A Study on the Sociocultural Life of the Balkan Peoples as Depicted in Mary Adelaide Walker’s Travel Book "Through Macedonia to the Albanian Lakes"

Abstract

Throughout history, the Balkans forming part of the Ottoman Empire have been the focus of attention of many Western travelers as a region inhabited by nations of different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds. In this study, based on Mary Adelaide Walker’s 19th-century book titled "Through Macedonia to the Albanian Lakes", the way of life and sociocultural structure of the societies living in the Balkans, as seen through the eyes of a female traveler, will be discussed. In the conclusion, apart from a general summary, the article will shed light on the changing sociocultural life in the Balkans during the time when the traveler was in Macedonia.