Yet less than a 100 years in Turkey have ceased to exist harems. They disappeared along with the decline of the reign of the last Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI Wahid al-Din and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of March 3, 1924. That is, in those days, when the Suffragettes were already fighting in Europe for the right to vote and get a decent salary for their work, the most beautiful women in Turkey have fought for the love and attention of a single man. Let's talk about this in more detail.
What women have been in a harem? In the harem to the Sultan got the most beautiful women, captured in the border lands. They were taught the Turkish language, singing, dancing and art to please a man. But not all women fall into the harem by force. Often parents begged themselves that their daughter has fallen under the highest patronage, because it was the only way for a family to survive. Beautiful girls bought from their parents at the age of 5-6 years to be sure of their moral and physical purity and raised as a princess, teaching history, calligraphy, arts, and later the ability to hold a conversation and sexual tricks. When the girl came up to its maturation, it met the Vizier of the Sultan, to make sure that it It meets all the highest physical and mental requirements, and then it goes into the status concubines.
Beauties for the Sultan was taken around the world. Especially prized Circassian (so-called all women from the North Caucasus) and Slav. At the same time in the harem of the Turkish sultan were several hundred women. By the way, the harem could in those days have not only the ruler of the empire, but any of his subjects, who could provide the content.
Concubines. Slaves lived in the lower harem and concubines at the top. If, for example, the Sultan wanted to have fun and listen to the game on a flute, a senior eunuch or the wife of the Sultan summoned all the girls who possessed this skill. In a sign of the favor of the lord could throw at the feet of the chosen one scarf or send her a gift. Then she was sent to the hammam, where it is washed, do hair removal, massage, rubbed with spices and dressed in loose clothing and repeat the material covered, how best to appease the Sultan.
Before you send a concubine to the Sultan, not to court the wrath of the lord, it must undergo checks, including snoring and temperament. We did so in each case differently. One of the tests of temperament is a sugar hair removal - a prototype of the popular in our time in the salons shugaring beauty. If she cried during the procedure, it was considered a temperamental if silent - cold. In this case, the Sultan did not allow it and could even translate from concubines in maid.
If concubine tested after her escorted to the room the lord, where she stood at the door of his bedroom as long as the Sultan did not deign to go to bed. When that happened, she crawled on his knees to his bed and placed next to him. The next morning, when the night had been a passionate love, and the lord was pleased with the gifts he sent concubine, and she was even able to go to the status of his favorites.
Mistress, who was lucky enough to give birth to a child of the Sultan gets a chance to become his wife. Although this rule is not always observed. They were called "Iqbal" - happy. Each Iqbal had his own room in the upper harem, and its daily menu consisted of 15 dishes.
Wives. Wives of the Turkish sultan could be from 4 to 8. New wife (Kadyny Effendi) received written evidence of his status and endows with expensive gifts. And to move from the harem in a specially prepared for her a separate room in the palace. She taught imperial traditions and other tricks that needs to know the wife of the lord - the keeper of traditions.
The wife, who gave birth to the heir to the Sultan, called Haseki. First, this title received the beloved Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent Hjurrem (which we know as Roxolana). According to Islamic law in the night from Friday to Saturday, the sultan was obliged to perform with one of his wives, all the rest of the night in the bed of the Sultan could be any other woman of his choice. If Sultan overlook some of his wives in succession 3 weeks, she had the right to appeal to the judge (qadi). By the way, for a regular meeting with the sultan's wives and watched the keeper of traditions.
Despite its seemingly powerless position Sultans wife often had a strong influence on them, and sometimes even interfered in the affairs of state. A prime example is still the same Roksolana, which has managed to become the only wife of the Sultan, and a significant impact on the foreign policy of the state.
Sultan between women and there is a clear hierarchy in relation to each other, they respect a number of formalities. For example, in a sign of respect to the Kadyny Effendi harem women kissed the hem of her skirt. If one of the women wanted to talk to another, she sent her maid for consent. If the wife of the Sultan traveled somewhere in a palanquin, accompanied by her foot eunuchs. If the trip went all the women lined up palanquins on their seniority.
Eunuchs. Initially, for the protection of the Sultan's harem were selected white eunuchs. But because white boys after surgery for castration often bled and died, we began to prefer black. For this slavers kidnapped (or buy) the boys in Africa and sent them to places where they did castration. Subsequently, these slaves were in great demand on Islamic market. Since the eunuchs grew larger, they organized a kind of guild, which took on the training of young men and gave them the names of the names of colors. Trained young people fall into servitude to the wives of the sultan, as well as to protect the harem.
Chief Eunuch was managing a harem - he selected for the Sultan's concubines, watching the women's behavior, giving advice on their punishment, and advancement in the hierarchy of the harem. Some of the chief eunuch, even without being literate, become advisers of the Sultan and took part in government. When the eunuch went to bed, it is assigned content.
How it was. Despite the fact that the position of women has been made powerless and dependent on the whims of the Sultan, resentful they did not consider themselves. They certainly made every effort to bring pleasure to the Sultan, but of any sexual abuse to go it just could not. Such behavior is strictly prohibited religion. In addition, it was banned poses that somehow resemble the behavior of animals or provide at least some hint of perversion.
The most popular posture was different variations of the mission, when the man is on top. But the arsenal of abilities concubines was very great that successfully replaced the monotony of the positions. By the way, the sultan during a night of passion and tried hard - not to satisfy a woman thought to disgrace. The night took place in the presence of the elderly maids-efiopok, who had to watch that you do not extinguished torches, illuminating the bed. Neskuchniy your night!
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