The article presents an analysis of the perception of the Orient by the European society in the light of the views of European travelers and adventurers. In the 19th century, society's needs in the exotics, its dreams of distant lands, the desire to escape from Western civilization were fully satisfied by the literature about the Orient. Pictures of romantic events richly decorated with warm and vivid descriptions of oriental flavor, complemented exquisitely with sensual touching scenes that demonstrated the fullness of life, captivated readers and took them to distant, unknown lands. In this context, it is worth to note the perception of the Orient, including the Ottoman Empire, in the works of Pierre Loti. This author, a real intellectual who did not consider himself as such though he was a member of the French Academy, was able to show the oriental culture to his readers in the most vivid and exciting way, thus becoming a successful writer and a much-respected person in the Orient.
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