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Orders of the harem in the Ottoman Empire. How women lived in Eastern harems, or what they don't talk about in romantic films

Orders of the harem in the Ottoman Empire. How women lived in Eastern harems, or what they don't talk about in romantic films

11.02.2019

What associations do we have when we mention the harem? beautiful girls sitting on sofas and drinking sherbet, saunas where concubines rub themselves with aromatic mixtures, expensive jewelry, a battle in which hundreds of beauties fight for the attention of the ruler. This is a place saturated with bliss, charm, seduction, feminine vibes and the scent of musk.

While we compete with men for equal rights with all our might, sometimes forgetting about our essence, women of the East treat a man as a master. They use ancient techniques that delight men and turn them into slaves of love for a long time.

I propose to go back several centuries, during the prosperity of the Great Ottoman Empire and look at the life of the harem from the inside. Let's lift the veil of secrecy and take a few lessons in preparing for intimacy and developing attractiveness in the sultan's concubines.

guarded paradise

The word "harem" means secret, inaccessible and closed. Indeed, the place where the sultan's concubines and wives lived was closed to all but selected members of the sultan's family.

The Turkish chronicler Dursun Bey once wrote: "If the sun were a man, then even he would be forbidden to look into the harem."

The most famous harem was the Seral Palace, located in Istanbul. It consisted of 400 spacious rooms, where more than two thousand concubines lived. The palace was the size of a small city surrounded by high walls. Only a real beauty who passed a strict selection could become an inhabitant of this paradise.

casting

Random girls never got into the Sultan's harem. There was special plan, according to which a certain amount of blondes and brunettes. Most of all, the eastern padishahs valued the hips and waist. The ideal ratio was considered to be 2/3 (waist/hips).

The difference between the waist and hips should have been about thirty centimeters. But the breasts and height of the girls were secondary indicators. Slavic beauty was held in high esteem.

Girls were selected not only by external criteria. The future concubine had to be smart. Candidates who were lucky enough to get into the harem underwent a thorough medical examination.

Seduction courses

The girls selected to serve the Sultan underwent a special two-year training. They were taught by Kalfs - old, wise slaves. Future concubines learned the language, the basics of the Koran, literature, poetry, calligraphy.

Studied versification and playing musical instruments. The girls were always supportive physical form spending a lot of time dancing. Odalisques thoroughly studied court etiquette, learned to serve coffee and sweets, fill a pipe and conduct conversations with the Sultan.

In their second year, the women of the harem learned the art of self-care. Prepared masks and special aromatic compositions, applied makeup. They learned how to dress properly and choose jewelry.

All the girls studied the Raks Sharhi dance. It's a cross between belly dancing and striptease. This dance aroused the love mood and desire of the Sultan.

Then they mastered the intricacies of intimate gymnastics, which we call wumbling. At the end of the training, each girl took an exam. In addition to dancing, versification, and etiquette, the exam included several very piquant exercises.

Exercise one: jade testicle. The girl was seated on a bench with a hole. The legs were spread wide, and a small jade testicle was placed in the subject's vagina, to which several threads were attached. The girl had to squeeze the muscles so that the threads broke when they were pulled.

Exercise two: dance "Raks sharkhi". 100 ml of colored liquid was poured into the bowl. The girl injected the liquid into her womb and danced. The dance lasted for half an hour. During this time, the future odalisque should not have lost a drop of liquid.

If all the tests were passed successfully, she became a legal resident of the harem.

Along the Golden Path

It was not enough just to get into the harem. You can stay there for several years and still not bother with an invitation to the Sultan's bedroom. Every day, hundreds of the most beautiful, seductive girls flaunted in front of the Sultan. But luck smiled only a few. To attract the attention of the padishah, the concubines carefully looked after themselves. Dressed the most beautiful dresses, for several hours a day spent on makeup. They trained their gait and posture, learned to seduce with just a glance.

If the padishah liked one of the slaves, she received an invitation to the Sultan's chambers. The girls worked very hard to prepare for intimacy with the Sultan, because it depended on their skills whether they were lucky again. The path from the dormitory to the master's chamber was called the Golden one. To walk on it, the girl went through a series of beauty rituals.

Hamam

One of the most important self-care rituals for concubines was a trip to the hammam (bath). The girls bathed in water infused with hibiscus and violet petals. This tool not only softened the skin, but also filled it with a delicate aroma. Then a clay mask was applied to the hair and skin.

Before going to the sauna, the girls removed hair from all parts of the body with a special cream. It included eggs, honey and lemon juice.

In those days, peeling for oriental women was replaced by kese. The steamed skin of the concubine was massaged with a hard silk mitten. This procedure allowed to remove dead skin cells and made it soft, like a child's.

Body worthy of a sultan

After washing with soap, the hair became stiff. To soften them, Ottoman beauties used a hair cream made from mallow flowers. Hundreds of kilograms of these flowers were delivered to the palace every year.

Oriental beauties carefully looked after their hair. Masks were prepared from henna and ground walnut shells. After such a mask, the hair grew very quickly.

In order for the bodies of the concubines to remain elastic and young, clay masks with infusions of flowers and herbs were applied to their skin.

After a thorough bathing, the girl's steamed body is ready for a massage. Specially trained maids relaxed the muscles and bodies of the concubines in anticipation of the night of love.

Steamed skin quickly hardens and wrinkles. Therefore, the skin of the girls after the hamam was smeared with oils. A few drops of aromatic oil were added to olive or sesame oil. In summer, violet or rose oil was usually added, and in winter, cloves.

Before going to bed, the beauties washed themselves with rose water. It softens the skin and smoothes wrinkles. Turkish rose oil is still used in the manufacture of luxury cosmetics.

Makeup

Before going to the Sultan's bedchamber, the concubines applied make-up. Particular attention was paid to the eyes. So that the eyes struck the heart of the padishah at first sight, the girls drew arrows with antimony mixed with ash. To give the lips a scarlet tint, oriental women chewed betel - a paste with pepper, lime and flax seeds. Cinnamon sticks helped freshen breath the night before.

It was not so easy to inflame the desire of the sultan spoiled by female attention. Each girl tried to emphasize her best features. Henna drawings helped to complete the look. Slave artists painted patterns on the bodies of odalisques. They covered the hands, ankles, back of the neck or collarbones. Sometimes they were applied to the lower part of the waist or under the navel, drawing a path to pleasure.

Unlike Christianity, in the Islamic religion, the pleasure of intimacy was not considered a sin. But the Koran forbade anal, group and same-sex relationships. Therefore, the orgies and lesbian pleasures between bored concubines, presented by many Europeans, were most likely a fairy-tale fiction.

Each woman in the harem of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had her own status, had strictly defined rights and obligations. Based on this status, the amount of her salary, the number of rooms or chambers occupied, the number of servants, the right to hold any position were determined. But about the complete hierarchy of women who lived in Ottoman harem Middle Ages, only narrow specialists know. OLGA74RU tells in detail about all statuses.

Editor L.J. Media

Of course, the harem of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire was taken as the basis, but other eastern harems had a very similar structure, somewhere a little tougher, somewhere softer, somewhere the names of the titles are slightly different.

So, every woman in the Sultan's harem, who had a certain title or rank, had her own status, had strictly defined rights and obligations in accordance with it. Based on this status, the amount of her salary, the number of rooms or chambers occupied, the number of servants, the right to hold any position were determined. But only narrow specialists know about the complete hierarchy of women who lived in the Ottoman harem of the Middle Ages. I will only announce the list of possible statuses in the harem of the 16th-18th centuries, and I will tell you in detail about all the statuses.

My story will relate specifically to the Sultan's harem, but in almost every shekhzade harem a similar hierarchy was used, with slight minor changes in the personal plan, which were not uncommon. By the way, in the harem, it was customary to add the word “Khatun” to a woman of status from “Jariye” to “Khaznedar” when addressing. Women who received the status of "Sultan" always added this word when addressing. Take Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan for example.

In the harem (Artist unknown to me)

So, the possible statuses of women in the Sultan's harem:

Jariye (in the khan's harem - "bikech")- was considered the lowest rung of the hierarchy. Each girl who got into the harem received exactly this status at the beginning of her journey. It should be noted here that most of the girls never raised their status, even after spending many years in the harem. This status belonged to the simplest slave-concubine, officially belonging to the Sultan's harem, with a minimum salary. Such concubines were not even allowed to have intimacy with their master. They had no right to command and control anyone. Their duties included cleaning the premises of the palace, serving those who were on more high position in the hierarchical vertical, performing various small assignments. These were not even Muslim women at first, although later almost all of them converted to Islam. For the jariah, courses were arranged in the harem, the training in which lasted two or four years, depending on the age at which the slave entered the harem. The concubines were taught basic knowledge and skills. They learned to write in the Ottoman language, studied applied disciplines, for example, embroidery or playing some musical instrument. Elementary School...

Kalfa- this was the name of the servants who were part of the palace staff. These were most often former Jariahs, who received both basic training and additional training, which was necessary in order to obtain such a status. They differed from the Jariye in that they were engaged in cleaning the premises and serving privileged persons as professional activity, not how extra activity. They were paid an increased salary, but they still did not have intimate relations with the Sultan with this status. Jariye and Kalfs could count on marriage after ten years of service in the harem, if they had such a desire. Their husbands were usually very successful people, and their further life was decently arranged. There were calves of three categories. They were divided into junior, middle and senior, depending on the length of service. In addition, they taught jariya, and commanded only girls of this status. Bees... The most important kalfa had even a little power. There was only one person at the position of Unger-kalfa in the palace, and it was very difficult to get it. It was even more difficult to get the position of Khaznedar, about which - later.

Mouth- this status could be assigned to a jariya who diligently completed the entire period of study, and at a certain point in her stay in the harem she was supposed to become an exemplary concubine, without becoming service personnel, that is, Kalfoy. Usta received an increased salary, thanks to this status, more talented and attractive concubines stood out among the slaves who had just been brought in, and they still did not know how. Such excellent students in combat and political ... The holders of the Usta status became candidates for the right of intimate relations with the Sultan. Only they could move further up the career ladder.

Odalyk- this is the next step after simple slaves. Odalyk is not much different from a mouth, only by its less luck in an intimate relationship with the Sultan, if it was at all. The odalik continued to live in the harem on a full basis, had an increased salary, when compared with a simple concubine. Excellence but failure... Then they were given to the side in marriage if they did not make serious mistakes. But any of the concubines could make a mistake. Obviously, the modern word "odalisque" has its root from this status.

Frame from the series " Magnificent century"(from left to right - the eunuch of the harem, there are two kalfis at the door, the odalik holds the box and Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan)

Pake- this is a kind of concubine who was able to approach and become an assistant to the owner of one of the highest titles. This, in essence, is a confidant of Haseka, Valide or Lady (Sultana) in the harem. Companions... They were paid very good salaries, even more than experienced calfs. Peik was obliged to respect all the other concubines. It was a very solid status, almost the maximum hierarchy in the harem, which could be achieved by a simple concubine who had no relationship with the Sultan. Only Khaznedar was higher in this regard.

Gozde- this status was considered the first really serious, which could be achieved by a slave who was allowed to enter into a relationship with the Sultan. Even if only for one night. Most often, before that, she was a ustoy (excellent student in combat and political). After that, she turned into a favorite concubine, and she was no longer entrusted with the affairs that the rest of the concubines were doing in the harem. The gozde could continue their relationship with the sultan, which could lead to higher titles if the sultan remained favorable to them, or they became pregnant. Gozda was assigned two maids, and private room for each. A serious increase in salary also followed, and many gifts from the Sultan. Each concubine aspired to the status of a gozde if she wanted to be at the very top of the harem hierarchy, but only a few were able to obtain this status, although with him a cloudless life was not guaranteed to anyone.

Iqbal- this is already a real constant favorite of the Sultan, who enjoyed the favor of the Padishah for a long time, and he spent more than one night with her. This status was awarded to gozde who became pregnant by the Sultan, but had not yet given birth. There was more respect for such concubines than for a gozda, but if they lost the fruit, further way they were no longer in the harem. They could be transferred to odalik, so pregnant women had to be very careful. For the convenience of ikbals, they were moved to more spacious comfortable chambers. They were served by several maids, twice as many as those of the gozde.

Khaznedar- this is the status of the chief treasurer, or, as they would say today, the administrator of the harem. It was the right hand and main assistant of Haseki or Valide. Depending on what title the current harem manager has. Only one person could have such a status in the palace at the same time. Khaznedar is a unique title, even the Sultan's pregnant favorites are lower in status than him. Sometimes the former kalfa managed to become Khaznedar, with a fortunate combination of circumstances, but most often this position went to girls with the status of odalik or pike. The position of Khaznedar was unlimited, and if they received it, they could have it until death. Getting such a position was the only way to continue working in the harem even in old age. But in this case, you had to forget about creating your own family. Khaznedar had the opportunity to refuse the post, but then they found themselves at the previous level of the hierarchy or even retired. This status was a guarantee of a further comfortable life, because it guaranteed high prestige, a good salary, a large number of gifts. Khaznedar communicated with the Sultan's family, and in the future they could count on life outside the walls of the palace on full support. Khaznedar could be deprived of her status as a sultan or head of a harem if she made serious mistakes. She was replaced by a more suitable candidate. The further fate of the dismissed Khaznedar was unknown, and it was a rather rare case. However, there were situations when the former Khaznedar again received her position.

Kadyn- this was the name of the former ikbal, who gave birth to a daughter to the Sultan. Sometimes it was the former mistress, the Sultana, who lost her title due to the loss of male heirs, but had a child-girl, who was the daughter or granddaughter of the current Padishah.

Sultan (Mistress or Sultana)- this title was considered one of the highest that could be assigned to a woman in the Ottoman Empire. Before Sultan Suleiman began to rule, this title was considered the second among women's titles after Valide. This title could be assigned to a former ikbal who gave birth to a son, and all the daughters of the current sultan automatically received it. According to one version, the sisters and daughters of the Sultan had this title from birth, but after marriage they lost this title. But this statement is not true. Even after marriage, the sisters and daughters of the sultan retained their title, unless the current sultan had objections. Most often this happened. But here's the irony of fate - the sisters and daughters of the Sultan did not have the opportunity to get more high title, and the concubine, who gave birth to a son to the Sultan, had the opportunity to become Valide or Haseki by the status. Thus, women who bore the title of Sultan by birth did not officially manage the harem, and the concubines who managed to "grow" to the highest position ruled the harem. The only exception was Mihrimah Sultan, who led the harem of Sultan Suleiman, her father. She ruled the harem from 1558 to 1566. In the eighteenth century, the Ottoman Empire underwent a reform, and all women in the harem received a ban on the use of this title and a similar prefix to their name. Further, the title of Sultan in relation to women was generally abolished.

Frame from the series "The Magnificent Century". Kosem (part 1) "(There's more controversial situation, since the grandson is already ruling, and they still cannot send the grandmother to the Old Palace) (from left to right - Valide Handan Sultan, Sultan's aunt Fatma Sultan, "Grand" Valide Safiye Sultan, Jennet Kalfa is standing, Kösem is still in the status of a gozde, Halime Sultan (mother of the Sultan's brother)

Haseki- is the second most senior title after Valide in the Ottoman Empire. It was introduced by Sultan Suleiman in 1521 for his legal wife Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. The daughters and sisters of the Padishahs were not supposed to receive this title, and their position in the harem hierarchy was lower. Haseki received a salary equal to about 30,000 Akçe per month. This title was unique: it could not be alienated, regardless of the sex of the children, the number of living heirs, the age of the title holder, her location. It could not be lost even due to official changes in the members of the dynasty (changes of sultans, for example). For the first one hundred and fifty years of the existence of this title in the harem, at any given time, there was only one Haseki. Only at the end of the eighteenth century, several concubines were able to receive such a title from the Sultan at once, so its owners were at that time less influential and had fewer opportunities. Haseks received the best fabrics, furs and jewelry, and their chambers were most often located next to the chambers of Valide; they also had a large staff of servants and received a large salary: for example, Haseki Murad III Safiye received a salary of 100 akche per day. In addition, in the event of the death of the Sultan, the Haseks continued to receive payments from the treasury. Haseki known at different times: Gulnus Sultan, Telli Haseki, Kösem Sultan, Safiye Sultan, Nurbanu Sultan, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan.

A frame from the TV series "The Magnificent Century" (from left to right - Mahidevran Sultan (mother of the Sultan's eldest son), Valide Aisha Hafsa Sultan, Sultan's sister - Hatice Sultan and Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan)

Valide (Valide Sultan)- in the Ottoman Empire there was no higher title for a woman. It was first assigned to Aisha Hafse Sultan - the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent. A concubine could receive such a title only when her son received the title of Sultan. This title was assigned to the former concubine for life or as long as the current Sultan was her son. Valide was in charge of managing the harem. She enjoyed great respect and influence both in the palace and beyond, actively intervening in state affairs. All the great concubines of the famous Female Sultanate had this title. These are notorious - Turhan Sultan, Kösem Sultan, Safiye Sultan, Nurbanu Sultan. These four women were the most famous holders of this title. In total, this title was given to twenty-three women during the Ottoman Empire. The Valide Sultan had income (bashmalyk) from the Sultan's lands in various parts of the empire, owned summer and winter estates, and also received gifts from the Ottoman nobility and foreign states. The affairs of the Valide Sultans outside the palace were managed by Babussaade agalars (heads of white eunuchs). The Valide Sultan invested heavily in the waqfs (foundations) they established in Istanbul, Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The waqfs were followed by Dariussaade agasy (the head of the black eunuchs).

The harem could be managed without the title of Valide, that is, even with her husband-sultan. So, in the 16th century, Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan ruled the sultan's harem for the longest time, never holding the title of Valide (she died during her husband's lifetime, did not find her son's reign). She ruled Suleiman's harem for twenty-four years.

If we talk about the chronological sequence in which the Sultan's harem was ruled in the 16th century, then it looks like this:

Valide Ayse Hafsa Sultan - reigned: 1520-1534

Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan - years of reign: 1534-1558

Mihrimah Sultan - years of reign: 1558-1566

Haseki (in 1574 received the title of Valide) Nurbanu Sultan - reigned: 1566-1583

Haseki (in 1595 received the title of Valide) Safie Sultan - reigned: 1583-1603

Such a strict hierarchy helped to maintain at least some discipline in the harem, in this female kingdom. Although all the same, "wars" and "catastrophes" of various scales often happened.

A frame from the TV series “The Magnificent Century. Kösem "(There is still a controversial situation, since the grandson is already ruling, and the grandmother still cannot be sent to the Old Palace) (from left to right - Valide Handan Sultan, Sultan's aunt Fatma Sultan, "Grand" Valide Safiye Sultan, standing Jennet Kalfa, Haseki Kösem Sultan, Halime Sultan (mother of the Sultan's brother)

This exotic mystery excited the minds of many generations of historians and just curious. Almost mystical riddle depths of the Eastern world - the most famous of all. The mysterious concept came from the distant Middle Ages, from spicy Eastern nights and fantastic white buildings of a cubic shape, from an amazing and unfamiliar world, the complete opposite of the European, modern, glass and concrete that surrounds us every day. The history of the existence of the harem is one of the most interesting.

If you can imagine all this, then you have managed to look a little into the Sultan's harem. Why exactly in the Sultan's? For the reason that under the Sultan's court of the Ottoman Empire, the harem was not a love, not a personal structure, but a ceremonial, even political one, playing a huge role in the life of the country. In Istanbul, the colossal Topkapi Palace was built, which is a giant complex of buildings. In one of the branches of Topkapi was the Sultan's harem, called "dar-us-saadet" ("house of happiness"). In fact, happiness was rather illusory, because, first of all, the sultans were interested in politics, strengthening the Ottoman Empire

Harem of the Emir of Bukhara

A rare man is able to withstand the electrified atmosphere of a huge (700 people!) women's team. Therefore, the main concern of the rulers of the harem was to protect the Sultan from all this. After the sultan, the main rank was considered valide - his mother. In fact, it was the Valide who ran the harem. Then came the unmarried sisters of the Sultan (of course, if they were. As a rule, the unmarried relatives of the Sultan himself did not remain long). Then followed the wives (but their power was very illusory, insignificant). Then - the chief eunuch (manager of all eunuchs). And on last place there were concubines, slaves - jariye.

In fact, real power belonged to two: the valid and the chief eunuch. Even noble families fought for the "honor" to sell their daughter to the Sultan's harem. There were very few slaves in the Sultan's harem, they were the exception, not the rule. Slave captives were used for rough work and as servants for concubines. The concubines were selected very carefully from the girls who were sold by their parents to the school at the harem and went through it. special education. Girls were bought from their fathers at the age of 5-7 and brought up until 14-15. They were taught music, cooking, sewing, court etiquette, the art of pleasing a man.

When selling his daughter to a harem school, the father signed a paper stating that he had no rights to his daughter and agreed not to meet her for the rest of his life. Therefore, getting into the harem, the girls received a different name. For example, the name of a flower or jewelry. Of the captive slave girls, only four nationalities could rise to the sultan's harem. Ukrainians, Russians, Circassians and Georgians. It was they who were preferred as a valuable commodity and were considered the standard of female beauty. Ukrainian Anastasia Lisovskaya, a slave from Ukraine, got into the harem under the name Hurrem (laughing), became a sultana, the only woman who ruled the Muslim empire.

"Priest's daughter" Anastasia (Nastya) Lisovskaya, many should know about her, and not only in Eastern Europe, but also Western, where she is known under the name of Roksolana. Anastasia-Roksolana is sung not only in operas, ballets, books, portraits, but even in television series. Therefore, her biography is relatively known to the general public. Only the number of scientific and art books about her, written in different languages, passes for several tens.

Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya, or Roksolana, or Hurrem (1506-1558) - first a concubine, and then the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. There are disputes about the origin of the names: Khurrem in Arabic can mean “cheerful, bright”, but about Roksolana, the disputes are more fierce, I don’t want to participate in them (but in general, the name goes back to the Rusyns, Russians - that’s what they called all the inhabitants of Eastern Europe).

There are still disputes about the place of her birth - either the city of Rogatin, Ivano-Frankivsk region, or the city of Chemerovtsy, Khmelnytsky region. Just a little girl she was captured Crimean Tatars, then sold to a Turkish harem.

And what can a young lady in such a complex public education like a harem? Either the abyss (and other competitors beat her hard), or fight. What Anastasia did so successfully that she is now known all over the world.

The seraglio, he is the seraglio - there is no time for tenderness between contenders for the sultan's mercy. To survive on her own, but to put her offspring on her feet.

The life of Roksolana-Nastya is well known. Less Information about other sultanas who actually escaped from the position of slaves.

Getting into the harem, the girls learned etiquette, rules of conduct, ceremonies and waited for that single moment when they saw the Sultan. By the way, such a moment could not be. Never.

belly dancers

One of the most widespread rumors is that the sultan entered into intimate relationships with all women. In fact, it wasn't like that at all. The sultans behaved proudly, with dignity, and very rarely did anyone stoop to outright debauchery. For example, a unique case in the history of the harem is the fidelity of Sultan Suleiman to his wife Roksolana (Anastasia Lisovskaya, Khurrem). Long years he slept with only one woman - with his beloved wife. And that was the rule rather than the exception. The Sultan did not even know most of his concubines (odalisques) by sight. There is another opinion that the concubine was doomed to eternal life in a harem. After 9 years, the concubine, who had never been elected by the Sultan, had the right to leave the harem. The Sultan found her a husband and gave her a dowry. The slave received a document that now she is a free man. Unfortunately, family life rarely went well. Accustomed to living in idleness, contentment, women left their husbands. The harem was heaven for them, and the husband's house was hell.

The Sultan could have four favorites - guzide. Choosing a concubine for the night, the Sultan sent her a gift (often a shawl or a ring). After that, she was sent to the bath, dressed in nice clothes and sent to the door of the Sultan's bedroom. She waited outside the doors until the Sultan got into bed. Entering the bedroom, she crawled on her knees to the bed, kissed the carpet, and only then had the right to share the bed. In the morning, the Sultan sent rich gifts to the concubine if he liked the night spent with her. If the concubine became pregnant, she was transferred to the category of happy - ikbal.

And after the birth of a child (regardless of gender) she received forever a separate room and daily menu from 15 dishes. The sultan chose four wives personally. The wife received a new name, a written certificate of her status, separate chambers, clothes, jewelry, and many slave servants. And only one of the wives could give the sultan the title of sultana. The sultana (the highest title) again received a new name, and only her son could inherit the throne. Only one son became the heir. The rest of the sons were strangled (!!!) Daughters were left alive.

Interesting were the laws established by the Sultan for the husband of his daughter, the princess. The Sultan's son-in-law (damat) had no right to own a harem! The harem was forbidden for him. He was obliged to remain faithful to the princess. In the event of a breach of allegiance, the princess had the right to demand his execution. She could also get a divorce and take another husband. The Sultan sacredly guarded the honor of his daughter (or daughters) and could not allow the Sultan's blood to be offended. The Sultan did not love all his wives equally. Many received this status only due to family ties (for example, the princess of some state). Sometimes to such official wives The sultan didn't even come in, didn't meet them for years.

Only the beloved wife became a sultana, regardless of whether she was the first wife or the fourth. All the concubines and slaves of the harem, as well as the rest of the wives, were required to kiss the hem of the sultana's dress. Only the Sultan's mother, Valide, was considered equal to her. Was the harem a nightmare or a paradise, unnatural or normal - who knows the answer to this question? But sometimes on the basis of intrigues, suppression of the will, prohibitions, instructions and hatred flourished beautiful flower love. Only for two. For the Sultan and one woman. All other 699 were superfluous. Proving the well-known truth that in love there is only one number - two. And that the most beautiful and pure can only be love for two.

The harem is a symbol of the absolute power of a man over a woman. During the conquests of the Caliphate, when the rulers of the Muslim world had no shortage of slaves, it became fashionable to collect multinational collections of concubines, who became a visible embodiment of the power and wealth of emirs and sultans.

The concubines were called "odalisque", a little later the Europeans added the letter "s" to the word and it turned out "odalisque". From among the odalisques, the Sultan chose up to seven wives. Those who were lucky enough to become a wife received the title of "kadyn" - mistress. The main "kadyn" was the mother of the firstborn. A little lower on the hierarchical ladder were favorites - "ikbal" - skillful mistresses and real beauties. These women received a salary, their own apartments and personal slaves.

Odalisques had only one chance to climb the hierarchical ladder - to give birth to a child, and for this it was necessary to get the attention of the Sultan, which was extremely difficult, given that thousands of competitors were waiting for their turn. The ability to attract the attention of a jaded man and arouse desire in him was a matter of survival. Any means were used. born in the most different countries slaves brought to the harem the national secrets of "skin like velvet" and "lips like cherries."

During the time of harems, medicine in the East was flourishing, and wise tabib doctors worked tirelessly so that the “moon-faced” beauties could please their master. As a result, under the arches of the "houses of happiness" was born unique art the creation and maintenance of beauty, which, despite high walls and strong castles, significantly influenced what is today called modern perfumery. Skin care with oils and herbal extracts, massages, soaps and perfumes entered Europe from behind the walls of harems.

The make-up of oriental beauties was bright and contrasting. Faces were covered with whitewash, solutions and pastes made of gypsum and chalk, bright blush from cinnabar was applied on top, and eyelids were tinted with saffron infusion. And also, to tint the cheeks, they used fine red powder from safflower and the roots of the arnebium plant. The custom, obliging a woman to cover her face, involuntarily focused on the eyes of oriental beauties. Therefore, this part of the body was given special attention. Eyes were supposed to hit the heart of a man at first sight.

The inhabitants of the harems plucked their eyebrows, and for eyelash care they used antimony, which was prepared from lamb fat, almond oil, usma, basma and antimony itself. It was applied thin wooden stick sometimes adding ash.

It was believed that antimony has healing properties and improves eyesight, so even infants were let down with it. In order to make their lips bright red, women of the East chewed betel - a paste based on betel pepper with the addition of palm seeds and lime. For the whiteness of the teeth, a preparation was prepared, which included rock salt, mint, toffee and pepper. Gum was replaced with cinnamon sticks.

According to legend, the Prophet himself refused to accept a letter from a woman whose hands were not decorated with henna. The art of painting with henna on the body is one of the oldest in the East. It is believed to have come from India. Today, henna patterns are made for solemn ceremonies, mainly for marriages. Pictures adorn brides from fingers to forearms and from feet to knees.

Eastern tradition demanded that the skin of a woman be smooth, so odalisques in harems got rid of excess vegetation using compositions based on honey, clay and eggs. To moisturize the skin, rubbed into it natural oils. A special place in preserving the health and beauty of beautiful concubines was occupied by a hamam - an oriental bath.

TEN BEAUTY SECRETS FROM SCHEHERAZADE

In order for the eyelashes to be long and silky, in the morning and in the evening they must be combed from the bottom up, using a brush lubricated with vegetable oil. In the east, eyebrows were painted on girls from an early age with usma juice. This plant stimulates hair growth, so after a while, where a dark stripe was drawn, new hairs grew. In order for the hair to be thick and silky, a tablespoon of sour cream was added to a liter of warm milk, stirred and placed in a warm place. Kefir, which was obtained as a result of these manipulations, moistened the head, massaged, and then washed the hair with warm water.

In order for hair to grow faster and thicker, crushed sweet almond kernels mixed with milk were used in oriental harems. The creamy mass was rubbed into the head twice a week.

In order to dye hair, henna was poured into a cup, warm water was added, then the gruel was placed in a vessel with hot water and heated. The hair was divided into strands and henna was applied in a thin layer from roots to ends. If the hair is light, they were kept from 5 to 10 minutes, dark - from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. For dark hair, cocoa butter was added to henna.

To keep the lips soft and tender, they were smeared with honey before going to bed. For greater effect, honey was added butter or strawberry juice.

The beauty and youthfulness of the hands was guaranteed by an ointment prepared on the basis of a raw egg yolk, a tablespoon of linseed oil, a tablespoon of honey and the juice of one lemon. If the skin on the hands is dry, olive oil mixed with tea tree oil was used.

As a scrub, oriental beauties most often used salt, which was mixed with sour cream or coffee grounds. Will not spoil such a scrub and olive oil.

To keep the skin in good shape, they took a spoonful of rosemary, poured a glass of dry red wine and insisted. The infusion bottle was shaken every two days. After 6 weeks, strain and use. The result is firm, wrinkle-free skin.

With early wrinkles, the almond mask successfully fought. To do this, they took a tablespoon of peeled sweet almond seeds, crushed them into powder with a small amount of milk and applied to the face and neck for 15-20 minutes.

MODERN HAREM.

A harem, polygamy, an oppressed woman are the first things a European associates with the East. Many people wonder if modern arab men harems? Of course have. But in the word "harem", as the Arabs understand it, there is nothing spicy or reprehensible. The harem is all the women of the family: mother, sisters, aunts, wives. Thus, the word "haram" in the East is called female half at home in general. United United Arab Emirates appeared only thirty-odd years ago from a few Bedouin tents in the desert.

Today, it combines the achievements of modern civilization and the inviolability of ancient traditions, high technology and - in the view of Europeans - an archaic attitude towards women. It seems to many that women in black clothes are the only sufferers in this magnificence. You can live in the country for several years and never talk to a local woman - she will not support the conversation.

It is believed that foreigners are fraught with danger: they make contact too sharply, ask indecent questions (and it is not customary for Arabs to even be interested in how their wife is doing), and try to shake hands. What is unacceptable for arab women. Even photographing her is considered an insult.

And this is what a modern oriental prince looks like ... the real one, and not some kind of Tarkan ... Despite the fact that he is not even 30, he is already married and, like any oriental man, the Koran allows him to have ... up to 4 wives. But it seems to me that this Arab sheikh will not be limited to such a small number ...

Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE

The Crown Prince of Dubai is one of 19 children of Sheikh Mohammedin bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, with long eyelashes and nobly refined features of a swarthy face. Graduated from the London School of Economics and the Sandhurst Military Academy. He has a gold medal, which he won at the Asian Games in horse riding.

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The series "The Magnificent Century" plunged Russian spectators into oriental tales for several years. Romance and intro

How concubines were prepared: the secrets of the Sultan's harem

17:30 December 29, 2016

The series "The Magnificent Century" plunged Russian spectators into oriental tales for several years. Romance and intrigue! Dozens beautiful women and, most importantly, men. In many ways, under the influence of the multi-part masterpiece, the young Muscovite left for Turkey, married a local macho and entered Istanbul University. It was here that she discovered sensational documents that helped develop a unique weight loss complex. Yana Bai-Lilik shared the details.

Minus 10 kilos

“The university was built on the site of the Old Palace, where the concubines of the sultans were trained in the Middle Ages. Including Suleiman the First, who is shown in the series. I wanted to study all the documents of that period that have survived to this day.

When I read the household books of the harem, I realized: how many inventions there are in the "Magnificent Century". That is, writers, artists, and now directors embellish everything. For a good storyline.

The real life of the concubines was three hundred times more boring. But how many useful things they did with themselves in order to remain beautiful and slim! They already had developed whole complexes proper nutrition(the rule of seven meals was in effect in the harem) and reasonable physical activity. So that beauties do not pump over the press, but remain feminine.

I lost 10 kilos on this diet excess weight. I hope that the invaluable experience of medieval beauties will be useful to modern women.”