La prostituée orientale : du discours social à l’enquête « sociologique ». Étude d’une figure marginale dans les récits de voyage en Égypte du premier xixe siècle

Abstract

Writings of travellers to Egypt in the first half of the 19th century are full of figures of prostitutes, encountered on the corner of an alleyway or at the end of a winding journey to the secluded lairs of these clandestine enchantresses. Kuchiuk-Hanem is one of the most famed, her splendour overshadowing the myriad of prostitutes that other less well-known travellers have figured in their writings. Although very often rejected, these oriental prostitutes are the object of fascination, which sometimes gives way to sincere interest and a form of cultural curiosity. This marginal figure therefore comes to occupy a central role in these writings, that it is important to study.