Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Samira Sarabandikachyani
This paper examines Edith Fraser Benn’s 1909 memoir, The Overland Trek from India by Side-Saddle, Camel, and Rail, which offers an alternative narrative of the Sistan region during the late 19th century. At a time when British imperialism under the Qajar Dynasty imposed a rigid border between Iran and Afghanistan, disrupting Sistan’s cultural and environmental identity, British documents reflected an “Oriental gaze” that reduced the region to a barren, desolate frontier in need of “civilization.” Benn’s memoir, however, provides a strikingly nuanced and human-centered perspective, foregrounding the region’s cultural vitality through deeply personal and richly textured observations that challenge imperialist portrayals. Through an interpretive-historical approach, this paper examines Benn’s “spatial story” via three central themes. First, her narrative vividly captures the materiality and spatiality of Sistan’s domestic spaces, architecture, and landscapes, interwoven with poetic epigraphs from literary works like Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. She introduces culturally embedded terms unique to Sistan—andaruni (interior), kharkhaneh (camelthorn screens), and mihmankhana (guestroom)—which reveal architectural and cultural nuances often overlooked in colonial accounts. Second, Benn challenges colonial narratives by revealing neglected aspects of Sistani life, such as the nomadic communities along the Hirmand River and the artistry of Baluchi women’s carpets— both largely ignored in other British accounts. Third, her photographs, especially those capturing the Ashura procession, offer a multifaceted view of Sistani society, emphasizing its vibrant rituals and collective identity. Through her lived experiences, (her)story constructs a hybrid form of “otherness” that blurs the conventional boundaries between “self” and “other.” This portrayal challenges colonial stereotypes and offers a potential reconciliation between imperial and local perspectives. Ultimately, Benn’s memoir enriches the field of architectural history by confronting its colonial biases and advocating for a more human-centered, nuanced engagement with marginalized narratives. This approach opens new possibilities for understanding spaces and cultures that have historically been overlooked or misrepresented.
https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.113.37
Volume Editors
Sara Jensen Carr & Rubén García Rubio
ISBN
978-1-944214-48-7
