From the Holy Mountain

Customer Reviews

• A very special book

  This book is a wonderful travel through the Middle East, the home of most of the Western religions. It is erudite, amusing and most of all informative. The closeness of early Christianity to Islam and indeed the closeness in current times with followers of both religions praying together throws a different light on the religions and humanity.

• Great, but...

  This is an incredibly well-written book and you are likely to learn a lot. I could hardly put it down as I traveled through Ecuador and Peru (to my girlfriend's annoyance) and indeed there is plenty in those lovely countries to compete for one's attention (including the woman of course!). So let's say it is fascinating and compulsively readable.
  
  Dalrymple does a great job too of arousing the reader's sympathy for the plight of the Christian minority in the Middle East (nowadays and also through short retellings of past atrocities). But by the end I was kind of wondering what the point of it all was. That minorities tend to be oppressed by majorities? That the "great" monothesistic faiths just can't get along? More to the point:
  
  Dalrymple's thesis, to my mind anyway: Ain't it a shame that these unfortunate Christian minorities just can't get a break in these fundamentalist Islamic nations? These peaceful souls just wanted to live the solitary contemplative life in the deserts, and now look, they've been pushed to the brink of extinction! No one is maintaining hundreds of old churches that no one visits anymore because there aren't any Christians left!
  
  Apparent reality: Well, okay, but every Christian monastic Dalrymple meets seems to be kind enough (to Dalrymple anyway), but basically a judgmental, superstitious hypocrite smugly informing the author of his forthcoming damnation. Is it really a loss to anyone if these maniacs are pushed out of 'their' land? Is there anything for all us 'damned souls' to lament?
  
  I think the answer is no, but this is still an excellent book for throwing a lot of light on an (I think?) fairly unknown part of history and certainly a little-understood part of the world, and as mentioned, witty and well-written.

• From the Holy Mountain--an eye opener

  This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It will expose you to a middle east not commonly known. Dalrymple is a very good writer. It is fascinating to read the comparisons of places as seen by John Moschos and William Dalrymple. The differences are extensive.

• Holy Hatchet Job!

  As much as I enjoyed following Dalrymple's impressive travels and commentary, I must take a dissenting view. As far as the writing is concerned, Dalrymple is good, but not in the league of Colin Thubron, or even Robert Kaplan.
  
  Most disappointing though is his anti Israel bias that mars an otherwise worthy effort. He employs the cheap shot tactic of "interviewing" the worst representatives of Israel that he can find, and leaves the unwitting reader convinced that the Israelis are ALWAYS the evil perpetrators, with no conscience at all. Apparently, Dalrymple has never heard of the word terrorism, except of course when it's Jewish terrorists.
  
  His experiences are all presented as being an objective account, but I was left with distinct impression that the deck was stacked against Israel long before he recorded his thoughts on this trip, even to the despicable degree of using the Nazi metaphor to describe Jews in the Middle East.
  
  Would the Nazis have air-dropped leaflets warning Palestinian residents to stay out of harms way during their recent response to terrorists rocket fire?
  
  This is a hatchet job, plain and simple, masquerading as journalism.

• A detailed account of Eastern Christianity

  From the Holy Mountains by William Dalrymple.
  
  Ever wondered Christianity, a religion from East is now recognized as a west religion. Can this religion be a dividing reason between east and west? I usually wonder about this and I get good overview of eastern Christianity and how it is declining, the relationship between Islam practices and Christianity. The rising Islamic resurgence has it effected the Christianity or are there any other factors which are effecting eastern Christianity.
  
  William Dalrymple goes on journey taken by John Machos, the author of Spiritual Meadows, in Byzantine Empire. He takes a journey from Mount Athos in Greece, Anatolia in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and at last he ends his journey in Alexandria.
  
  Christianity travelled from East to West, it took a new form, a new structure, and new ways of worship. It travelled from Byzantine empire to west and this empire which used to rule from Turkey , Middle East till Egypt is no where to be heard or remembered. Most people remember about Ottoman Empire but have forgotten about bygone area of Byzantines Empire.
  
  The time John machos travelled was the time Byzantine had started declining and over the years it felt to Ottoman Empire. Through this book, William Dalrymple travels to era which has declined and is towards it last end.
  
  John Machos plays an important role; his journal is the only living account of the Byzantine Empire. He promoted in his book concept of having pictures of Jesus and symbol of crucify. In Arab world from where the Christianity came believed in Iconoclasm, not having pictorial representation of the messengers, but it was John Machos who favored this by quoting that most people do not know about the Jesus and this pictorial representation and these pictures will give them idea about the Jesus. This development was very important since this become an important stone in development of Christianity. Renaissance was all about pictures of Jesus, if this belief of Arab world carried to the west then probably there would not have been Renaissance at all. It is quite big statement but he put the foundation stone which helped future Christianity development.
  
  Different concepts of Christianity are spread around the Middle East region and it is quite inquisitive to know about the different types of Christian faiths and how this is effecting them since Islam is dominant over there.
  
  Most people including John Machos believed Islam to be a new form of Arianism, a early Christian which denied divinity of Christ. Many Christian taught Islam a new derivation of this faith.
  
  Maronite are eastern church and are inclined towards Monothelite heresy, one divine energy and one divine will. Monophysite are people who believe in one form of Christ while Orthodox believed in two forms, divine and human. This different lead to Syrian, Armenian, Coptic and Nestorian churches. Nestorian believed Christ was different when he was divine and human
  
  The life lead by all monks are almost same except the belief differs. Monks lead ascetic life and self torture themselves to achieve spirituality. Monks believe you stay hungry i.e. if you keep fast then you can pray better. It is the same way which most people in Islam too have that if you keep fast then you can pray better. The ascetic life of monks give them a feeling that they are away from worldly deeds and can perform their prayers better.
  
  
  Spiritual life is like a ladder which is achieved by going through fasting, prayers, and being away from worldly life. Sound to me a lot like Hindu saints. In old Byzantine empire lot of Sadhus used to travel to have discussion with Christian monks.
  
  Monks are becoming part of the torture in all the places. Islamic resurgence and all other unrest in Middle East seems to impact.
  
  Turkey, country caught between PKK and Turkish group fighting. The Armenian who used to be a major business class in Turkey has left and people who are left are on verge to leave. Armenian are considered as Jews by Turks. After Ottoman Empire collapsed, Armenian have been reduced as they were overpowered by Turks and most of their business past to Turkish people. One of the old Armenian Church is left out with hardly any people to attend.
  
  Haghia Eirene is the only Byzantine church left in Turkey and it is used for various purposes including fashion parade. Turkey is truly working on making everything sovereign country.
  
  The other Christians staying in Turkey are Suraini Christians who have to flee Turkey because of communal clash between Turks and Kurdish are now in Syria.
  
  Syria, usually not considered as a friend of west is the place where Eastern Christian have found home, people from Turkey and other places who have left go to Syria. The country which has been electing Asad for so long proves to be only place in Middle east were Eastern Christians seem to be happy. Aleppo in north of Syria has people who moved from Turkey. The people who are from Turkey are followers from Syrian Orthodox church. The journey which the people took from Turkey and the fight they had is quite a surprise that they have survived. Turkey claims to be republic but people are not, Ataturk wanted to make Turkey like European country and this need to evolve and if you push people behave differently.
  
  Lebanon, world of Hezbollah and it turns out they are not devil as it looks from outside but it is internal feud between Maronite Christian that has resulted in problem for Christians in this part of the world. The are fighting in between themselves. Hezbollah is a shia party in Parliament and not involved in decline of Maronite Christian.
  
  Egypt, a country which has been ruled by Husni Mubarak and considered to be ally of the west has the problem with Islamic fundamentalism and it seems to effect hard Copts Christian, The Copts are a group which got separated out from Orthodox Christian and have kept their faith since then. Alexandria monks are better compared to other monks.
  
  Christianity is in decline in Egypt and Lebanon and seems to happen since people with Christian faith do not have future over there and fleeing away to European countries.
  
  Palestine/Israel Christians are treated are second class citizens. The Christian sites are in decay, the sites are visited by Muslims and the new generation does not have jobs for them in Israel but are better educated then Muslims. The land of the Christian people has been occupied by Jews.
  
  
  Some important things that i learned from the book:
  1) Eastern Christians have same way of prostate as muslins have. They first bow with their hands on the knees and then lower the head on the ground. The tradition completely forgotten by Christians in West.
  2) Eastern Church feels Pope is free Mason and they are pagan worshippers.
  3) Yezidis group feel Lucifer (Satan) was pardoned by god and they worship him. It does not have to do anything with Yezid ruler of Syria.
  4) Turkey destroyed all remaining Byzantine church as they do not want to keep any traces of Armenian history. Turkish people consider Armenian same as Jews.
  5) In Byzantine the status of rock star was given to the Saints.
  6) Monks staying in the abyss still believe Saints who are already died are protecting them.
  7) Saints believed in giving punishment to one body to get connected to God.
  8) Turkish people do not know Haghia Sophia was actually a church converted to Mosque.
  
  Author starts his journey with believe that Islam fundamentalism is effecting Eastern Christians but it turns out different. In Turkey (Suraini Christian) are caught between Kurdish and Turkish fighters and with no scope for them job wise to young generation which has lead them to move away from Turkey.