Harem - (from Arabic - "forbidden place") - the habitat or, simply speaking, the dwelling of women, slaves and children of the Sultan. It was called Dar-us-saadet - "House of Happiness". The most famous are the harems of the Ottoman sultans, but the Abbasids and Seljukids also had "Houses of Happiness".
At first, the harem was intended for the maintenance of slaves, because the daughters of Christian rulers from neighboring states were taken as wives. But after the reign of Bayezid II (1481-1512), this tradition changed, and the sultans began to choose wives from the inhabitants of the harem.
Of course, the main guests of the harem were the sultans themselves. After them - the mother of the Sultan (valide). When her son ascended the throne, the valide, accompanied by a magnificent procession, moved from the old palace to the new one and settled in special chambers. Following the valide, finally, came the wives of the Sultan - kadyn-efendi. Without a doubt, the most colorful inhabitants of the harem were slaves (jariye). Responsible for the security of the harem were: the heads of the Islamic hierarchy (sheikh-ul-Islam), the grand vizier (sadrazam), the head of the harem security (dar-us-saadet agasy), and, of course, a special class of harem servants - eunuchs (harem-agalars).
Where did the slaves come from? Sultan's harem? Very simply - the eastern princes themselves sent their daughters to the Ottoman harem in the hope that they would become the chosen ones of the Sultan. Slaves were bought at 5-6 years of age and brought up to full physical development. Girls were taught dance, music, playing the musical instruments, etiquette, the art of giving pleasure to a man. Already in adolescence the girl was previously shown to the Grand Vizier. If she was found to have physical defects, bad manners, or any other defects, her price dropped sharply, and her father, accordingly, received less money than he expected. By the way, when selling their daughter, her parents signed documents indicating that they no longer have any rights to her.
The most beautiful slaves that the Sultan could choose to marry had to study very carefully. The first point was the mandatory adoption of Islam, unless of course the girl was of a different faith. Then the slaves were taught to read the Koran, to pray together or separately. Having received the status of a wife, they founded charitable institutions and built mosques, somehow provided Muslim traditions. The surviving letters of the Sultan's wives testify to their education.
In addition, the slaves received a daily salary, the amount of which changed with each new sultan. They were given gifts and money on the occasion of various festivities and celebrations. The slaves were well taken care of, but the Sultan severely punished those who deviated from the established rules.
If a slave lived in a harem for 9 years and was never chosen as a wife, she had the right to leave the harem. The Sultan gave her a dowry, a house and helped her find a husband. The slave received a document signed by the Sultan, confirming her status as a free person.
Favorites
Slaves lived in a common or lower harem. Favorites lived in the upper harem, and wives usually lived in palaces. Usually, if the Sultan was going to spend the night with a concubine, he would send her a gift. Then the chosen one of the Sultan was sent to the bath. After the bath, she was dressed in loose and clean clothes and escorted to the Sultan's chambers. There she had to wait at the door until the Sultan got into bed. Entering the bedroom, she crawled on her knees to the bed and only then got up and lay down next to the Sultan. In the morning, the sultan took a bath, changed clothes and sent gifts to the concubine if he liked the night spent with her. This concubine could then become his favorite.
If the favorite became pregnant, she was instantly transferred to the category of “happy” (ikbal), but if there were several of them, then they were assigned ranks: first (main), second, third, fourth, and so on. Having given birth to a child, the ikbal could after some time receive the status of the wife of the Sultan, but this tradition was not always observed.
Each ikbal had a separate room in the upper harem. Their menu consisted of fifteen dishes: beef, chicken, fruit, yogurt, compote, butter, etc. In the summer, ice was served to cool drinks.
Sultans' wives
The new wife of the Sultan (kadyn-efendi) after the wedding received a written certificate, she was presented with new fabrics, jewelry, outfits, and, of course, from the lower harem she was settled in a specially allocated for her private room on the upper floors. The head guardian and her assistants taught her the imperial ways. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. Kadyn-efendi, who had children, began to be called Haseki. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent was the first to bestow this title on his wife Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (also known as Roksolana).
The night from Friday to Saturday, the sultans were required to spend only with one of their wives, the rest of the nights were spent with whomever they wanted. Such was the order consecrated by the tradition of Islam. If a wife was not with her husband for three consecutive Fridays, she had the right to appeal to a judge (qadi). By the way, the same guardian followed the sequence of meetings of the wives with the Sultan.
Kadyn-efendi necessarily called their sons "your highness"; when they came to visit them, they had to stand up and say: “My brave young man!” Regardless of age, the princes kissed the hand of the kadyn-efendi as a sign of respect. The women of the harem, in order to demonstrate their respect, kissed the hem of the kadyn-efendi skirt. In relations with each other, the sultan's wives observed a number of formalities. When one of the wives wanted to talk to another, she sent a maid to her to get consent. The Sultan's wife, riding in a palanquin, was accompanied by eunuchs on foot. If all the wives left at once, then their palanquins lined up according to the seniority of the owners.
The first eunuchs appeared in the Ottoman harem during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. At first, the protection of the harem was entrusted to white eunuchs, but in 1582 Murad III appointed the Abyssinian Mehmed Aga as the eunuch. Since then, Abyssinians (Ethiopians) have almost always been selected as eunuchs.
It was believed that white boys endure the operation more difficult and often die after castration, while blacks survived much more. Therefore, the Arab slave traders began to kidnap children from Africa and take them for castration to places known to them.
As the eunuchs became more and more, they organized a kind of guild. Boys accepted into this guild were brought up by adult eunuchs. Young eunuchs were given the names of flowers as names. Trained eunuchs usually served the valida, sultan's wives and princesses. Eunuchs guarded the entrance to the harem.
Already after 1852, the entire management of the harem was completely transferred to the eunuchs. The chief eunuch of the harem bought slaves for his sultan and informed him about the situation - the behavior of his wives and concubines, gave advice on punishments and promotions in the harem hierarchy. At the same time, the terms of reference of the chief eunuch were very extensive - he even had the right to prepare the Sultan for wedding ceremony. When the chief eunuch retired, he was given a pension. The new sultan usually appointed another chief eunuch, but this was not always the case. Despite the fact that some of the chief eunuchs were completely illiterate, they actively took part in public policy, because they always received the support of the Sultan himself and his wives.
Mothers of Sultans
The rooms of the Sultan's mother (valide) were the second largest after the rooms of the Sultan. Slave maids lived on the lower floor.
Valide, despite their status, had enormous power. Sultans always revered their mothers and treated them with special respect.
Sunset of the harems
Mehmed VI Wahid ed-Din (1918-1924) was destined to become the last sultan Ottoman Empire. Defeated in the First World War, Turkey was defeated as an ally of Germany and was occupied by the allied states.
There are a lot of difficulties in working with young children (3-6 years old), especially for beginner choreographers. This is distracted attention, and fatigue, and behavioral problems. All this is natural for this age. Therefore, you should not be upset and think that you are a bad teacher, unable to cope with children.
After school, my first group was five-year-olds. And at the very first lesson I had one girl peed herself (sorry for the details!) And standing in this puddle, calmly continued to study. I did not even immediately understand where this puddle was formed. Other children in chorus told the story of her appearance. What to do? It's autumn outside, it's not hot in the classroom. Luckily, this girl's mother was nearby and was waiting for the baby downstairs. So I was able to pick her up from class. And I don't know what I would do with her. This was my first lesson.
I must say that at the school they teach us the technique of performance and other choreographic wisdom, but they do not teach us how to work with young children at all. So you have to figure everything out on your own. I think that my now 15 years of experience with children allows me to give some advice to young choreographers.
1. Prepare the kids for the choreography lesson
It may seem that the first point has nothing to do with choreography at all, but this is at first glance. She herself stepped on this rake more than once. At this age, children still have herd thinking, so it’s worth asking one person to leave the lesson. Everyone will start asking in turn, regardless of whether they really need it or not. It is impossible not to let go of a child at this age, the result may be the same as in the story I told at the very beginning. And if you start letting everyone go, then the lesson will turn into an endless wandering, the children will be constantly distracted and the lesson will go down the drain.
Therefore, before the lesson, I either lead everyone to the toilet in an organized manner, or I ask my parents about it. Then, during the lesson, I already know that if someone asks, then he may well endure. Sometimes children ask to go out simply because they are tired or lazy. So you should not always accept their requests to marry at face value.
2. Accompany the movements with words
Well, now directly to the choreography. At this age, children are very developed creative thinking, so it’s not enough to show something several times, you must definitely accompany your movement with words. It is very good if each movement is accompanied by images or symbolically somehow called. And if you come up with a small entertaining story about the movement, then the children will generally be delighted. That's child psychology.
Firstly, so, children better understand the movement, and secondly, they remember faster. Well, for example, when my children and I are going to do ground gymnastics on mats. We travel with them on carpeted planes through a fairyland. We sit on the mats, close our eyes, count “One, two, three! Let's fly!" Of course, it's great when there is an appropriate musical accompaniment. We also have names for every movement on the floor. And it even happens that if I missed something, the children remind me that we haven’t been there yet today.
3. Change your occupation more often
A common mistake novice teachers make when working with young children is that they devote too much time to one activity. Those. learn the movement, do ground gymnastics. Children at this age tire quickly. And when they get tired, they lose interest, and, accordingly, their attention becomes scattered. Therefore, often change the type of activity during classes. Approximately every 5-7 minutes.
Plan more action so that at any moment, as soon as you feel that your attention is lost, change one action to another. For example, if you are working with children in a circle and you see that they are tired, play with them. I play birds with the children, I ask who is which bird, they call it, and then the birds fly in a circle, as soon as the music stops the birds sit down and hide in the houses. You can think of a lot of options. Children relax, and then you can continue the lesson.
4. Play with children
The game is the main activity of children at this age, so you need to play with them. Moreover, it is desirable to bring the game into the work, so that when performing some kind of pedagogical task, the children think that this is just a game. On my blog, I want to devote a separate section to various musical and dance games. Since this is a very important element in working with children.
5. Be a part of what's happening
Remember that young children often copy people with whom parents and educators communicate. You are no exception. They repeat your lines, your movements. So when you show movement, you have to show it exactly how it should look. And if you ask children to imagine that they are in dark forest, then you must be in this forest with them. Children fly on carpeted planes fairyland, You fly with them too. Show with movements, emotions how they should behave in a given situation. If you want them to perform with 100% dedication in the future, then give them 150% of your energy and attention now.
Here are some basic tips for working with children preschool age. I want to say that working with kids requires much, much more mental and physical strength. At the very least, after classes with preschoolers, I feel like a squeezed lemon and get much more tired than after classes with older children. And finally, one more piece of advice, be patient, because everything that you lay in these children now will return to you later, when they grow up, and will delight you with their success!
Harem - (from Arabic - "forbidden place") - a habitat or, simply put, the dwelling of women, slaves and children of the Sultan. It was called Dar-us-saadet - "House of Happiness". The most famous are the harems of the Ottoman sultans, but the Abbasids and Seljukids also had "Houses of Happiness".
At first, the harem was intended for the maintenance of slaves, because the daughters of Christian rulers from neighboring states were taken as wives. But after the reign of Bayezid II (1481-1512), this tradition changed, and the sultans began to choose wives from the inhabitants of the harem.
At first, the harem was intended for keeping slaves.
Of course, the main guests of the harem were the sultans themselves. After them - the mother of the Sultan (valide). When her son ascended the throne, the valide, accompanied by a magnificent procession, moved from the old palace to the new one and settled in special chambers. Following the valide, finally, came the wives of the Sultan - kadyn-efendi. Without a doubt, the most colorful inhabitants of the harem were slaves (jariye). Responsible for the security of the harem were: the heads of the Islamic hierarchy (sheikh-ul-Islam), the grand vizier (sadrazam), the head of the harem security (dar-us-saadet agasy), and, of course, a special class of harem servants - eunuchs (harem-agalars).
Slaves
Where did the slaves in the Sultan's harem come from? Very simply - the eastern princes themselves sent their daughters to the Ottoman harem in the hope that they would become the chosen ones of the Sultan. Slaves were bought at the age of 5-6 and brought up to full physical development. Girls were taught dancing, music, playing musical instruments, etiquette, and the art of pleasing a man. Already in adolescence, the girl was previously shown to the Grand Vizier. If she was found to have physical defects, bad manners, or any other defects, her price dropped sharply, and her father, accordingly, received less money than he expected. By the way, when selling their daughter, her parents signed documents indicating that they no longer have any rights to her.
The most beautiful slaves that the Sultan could choose to marry had to study very carefully. The first point was the mandatory adoption of Islam, unless of course the girl was of a different faith. Then the slaves were taught to read the Koran, to pray together or separately. Having received the status of a wife, they founded charitable institutions and built mosques, somehow provided for Muslim traditions. The surviving letters of the Sultan's wives testify to their education.
In addition, the slaves received a daily salary, the amount of which changed with each new sultan. They were given gifts and money on the occasion of various festivities and celebrations. The slaves were well taken care of, but the Sultan severely punished those who deviated from the established rules.
If a slave lived in a harem for 9 years and was never chosen as a wife, she had the right to leave the harem. The Sultan gave her a dowry, a house and helped her find a husband. The slave received a document signed by the Sultan, confirming her status as a free person.
Favorites
Slaves lived in a common or lower harem. Favorites lived in the upper harem, and wives usually lived in palaces. Usually, if the Sultan was going to spend the night with a concubine, he would send her a gift. Then the chosen one of the Sultan was sent to the bath. After the bath, she was dressed in loose and clean clothes and escorted to the Sultan's chambers. There she had to wait at the door until the Sultan got into bed. Entering the bedroom, she crawled on her knees to the bed and only then got up and lay down next to the Sultan. In the morning, the sultan took a bath, changed clothes and sent gifts to the concubine if he liked the night spent with her. This concubine could then become his favorite.
If the favorite became pregnant, she was transferred to the category of "happy"
If the favorite became pregnant, she was instantly transferred to the category of “happy” (ikbal), but if there were several of them, then they were assigned ranks: first (main), second, third, fourth, and so on. Having given birth to a child, the ikbal could after some time receive the status of the wife of the Sultan, but this tradition was not always observed.
Each ikbal had a separate room in the upper harem. Their menu consisted of fifteen dishes: beef, chicken, fruit, yogurt, compote, butter, etc. In the summer, ice was served to cool drinks.
Sultans' wives
The new wife of the Sultan (kadyn-efendi) after the wedding received a written certificate, she was presented with new fabrics, jewelry, outfits, and, of course, from the lower harem she was settled in a separate room specially allocated for her on the upper floors. The head guardian and her assistants taught her the imperial ways. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. Kadyn-efendi, who had children, began to be called Haseki. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent was the first to bestow this title on his wife Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (also known as Roksolana).
The night from Friday to Saturday, the sultans were required to spend only with one of their wives, the rest of the nights were spent with whomever they wanted. Such was the order consecrated by the tradition of Islam. If a wife was not with her husband for three consecutive Fridays, she had the right to appeal to a judge (qadi). By the way, the same guardian followed the sequence of meetings of the wives with the Sultan.
The sultans spent the night from Friday to Saturday with only one of their wives.
Kadyn-efendi necessarily called their sons "your highness"; when they came to visit them, they had to stand up and say: “My brave young man!” Regardless of age, the princes kissed the hand of the kadyn-efendi as a sign of respect. The women of the harem, in order to demonstrate their respect, kissed the hem of the kadyn-efendi skirt. In relations with each other, the sultan's wives observed a number of formalities. When one of the wives wanted to talk to another, she sent a maid to her to get consent. The Sultan's wife, riding in a palanquin, was accompanied by eunuchs on foot. If all the wives left at once, then their palanquins lined up according to the seniority of the owners.
eunuchs
The first eunuchs appeared in the Ottoman harem during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. At first, the protection of the harem was entrusted to white eunuchs, but in 1582 Murad III appointed the Abyssinian Mehmed Aga as the eunuch. Since then, Abyssinians (Ethiopians) have almost always been selected as eunuchs.
It was believed that white boys endure the operation more difficult and often die after castration, while blacks survived much more. Therefore, Arab slave traders began to kidnap children from Africa and take them for castration to places known to them.
As the eunuchs became more and more, they organized a kind of guild. Boys accepted into this guild were brought up by adult eunuchs. Young eunuchs were given the names of flowers as names. Trained eunuchs usually served the valida, sultan's wives and princesses. Eunuchs guarded the entrance to the harem.
The chief eunuch of the harem informed the Sultan about the situation in the harem
Already after 1852, the entire management of the harem was completely transferred to the eunuchs. The chief eunuch of the harem bought slaves for his sultan and informed him about the situation - the behavior of his wives and concubines, gave advice on punishments and promotions in the harem hierarchy. At the same time, the duties of the chief eunuch were very extensive - he even had the right to prepare the Sultan at the wedding ceremony. When the chief eunuch retired, he was given a pension. The new sultan usually appointed another chief eunuch, but this was not always the case. Despite the fact that some of the chief eunuchs were completely illiterate, they actively took part in state politics, since they always received the support of the Sultan himself and his wives.
Mothers of Sultans
The rooms of the Sultan's mother (valide) were the second largest after the rooms of the Sultan. Slave maids lived on the lower floor.
Valide, despite their status, had enormous power. Sultans always revered their mothers and treated them with special respect.
Sunset of the harems
Mehmed VI Wahid ed-Din (1918-1924) was destined to become the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Defeated in the First World War, Turkey was defeated as an ally of Germany and was occupied by the allied states.
What is the best dance to send your daughter to? This question worries parents, starting from the age of 4-5 of their princess. Which is better for girls - folk dance or more modern styles. To understand this, you need an idea of the most popular destinations and know their distinctive features:
- folk dances for girls, as well as pop ones, benefit not only the physical development of the baby, but also her psychological perception reality. Acting abilities inherent in nature can awaken in a child. In combination with excellent physical data, this will make the girl a harmoniously developed personality capable of teamwork;
- have a positive effect on physical form In addition, they develop the ability to present themselves, learn to interact with a partner. Develops concentration and the ability to maintain balance. Very attractive stage costumes which play a significant role for a little girl;
- dance Sport for shy and insecure girls will be a real discovery. In the classes, which are held to cheerful incendiary music, the child will be able to relax, feel the support of his partner, learn to throw out emotions in motion;
- modern dances - there are no strict rules here, on the contrary, individuality and a non-standard approach, self-expression are valued. These include tectonics, children's go-go, modern, popping, break dance, and other types. It is important to understand which of them the child prefers and where he can be realized;
- oriental - called the most useful for female body, they form perfect figure and have a beneficial effect on internal organs.
Dance by age
For a child, you should choose the type of dance that is best suited to him by age. After all, some of them help the growing body with early years to be formed correctly, while for others, on the contrary, a body already formed in a certain way is needed. Some studios invite babies, however, according to experts, this is not advisable. Children at this age are not able to perceive the instructions of the teacher, they have poor coordination of movements.
A 4-year-old child is already smarter, but confuses the left and right side unable to master compositions with complex movements. But all children are individual, and therefore the final decision is made based on the preferences and abilities of your child. If the baby will be engaged in dance studio only for pleasure and physical development, it is not necessary to give it to classes at a very early age.
Regardless of whether they pass dance classes from the category of hobbies to the business of life, they will benefit the girl:
- form a beautiful flexible figure,
- give endurance;
- will make her relaxed, able to present herself.
These qualities will definitely come in handy in the future.
For girls 4-5 years old
Babies 4-5 years old will love ballroom, sports, folk dances, classical ballet. But it is worth bearing in mind that some of listed species are traumatic, though beautiful.
For girls 6-7 years old
Suitable sports, ballroom, oriental, folk dances, ballet.
For girls 8-9 years old
A girl of this age will be interested in bright costumes from ballroom and sports dancers, she will also be interested in folk and Eastern dance, hip-hop.
For girls 10-11 years old
A child of this age continues to be interested in folk, sports and ballroom dancing. The young rebel will love modern hip hop, tectonist.
For girls 12 years old
From the age of 12, the child is given to the type of dance they like. Even if now the girl lacks the ability to convey emotions in movements, in the process of training the necessary skills will be developed over time.
