Prefazione

The book presents the first Italian translation of the 1880 travel diary of Mehrmāh Khānum, an Iranian woman who undertook a ḥajj from Tehran to the Shiite holy sites in Iraq, crossing Iran’s Kurdish mountains. Her narrative offers a rare and insightful female perspective on the cultural, environmental, and logistical dimensions of pilgrimage in late Qajar Persia. Documenting challenges such as tributes, natural hardships, and social barriers, the diary provides vivid accounts of rituals, water infrastructure, and her return journey by sea. Through its rich detail and personal voice, the text sheds light on gendered mobility, local customs, and the complex historical and political landscape of the period. As both a historical source and a literary artifact, the diary makes a significant contribution to the fields of Middle Eastern travel writing and historical geography.