sit indoors and shiver all day, so I went down to Lady Anne, walked about her garden and had tea with her which was better than the icy office.”
I don’t know about you guys, but I feel a very deep and personal connection with Lady Anne Blunt, which means that I have trouble accepting that someone says “bad stuff” about her. “Disjointed talk”??
Disjointed: “without unity or coherence.” Lady Anne certainly doesn’t come across as “disjointed” in her journals and letters, or her review of Professor Ridgeway’s book.
Yes Give us More Information
I Expressed My doubts In a letter to Edouard about Lady Anne and her Horses
I am not believe her
yes i need to answer you
This is very interesting.Ich did not know much about this woman.
Once my father’s family, was the Pasha in Baghdad since 1704 was to end 1831.
After that they have lived in 1851 in Medina, from the time in Bulgaria, then from 1918 in Istanbul.
Once, they had Asil horses , unfortunately, no one more.
My ancestors brought mares from Iraq to Medina, from the strain MANEKIYE SUBEYHI *.
One of them also went to Mr.Ibrahim Bin Mehmed.
My ancestors brought mares from Iraq to Medina, from the strain MANEKIYE SUBEYHI *.
My ancestors brought mares from Iraq to Medina, from the strain MANEKIYE SUBEYHI *.
One of them also went to Mr.Ibrahim.
The only descendant, Rode 1930 OA, a Gray Mare.
She founded a line today in Turkey.
I’m sorry for the double post, my PC was to blame.
How interesting. You have a fascinating family history.
Thank you, Edouard.
My interest is the Asil Arabians, rare lines.
Unfortunately, Asil Arabians, bred with non-asil.
My heart bleeds when I see these pairings.
Why does that matter?
Asil is the pure, clean, like a flawless diamond.
What I would like to know, the Asil Arabian from Iraq, recognized by the WAHO?
I would love to breed the line MANEKIYE SUBEYHI, with SE Stallions.
Unfortunately, I find nothing about this line.
What I know about Managieh is as follows:
Manekiye no substrain
Manekiye giddili
Manekiye hedrujieh
Manekiye ibn sbeylieh
Manekiye sidli
Manekiye slajl
But nothing about Manekiye Subeyhi ……
The original Ma’naghi is the Ma’naghi Hadraji with the Shammar and the ‘Amarat.
Ma’naghi Sbayli is a branch of that. Ma’naghi Abu Sayfayn, Ma’naghi Zudghum and Ma’naghi Tarbush in Syria are a branch of Sbayli.
There is also Ma’naghi Slaji but I don’t know where this branch comes from.
You have to check your family stories to see if Ma’naghi Subeyhi is not Man’aghi Subeyli (Sbayli).
Iraq’s WAHO-registered horses are mostly non Asil but some are Asil.
Hello Edouard, exactly.
I am of the same opinion as you. In Iraq, many Kurdish and Turkoman horses were taken for breeding,even Thoroughbred.
Can it be possible to Ma’naghi Subeyhi is Man’aghi Subeyli (Sbayli ).???