Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell was an extraordinary woman who is often credited with breaking up the Middle East in the early 20^th century. 

Born into the wealthy family of Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell at Washington New Hall (previously County Durham), Bell was initially home schooled. Gertrude later attended Oxford University and was the first woman to graduate with a first-class degree in Modern History. This prestigious education paved the way for her career as an archaeologist, traveller and political diplomat.

Bell was fascinated with archaeology and went on two separate round-the-world expeditions.

On both occasions Gertrude recorded information about local churches as well as a substantial amount of archaeology. What was astonishing was that she managed to travel across deserts in dangerous and treacherous conditions with a portable library for her research.

Armed with a team of men, Gertrude travelled between 1897-1898 and 1902-1903 often confused for a British spy due to the detailed drawings she took when travelling.

Bell and her team also took exact measurements of Byzantine churches across Anatolia (modern day Turkey).‌

It was because of Gertrude’s extensive knowledge of the Middle East, Arabic culture and language that she was recruited by the British government during World War I. 

Gertrude travelled extensively throughout Mesopotamia (in the regions of modern day Iraq) and across Arabia. It is because of these noteworthy expeditions that Bell became involved in the discussions that led to the disbandment of Iraq. 

Her close relationships with political diplomats and tribal groups informed these discussions.

Bell provided an extensive catalogue entitled ‘Thousand and One Churches’ which included detailed drawings, recordings and photographs of early Byzantine architecture in Anatolia. This remains the standard authority on Byzantine architecture across Anatolia.

From her love of archaeology and architecture, Bell became an Honorary Director of Antiquities in Iraq and it is from here she established the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.

The expedition taken through the Syrian Desert to Asia Minor was later published as the ‘Desert and the Sown’ and documents her work in Binbirklise. In 1922, Gertrude was appointed the provisional Director of Archaeology to represent King Faisal’s government. Gertrude procured a series of stolen artefacts which were then housed in the new Iraq Museum. 

Gertrude Bell was honoured and commemorated with a plaque inside the museum after her death in 1926. 

Bell was a controversial figure because of her political standpoints yet she was also a controversial name in the Doughty-Wylie household. Whilst travelling, Gertrude became friends with the Military Consul Charles Doughty-Wylie and exchanged love letters with him despite the fact that he was already married. Sadly, Doughty-Wyle was killed in action in 1915.

In 1921, Bell attended the Cairo Conference where major figures such as Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence (better known as Lawrence of Arabia) were present. It is at this conference that the fate of Asia Minor was settled, and the new state of Iraq was born. Bell watched the coronation ceremony of Faisal I and had previously expressed an interest that the new King should rule the new nation of Iraq.

Gertrude Bell is often considered a controversial figure in the Middle East particularly as the current problems of Iran, Iraq and Syria can be dated back to the decisions made at the Cairo Conference. 

Bell documented and recorded as much of the Middle East as possible, which has since been digitised by Special Collections at Newcastle University. The Gertrude Bell Archive was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2017 to celebrate the significance of her findings and the impact she had on history. Her political connections and relationships enabled her to influence the policies of Arabia and the Middle East.