How Roksolana-Hurrem and other inhabitants of the palace of Sultan Suleiman lived and what in the series does not correspond to historical reality
“The Magnificent Century” is one of the most popular Turkish TV series. Exciting love story, luxurious scenery and costumes, the fate of an entire dynasty. The series is called historical, although many critics noted the distortion of facts. And yet the creators tried to recreate the oriental flavor. Especially the life and everyday life of a harem.
The plot centers on the fate of a Ukrainian concubine Alexandra/Roksolany(or Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska). This is the story of the most influential and powerful woman Ottoman Empire. Being a simple concubine, she managed to achieve the love of the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the tenth sultan to rule the Ottoman Empire from the 1520s, becoming the chief wife and mother of the heir to the throne.
Intrigue, slander, lies, cunning, bribery, murder - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska used everything in order to achieve her goal. Actually, the creators of “The Magnificent Century” did not exaggerate here. In those centuries, treachery reigned in harems.
Fact: According to historians, the ancestors of harems are the dynasty of Arab caliphs of the Abassids, who ruled in the Middle East from the mid-700s to the mid-2000s.XIIIcentury. The harem of the Ottoman Empire enjoyed the reputation of being the largest for five centuries.
Kingdom of Women
A harem or haram is a women’s monastery where outside men are not allowed to enter; it’s not for nothing that the word “haram” in Arabic means “forbidden.” During the Ottoman Empire, wives, young children, concubines, slaves, numerous Sultan relatives lived there, as well as eunuchs who served them and acted as guards. Harems lived own life, there was its own special etiquette and rules. Each of them had a strict hierarchy. The most influential and intelligent inhabitants of harems could also influence state policy.
Large harems numbered more than a thousand concubines and were symbols of the power of the ruler; the degree of respect accorded him depended largely on the “quality” and quantity of the harem. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest in area in the world was the Winter Harem of the Grand Seral of Topkapi in Istanbul, which consisted of 400 rooms. It was built back in 1589. At the beginning of the twentieth century, at the time of the overthrow of the Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1909, the number of its inhabitants decreased significantly - from 1200 to 370 concubines.
Court agents paid huge sums for beauties at slave auctions. A non-beauty had no chance to get there. Huge sums were spent on their maintenance - sometimes harems ruined the owners and emptied the treasury.
During the Ottoman Empire, after the death of the owner, the harem, which had become unnecessary, was moved to an old and far from luxurious palace, as the new sultan recruited new odalisques. Over time, the inhabitants of the harem began to often be disbanded altogether. This, for example, usually happens today.
The main, and often the only, visitor to the harem was the husband, the owner of the house. The guardian of the Sultan's chambers, the vizier, as well as the eunuchs, were also allowed to enter. Some harems allowed “guests,” such as storytellers or musicians.
The life of the inhabitants of the “female kingdom” was not limited to the walls of the palace. Many harem beauties could visit relatives and go out into the city (accompanied, of course).
At the dawn of the empire, sultans married the daughters of rulers of other states, but over time, former slaves increasingly became wives. And in the history of the Ottoman Empire, the very first slave whom the Sultan officially took as his wife was Hurrem. The history of the “Magnificent Century” is built on this.
Truth and fiction
The story of Hürrem's appearance in Suleiman's harem is told truthfully. It was actually bought at the market by the Sultan's vizier Ibrahim Pasha(actor played the role in the film Okan Yalabik) as a gift to the Bishop. At that time the girl was 14 years old. All concubines intended for the harem were taught the Turkish language, music, dancing, poetry, and handicrafts. Women of other faiths, as happened with Roksolana, had to accept the Muslim faith. The science of love and sexual wisdom was taught by ladies with extensive experience - specially hired mentors or, for example, relatives of the Sultan.
Each woman in the harem had her own status, rights and responsibilities. Based on her status, the amount of her salary, the number of chambers and servants allocated to her, and the right to occupy a certain position were determined. And this hierarchy is also well reflected in the series.
During leisure hours, the concubines went to the hammam, read, danced, played music, and told fortunes. But it was impossible to cast a spell; they were punished for it. And this is also shown in the series. Many viewers remember the scenes where Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska visits the sorceress and fears that someone will find out about it.
Women who enjoyed special favor received expensive gifts; pampering the harem was one of the main duties of the spouse. Ottoman sultans sometimes gave entire palaces to their beloved concubines and showered them with jewelry - the latter was actively displayed by women. According to legend, Sultan Suleiman (played by the actor Halit Ergench) even made expensive jewelry with his own hands. After the first night, he gave Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska a ring with a drop-shaped emerald.
Facts that the filmmakers embellished
The image of the historical Hurrem differs from the one embodied by the Turkish actress Miryem Witherly. The memories of the Venetian ambassador of those times have been preserved. He writes that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was more pretty than beautiful. In “The Magnificent Century” Hurrem is simply a beauty. And it’s hard to call her modest. However, all those tricks and techniques that she used to win Suleiman’s favor and then achieve privileges for her sons are indeed recorded in history. Researchers confirm that after her appearance in the harem, Sultan Suleiman stopped “entering” other women.
Another romantic fiction of the creators of “The Magnificent Century” is connected with the story of Suleiman’s first wife. In real Mahidevran Sultan(in the series she was played by the actress Nur Aysan) was not the wife of the Sultan. And after, in a fit of jealousy, she tried to poison Hurrem, she was forever expelled from the palace. In the series, the ruler forgave her, allowing her to return to the palace.
The creators of the series also embellished the external image of the heroines. First of all, this concerns clothing, which the costume designers of the “Magnificent Century” noticeably modernized. Such low-cut dresses were definitely not worn during the Ottoman Empire. Outfits in those centuries were much simpler in style; the main richness of the costumes was the decoration, as well as expensive and textured fabrics with sparkles and gold threads. And, of course, decorations.
The creators of “The Magnificent Century” also took liberties with the heroines’ hairstyles. While in the series the beauties sported luxurious curls, the real inhabitants of the harems wore their hair in a neat hairstyle. Eastern beauties of the 16th century did not even dare to think about walking around with their hair down - most often they had to wear braids.
HaremsXXIcentury
The inhabitants of modern harems are most often free to do whatever they want with their hair. But as far as hierarchy and internal rules are concerned, the principles remain the same. And today harems are far from a relic of the past. According to statistics, more than 40% of women in Pakistan, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Madagascar, Iran, Iraq and some African countries live in polygamous marriages.
The owner of one of the largest harems was the ex-president of Iraq Saddam Hussein- According to some sources, he had about five hundred concubines. And in the harem of one of the richest men of our time - the Sultan of Brunei - there are about seven hundred women. Very often, it is not Eastern women who end up in modern harems, but Europeans and Americans. Thus, at one time, Miss USA 1992 was in the harem of the Sultan of Brunei. Shannon McKetick. And in 2000 after death former president Syria Hafez Al-Assad it turned out that among his 40 concubines there was not a single Arab girl - as the European press wrote, among them were Germans, Swedes, and French.
What were the living conditions of concubines in the harem of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, says Alexandra Shutko, candidate of art history, author of the studies “Roksolana: Myths and Realities”, “Letters of Roksolana: Love and Diplomacy” and the novel “Hatice Turhan”.
MYTH ONE About the immensity of harems and group sex
Upon returning home, European ambassadors spoke about the Sultan's harem, which was filled with beauties from all over the world. According to their information, Suleiman the Magnificent had more than 300 concubines. More more women allegedly had his son Selim II and grandson Murad III - he had 100 children.
However, the granary books of the Topkapi Palace contain accurate information about the costs of maintaining the harem. They testify that Suleiman the Magnificent had 167 women in 1552, Selim II - 73, Murad III - about 150. The sultans did not have intimate relationships with everyone, and the family circle included only 3-4% of the total number of concubines : favorites and mothers of children.
So, Suleiman the Magnificent since the 1530s lived in a monogamous marriage with. This was a precedent, because according to Islamic law, the Ottomans could have four official wives and an unlimited number of concubines (mistresses). After Roksolana, sultans married concubines for almost a century. Selim II was faithful to his Greek wife Nurban for most of his life. The Albanian Safiye was the favorite of Murad III and the mother of his five children.
Until the 15th century, sultans married only women of noble birth: Christian princesses and daughters of Turkic tribal leaders.
“The Court of the Elect” is the Sultan’s harem in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr “The Court of the Chosen” is the Sultan’s harem in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr Imperial Hall in the Harem of Topkapi Palace. Photo: Dan/Flickr
The second myth is about the aimless and depraved life of concubines
The harem was not a house of debauchery, but a complex mechanism for the coexistence of the Sultan's family. The lowest level was occupied by new slaves - adjems. I picked them up valid- the mother of the Sultan, who traditionally headed the harem. Adjem were housed in common rooms under the care of experienced maids.
From captivity Crimean Tatars and Ottoman pirates took girls under 14 years old. Then for a long time they were taught in a harem school: read the Koran in Arabic, write in Ottoman, play musical instruments, dance, sing, sew and embroider. The main conditions for the casting: young age, beauty, health and chastity are mandatory.
The discipline in the harem is evidenced by the Arabic script that decorates the walls of the rooms and corridors of Topkapi. Guides mistakenly claim that these are lines of love poetry. In fact, these are suras of the Koran. So, above the carved marble gates it is written: “O you who believe! Do not enter other people's houses until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants with peace. It's better for you". (Surah An-Nur, 27).
No man except the Sultan and eunuch servants had the right to enter these doors into the women's chambers. These were mostly Africans who were castrated by Egyptian Christians during the slave caravans. The law prohibited Muslims from doing this. Prophet Mohammed said: “In Islam, castration is only possible in the form of fasting.”
Arabic calligraphy on a stained glass window in the harem of Topkapi Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr Arabic calligraphy on the walls of the Topkapi Palace harem. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr Arabic calligraphy on the door in the harem of Topkapi Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr
Myth three about unbearable slavery in the Sultan's harem
The life of concubines was radically different from slave labor on the plantation. “All slaves had a surprisingly large amount of free time, which they could dispose of as they wished, freedom of speech and action within the harem.”, notes American researcher of Turkish origin Asli Sancar.
Ottoman nobles dreamed of marrying the Sultan's concubine. Firstly, these were the most beautiful women in the empire, selected for rulers among the many enslaved peoples of Europe and Asia. Secondly, they had an excellent upbringing, were taught etiquette and respectful attitude towards their husband. Thirdly, this would be the highest favor of the Sultan and the beginning career growth in government positions.
Such a marriage was possible for concubines who did not have intimate relationships with the Sultan. After 9 years, such people were freed from slavery and given a large dowry: a house, gold jewelry and a pension, that is, regular payments from the palace treasury.
List of maidservants of the Sultan's harem. Photo courtesy of Alexandra Shutko
Myth four about the death penalty for minor offenses
Loved in the West horror stories about how disobedient concubines were sewn into leather bags and thrown from the windows of the harem into the Bosphorus. It was rumored that the bottom of the strait was strewn with the bones of girls. But anyone who has been to Istanbul knows that Topkapi Palace was built at a sufficient distance from the water. In our time, the hypothesis about the existence of an underground tunnel to the Bosphorus has not been confirmed.
For misdeeds, concubines were given mild punishments - detention in the basement or beating with a stick on their heels. The worst thing is removal from the harem. This was the case with the concubine of Selim I the Terrible, who had an obnoxious character and started fights with other girls. Pregnant from the Sultan (a unique case!), she was married off to the Pasha's close associate.
Kizlyar Agha, senior eunuch of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, 1912. Source: Wikipedia
Myth five: how the Sultan’s children were taken from their slave mothers
The Sultan's children from slaves were full members of the Sultan's dynasty. Sons became successors to the throne. After the death of their father, the eldest or most dexterous of them received power, and his mother received the highest title for women in the Ottoman Empire. Valide Sultan. The new ruler had the legal right to execute the brothers in order to prevent a fight for the throne that would be destructive to the state. This rule was unconditionally followed until the 17th century.
The Sultan's daughters from his concubines had the title sultans. Marriage with them could only be monogamous. The emperor's sons-in-law had to abandon other wives and concubines: the Sultana was the only mistress in the house. Intimate life was completely controlled by the high-born wife. The husband could enter the bedroom only with the permission of his wife, and after that he did not lie down, but “crawled” onto the bed.
The Sultan's daughters had the right to divorce and remarry. The record was set by Fatma, daughter of Ahmed I, who changed men 12 times. Some were executed by their father, others died in war or died from disease. Then they said that marrying Fatima Sultan meant throwing yourself into the arms of trouble.
"Odalisque". Artist Mariano Fortuny 1861.
Harem of the Sultans of the Ottoman EmpireHarem-i Humayun was the harem of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, which influenced the decisions of the sultan in all areas of politics.
The eastern harem is the secret dream of men and the personified curse of women, the focus of sensual pleasures and the exquisite boredom of the beautiful concubines languishing in it. All this is nothing more than a myth created by the talent of novelists.
A traditional harem (from the Arabic “haram” - forbidden) is primarily the female half of a Muslim home. Only the head of the family and his sons had access to the harem. For everyone else, this part of the Arab home is strictly taboo. This taboo was observed so strictly and zealously that the Turkish chronicler Dursun Bey wrote: “If the sun were a man, even he would be forbidden to look into the harem.” The harem is a kingdom of luxury and lost hopes...
The Sultan's harem was located in the Istanbul palace Topkapi. The mother (valide-sultan), sisters, daughters and heirs (shahzade) of the sultan, his wives (kadyn-effendi), favorites and concubines (odalisques, slaves - jariye) lived here.
From 700 to 1200 women could live in a harem at the same time. The inhabitants of the harem were served by black eunuchs (karagalar), commanded by darussaade agasy. Kapi-agasy, the head of the white eunuchs (akagalar), was responsible for both the harem and the inner chambers of the palace (enderun), where the sultan lived. Until 1587, the kapi-agas had power inside the palace comparable to the power of the vizier outside it, then the heads of the black eunuchs became more influential.
The harem itself was actually controlled by the Valide Sultan. The next in rank were the Sultan's unmarried sisters, then his wives.
The income of the women of the Sultan's family was made up of funds called bashmaklyk (“per shoe”).
There were few slaves in the Sultan's harem; usually the concubines were girls who were sold by their parents to the harem school and underwent special training there.
In order to cross the threshold of the seraglio, a slave underwent a kind of initiation ceremony. In addition to testing for innocence, the girl had to convert to Islam.
Entering a harem was in many ways reminiscent of being tonsured as a nun, where instead of selfless service to God, no less selfless service to the master was instilled. Concubine candidates, like God's brides, were forced to sever all ties with outside world, received new names and learned to live in humility.
In later harems, wives were absent as such. The main source of the privileged position was the attention of the Sultan and childbearing. By paying attention to one of the concubines, the owner of the harem elevated her to the rank of temporary wife. This situation was most often precarious and could change at any moment depending on the master’s mood. The most reliable way to gain a foothold in the status of a wife was the birth of a boy. A concubine who gave her master a son acquired the status of mistress.
The largest harem in the history of the Muslim world was the Istanbul harem of Dar-ul-Seadet, in which all the women were foreign slaves; free Turkish women did not go there. The concubines in this harem were called “odalisque”, a little later the Europeans added the letter “s” to the word and it turned out to be “odalisque”.
And here is Topkapi Palace, where the Harem lived
The Sultan chose up to seven wives from among the odalisques. Those who were lucky enough to become a “wife” received the title “kadyn” - madam. The main “kadyn” became the one who managed to give birth to her first child. But even the most prolific “Kadyn” could not count on the honorary title of “Sultana”. Only the mother, sisters and daughters of the Sultan could be called sultanas.
Transport of wives, concubines, in short, a harem taxi fleet
Just below the “kadyn” on the hierarchical ladder of the harem stood the favorites - “ikbal”. These women received salaries, their own apartments and personal slaves.
The favorites were not only skilled mistresses, but also, as a rule, subtle and intelligent politicians. In Turkish society, it was through “ikbal” that for a certain bribe one could go directly to the Sultan himself, bypassing the bureaucratic obstacles of the state. Below “ikbal” were “konkubin”. These young ladies were somewhat less fortunate. Conditions of detention are worse, there are fewer privileges.
It was at the “concubin” stage that there was the toughest competition, in which daggers and poison were often used. Theoretically, the Concubins, like the Iqbals, had a chance to climb the hierarchical ladder by giving birth to a child.
But unlike the favorites close to the Sultan, they had very little chance of this wonderful event. Firstly, if there are up to a thousand concubines in the harem, then it is easier to wait for the weather by the sea than for the holy sacrament of mating with the Sultan.
Secondly, even if the Sultan descends, it is not at all a fact that the happy concubine will definitely become pregnant. And it’s certainly not a fact that they won’t arrange a miscarriage for her.
Old slaves watched over the concubines, and any noticed pregnancy was immediately terminated. In principle, it is quite logical - any woman in labor, one way or another, became a contender for the role of a legitimate “kadyn”, and her baby became a potential contender for the throne.
If, despite all the intrigues and machinations, the odalisque managed to maintain the pregnancy and did not allow the child to be killed during an “unsuccessful birth,” she automatically received her personal staff of slaves, eunuchs and an annual salary “basmalik.”
Girls were bought from their fathers at the age of 5-7 years and raised until they were 14-15 years old. They were taught music, cooking, sewing, court etiquette, and the art of giving pleasure to 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 with her for the rest of his life. Once in the harem, the girls received a different name.
When choosing a concubine for the night, the Sultan sent her a gift (often a shawl or ring). After that, she was sent to the bathhouse, dressed in beautiful clothes and sent to the door of the Sultan's bedroom, where she waited until the Sultan went to bed. Entering the bedroom, she crawled on her knees to the bed and kissed the carpet. In the morning, the Sultan sent the concubine rich gifts if he liked the night spent with her.
The Sultan could have favorites - güzde. Here is one of the most famous, Ukrainian Roxalana
Suleiman the Magnificent
Baths of Hurrem Sultan (Roksolany), wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, built in 1556 next to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul. Architect Mimar Sinan.
Mausoleum of Roxalana
Valide with a black eunuch
Reconstruction of one of the rooms of the Valide Sultan apartment in Topkapi Palace. Melike Safiye Sultan (possibly born Sophia Baffo) was a concubine of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III and the mother of Mehmed III. During Mehmed's reign, she bore the title Valide Sultan (mother of the Sultan) and was one of the most important figures in the Ottoman Empire.
Only the Sultan's mother, Valide, was considered equal to her. Valide Sultan, regardless of her origin, could be very influential (most famous example- Nurban).
Ayşe Hafsa Sultan is the wife of Sultan Selim I and the mother of Sultan Suleiman I.
Hospice Ayşe Sultan
Kösem Sultan, also known as Mahpeyker, was the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (who bore the title Haseki) and the mother of Sultans Murad IV and Ibrahim I. During the reign of her sons, she bore the title Valide Sultan and was one of the most important figures in the Ottoman Empire.
Valide apartments in the palace
Bathroom Valide
Valide's bedroom 
After 9 years, the concubine, who had never been elected by the Sultan, had the right to leave the harem. In this case, the Sultan found her a husband and gave her a dowry, she received a document stating that she was a free person.
However, the lowest layer of the harem also had its own hope for happiness. For example, only they had a chance for at least some kind of personal life. After several years of impeccable service and adoration in their eyes, a husband was found for them, or, having allocated funds for a comfortable life, they were released on all four sides.
Moreover, among the odalisques - outsiders of the harem society - there were also aristocrats. A slave could turn into a “gezde” - awarded a glance, if the Sultan somehow - with a look, gesture or word - singled her out from the general crowd. Thousands of women lived their whole lives in the harem, but they didn’t even see the Sultan naked, but they didn’t even wait for the honor of being “honored with a glance”
If the Sultan died, all the concubines were sorted by the gender of the children they had managed to give birth to. The girls’ mothers could easily get married, but the mothers of the “princes” settled in the “Old Palace”, from where they could leave only after the accession of the new Sultan. And at this moment the fun began. The brothers poisoned each other with enviable regularity and persistence. Their mothers also actively added poison to the food of their potential rivals and their sons.
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In addition to the old, trusted slaves, the concubines were watched over by eunuchs. Translated from Greek, “eunuch” means “guardian of the bed.” They ended up in the harem exclusively in the form of guards, so to speak, to maintain order. There were two types of eunuchs. Some were castrated back in early childhood and they completely lacked secondary sexual characteristics - they did not grow a beard, had a high, boyish voice and a complete lack of perception of a woman as a member of the opposite sex. Others were castrated at a later age.
Partial eunuchs (that’s what those castrated not in childhood, but in adolescence were called) looked very much like men, had the most low masculine basque, sparse facial hair, broad muscular shoulders, and, oddly enough, sexual desire.
Of course, the eunuchs could not satisfy their needs naturally due to the lack of the necessary equipment for this. But as you understand, when it comes to sex or drinking, the flight of human imagination is simply limitless. And the odalisques, who lived for years with an obsessive dream of waiting for the Sultan’s gaze, were not particularly picky. Well, if there are 300-500 concubines in the harem, at least half of them are younger and more beautiful than you, what's the point of waiting for the prince? And in the absence of fish, even a eunuch is a man.
In addition to the fact that the eunuchs monitored order in the harem and at the same time (in secret from the Sultan, of course) consoled themselves and women yearning for male attention in every possible and impossible way, their duties also included the functions of executioners. They strangled those guilty of disobedience to the concubines with a silk cord or drowned the unfortunate woman in the Bosporus.
The influence of the inhabitants of the harem on the sultans was used by envoys of foreign states. Thus, the Russian Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire M.I. Kutuzov, having arrived in Istanbul in September 1793, sent Valide Sultan Mihrishah gifts, and “the Sultan received this attention to his mother with sensitivity.”
Selim
Kutuzov received reciprocal gifts from the Sultan’s mother and a favorable reception from Selim III himself. Russian Ambassador strengthened Russia's influence in Turkey and persuaded it to join an alliance against revolutionary France.
Since the 19th century, after the abolition of slavery in the Ottoman Empire, all concubines began to enter the harem voluntarily and with the consent of their parents, hoping to achieve material well-being and careers. The harem of the Ottoman sultans was liquidated in 1908.
The harem, like the Topkapi Palace itself, is a real labyrinth, rooms, corridors, courtyards are all randomly scattered. This confusion can be divided into three parts: The premises of the black eunuchs The actual harem, where the wives and concubines lived The premises of the Valide Sultan and the padishah himself Our tour of the Harem of the Topkapi Palace was very brief.
The premises are dark and deserted, there is no furniture, there are bars on the windows. Cramped and narrow corridors. This is where the eunuchs lived, vengeful and vindictive because of psychological and physical injury... And they lived in the same ugly rooms, tiny, like closets, sometimes without windows at all. The impression is brightened only by the magical beauty and antiquity of the Iznik tiles, as if emitting a pale glow. We passed the stone courtyard of the concubines and looked at Valide's apartments.
It’s also cramped, all the beauty is in the green, turquoise, blue earthenware tiles. I ran my hand over them, touched the flower garlands on them - tulips, carnations, but the peacock’s tail... It was cold, and thoughts were spinning in my head that the rooms were poorly heated and the inhabitants of the harem probably often suffered from tuberculosis.
Moreover, this lack of direct sunlight... The imagination stubbornly refused to work. Instead of the splendor of the Seraglio, luxurious fountains, fragrant flowers, I saw closed spaces, cold walls, empty rooms, dark passages, strange niches in the walls, a strange fantasy world. The sense of direction and connection to the outside world was lost. I was stubbornly overcome by an aura of hopelessness and melancholy. Even the balconies and terraces in some rooms overlooking the sea and the fortress walls were not pleasing.
And finally, the reaction of official Istanbul to the sensational series “The Golden Age”
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan believes that the television series about the court of Suleiman the Magnificent insults the greatness of the Ottoman Empire. However, historical chronicles confirm that the palace really fell into complete decline.
All sorts of rumors often circulate around forbidden places. Moreover, the more secrecy they are shrouded in, the more fantastic assumptions mere mortals make about what is going on behind them. closed doors. This applies equally to the secret archives of the Vatican and the CIA caches. The harems of Muslim rulers are no exception.
So it is not surprising that one of them became the setting for a “soap opera” that became popular in many countries. The Magnificent Century series takes place in the 16th-century Ottoman Empire, which at that time stretched from Algeria to Sudan and from Belgrade to Iran. At its head was Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled from 1520 to 1566, and in whose bedroom there was room for hundreds of barely dressed beauties. It is not surprising that 150 million television viewers in 22 countries were interested in this story.
Erdogan, in turn, focuses primarily on the glory and power of the Ottoman Empire, which reached its peak during the reign of Suleiman. Invented harem stories from that time, in his opinion, understate the greatness of the Sultan and thus the entire Turkish state.
But what does distortion of history mean in this case? Three Western historians spent a lot of time studying works on the history of the Ottoman Empire. The last of them was the Romanian researcher Nicolae Iorga (1871-1940), whose “History of the Ottoman Empire” also included previously published studies by the Austrian orientalist Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall and the German historian Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen (Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen).
Iorga devoted a lot of time to studying the events at the Ottoman court during the time of Suleiman and his heirs, for example, Selim II, who inherited the throne after the death of his father in 1566. “More like a monster than a man,” he spent most of his life drinking, which, by the way, was prohibited by the Koran, and his red face once again confirmed his addiction to alcohol.
The day had barely begun, and he, as a rule, was already drunk. To solving issues of national importance, he usually preferred entertainment, for which dwarfs, jesters, magicians or wrestlers were responsible, in which he occasionally shot with a bow. But if Selim’s endless feasts took place, apparently, without the participation of women, then under his heir Murad III, who ruled from 1574 to 1595 and lived for 20 years under Suleiman, everything was different.
“Women play an important role in this country,” wrote one French diplomat who had some experience in this regard in his homeland. “Since Murad spent all his time in the palace, his environment had a great influence on his weak spirit,” wrote Iorga. “With women, the Sultan was always obedient and weak-willed.”
Most of all, Murad’s mother and first wife took advantage of this, who were always accompanied by “many court ladies, intriguers and intermediaries,” wrote Iorga. “On the street they were followed by a cavalcade of 20 carts and a crowd of Janissaries. Being a very insightful person, she often influenced appointments at court. Because of her extravagance, Murad tried several times to send her to old palace, but she remained a real mistress until her death.”
Ottoman princesses lived in “typical oriental luxury.” European diplomats tried to win their favor with exquisite gifts, because one note from one of them was enough to appoint one or another pasha. The careers of the young gentlemen who married them depended entirely on them. And those who dared to reject them lived in danger. Pasha “could easily have been strangled if he did not dare to take this dangerous step - to marry an Ottoman princess.”
While Murad was having fun in the company of beautiful slaves, “all the other people admitted to governing the empire made personal enrichment their goal - no matter by honest or dishonest means,” wrote Iorga. It is no coincidence that one of the chapters of his book is called “Causes of Collapse.” When you read it, you get the feeling that this is a script for a television series, such as, for example, “Rome” or “Boardwalk Empire”.
However, behind the endless orgies and intrigues in the palace and in the harem, important changes in life at court were hidden. Before Suleiman's accession to the throne, it was customary for the Sultan's sons, accompanied by their mother, to go to the provinces and remain aloof from the struggle for power. The prince who inherited the throne then, as a rule, killed all his brothers, which was in some ways not bad, because this way it was possible to avoid a bloody struggle over the Sultan’s inheritance.
Everything changed under Suleiman. After he not only had children with his concubine Roxolana, but also freed her from slavery and appointed her as his main wife, the princes remained in the palace in Istanbul. The first concubine who managed to rise to the position of the Sultan's wife did not know what shame and conscience are, and she shamelessly promoted her children through career ladder. Numerous foreign diplomats wrote about the intrigues at court. Later, historians relied on their letters in their research.
The fact that Suleiman’s heirs abandoned the tradition of sending wives and princes further to the province also played a role. Therefore, the latter constantly interfered in political issues. “In addition to their participation in palace intrigues, their connections with the Janissaries stationed in the capital are worthy of mention,” wrote historian Surayya Farocki from Munich.
When most people hear the word “harem,” colorful pictures come to mind - an abundance of seductive scantily clad women, murmuring fountains, sweet wine and constant bliss. In general, a heavenly pleasure. But do not forget that the times when harems existed were cruel, and the life of a woman was even harder.
So in fact, the Sultan's harems were far from this idealistic picture.
Translated from Arabic, “harem” means “separated, forbidden.” This place in the house was always hidden from prying eyes and was carefully guarded by servants. Women lived in this secret room. The main one among them was either the wife, who received the honor of marrying first and held a high title together with her betrothed, or the eunuchs.
Often there were a huge number of women in the Sultan's harems, the number of which could reach several thousand. The wives and concubines for the Sultan were always chosen by his mother - this is a strict rule. It was very easy to find yourself in a harem - to do this you just had to be beautiful. But even in the harem, not everyone was able to establish a relationship with her “husband” and give him an heir.
Such high competition among wives allowed only the most intelligent, calculating, dexterous and cunning women to advance to the top. Those who did not possess such talents were doomed to perform household duties and serve the entire harem. They might never see their betrothed in their entire lives.
There were special rules in harems that could not be violated. So everything was not nearly as romantic as, for example, in the popular TV series “The Magnificent Century.” The overlord could get carried away new girl, and those who had an eyesore could be executed. Moreover, the methods of reprisal were striking in their cruelty.
One option to get rid of your annoying wife is to immerse her in a leather bag with snakes, tie her tightly, tie a stone to the bag and throw her into the sea. The easy way executions - strangulation with a silk cord.
Laws in the harem and the state
If you believe the documents, the first harems arose in the Ottoman Empire. Initially, it was formed exclusively from slaves, and the sultans took as wives only the heiresses of Christian rulers of neighboring states. However, during the reign of Bayezid II, the usual attitudes underwent changes. From that time on, the Sultan did not limit himself to marriage at all, and acquired children from his slaves.
Undoubtedly, the most important thing in the harem was the Sultan, then in the chain of hierarchy was his mother, called the “valide”. When the ruler of the country changed, his mother always moved to a luxurious mansion, and the moving process itself was accompanied by a luxurious procession. After the Sultan’s mother, his betrotheds, who were called “Kadyn-effendi,” were considered the most important. Next came the powerless slaves, called “jariye”, with whom the harem was often simply filled.
The Caucasian princes wanted their daughters to end up in the Sultan's Ottoman harem and marry him. When putting their daughters to bed, caring fathers sang songs about happy fate, the luxurious fairy-tale life in which they will find themselves if they are lucky enough to become the wives of the Sultan.
The masters could buy future slaves when the children were five to seven years old, they raised them and raised them until puberty, that is, until the age of 12-14 years. The girls' parents renounced their rights to their child in writing after they voluntarily sold their daughter to the Sultan.
While the baby was growing up, she learned not only all the rules of social communication, but also how to please a man. Upon reaching adolescence, the matured girl was shown in the palace. If, during examination, a slave showed defects in her appearance or body, if she never learned etiquette and showed bad behavior, she was considered unfit for the harem and was worth less than others, so her father was paid a smaller amount than what he expected.
Everyday life of slaves
The lucky ones, whom the Sultan was supposedly thinking of taking as his concubines, had to know the Koran perfectly well and master women's wisdom. And if the slave still managed to take the honorable place of the wife, her life changed radically. The Sultan's favorites were organizing charitable foundations, financed the construction of mosques. They revered Muslim traditions. The Sultan's wives were very smart. The high intelligence of these women is confirmed by letters that have survived to this day.
The concubines were treated with relative dignity, they were well taken care of, and they were regularly given gifts. Every day, even the simplest slaves received a payment, the amount of which was set personally by the Sultan. On holidays, be it a birthday or someone's wedding, slaves were given money and various gifts. However, if the slave was disobedient, she regularly violated established procedures and laws, the punishment for her was severe - severe beating with whips and sticks.
Marriage and adultery
After 9 years of living in the harem, the slave received the right to leave it, but on the condition that the master approves of it. In case of a positive decision of the Sultan, the woman received from him a paper that she free man. In this case, the Sultan or his mother necessarily bought her a luxurious house, gave her an additional dowry, and looked for her a husband.
Well, before the onset heavenly life especially passionate concubines began intimate relationships with each other or with eunuchs. By the way, all the eunuchs were brought from Africa, so they were all black.
This was done for a specific purpose - in this way it was not difficult to identify the person who committed adultery with the servant. After all, in case of pregnancy, dark-skinned babies were born. But this happened extremely rarely, because slaves often ended up in the harem already castrated, so they could not have children. There were often conflicts between concubines and eunuchs love relationship. It even got to the point that women who left the harem left their new husbands, complaining that the eunuch gave them much more pleasure.
Roksolana
Until the 16th century, girls from Russia, Georgia, Croatia and Ukraine ended up in the harem. Byazid tied himself in marriage with a Byzantine princess, and Orkhan Ghazi chose the daughter of Emperor Constantine, Princess Caroline, as his wife. But the most famous Sultan's wife, according to legends, was from Ukraine. Her name was Roksolana, she remained in the status of Suleiman the Magnificent's betrothed for 40 years.
According to literary works At that time, Roksolana’s real name was Anastasia. She was the daughter of a priest and was distinguished by her beauty. The girl was preparing for the wedding, but shortly before the celebration she was kidnapped by the Tatars and sent to Istanbul. There, the would-be bride ended up in a Muslim market where slave trade took place.
As soon as the girl found herself within the walls of the palace, she converted to Islam and learned the Turkish language. Anastasia turned out to be particularly cunning and calculating, therefore, through bribery, intrigue and seduction for short term got to the young padishah, who became interested in her, and then married. She gave her husband three healthy heroes, among whom was the future Sultan, Selim the Second.
There are no more harems in modern Turkey; the last one disappeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. A museum was later opened in its place. However, among the elite, polygamy is still practiced today. Young 12-year-old beauties are given as wives to older rich men against their will. Basically, this is what poor parents do who do not have enough money to feed a large number of children.
In a number of other Muslim countries, polygamy is legalized, but at the same time it is allowed to have no more than four wives at a time. The same law imposes on a polygamous man the obligation to adequately support his ladies and children, but not a word is written about respectful attitude. Therefore, despite beautiful life, wives are often kept in extreme strictness. In case of divorce, children always remain with their father, and mothers are prohibited from seeing them. This is the price to pay for a comfortable and luxurious life with an influential Arab man.
History of the harem in the Ottoman Empire
Kazan researcher Bulat Nogmanov, whose publications are read by Mintimer Shaimiev, continues to acquaint Realnoe Vremya readers with his observations about the culture and history of Turkey. In today's column, he continues to talk about such a delicate phenomenon in the life of the empire as the Sultan's harem.
Perhaps one of the most controversial topics in the history of the Ottoman Empire is the topic of the Sultan's harem and the situation of its inhabitants. Ideas about the harem were largely formed under the influence of notes and memoirs of Western travelers and ambassadors who allegedly visited the harem. It should be noted that at that time this was a rather difficult task, since the harem was a forbidden institution, and entry there was prohibited not only to foreigners, but also to the male inhabitants of the Sultan’s court, of course, except for the Sultan himself. In today's article we will try to reveal some of the secrets of this mysterious institution.
The first European who told the general public about the harem and its inhabitants was the personal physician of Sultan Murad III, Dominio Hiroso Limiano, who described the layout of the harem and left information about local traditions, how local women live and about a school for the Sultan’s relatives. The second European who, according to his personal statements, managed to see some of the women of the harem was the organ maker Thomas Dallam. In 1599, Queen Elizabeth, together with Dallam, sent an organ with a clockwork mechanism to Sultan Murad III as a gift. However, before Dallam arrives in Istanbul, Murad III dies and his son Mehmed III ascends the throne. Nevertheless, the English master delivers the gift and spends a whole month in the palace, assembling and tuning the organ. After this, there were many travelers, ambassadors and jewelry makers who claimed that they were the first who managed to visit the harem. However, for most researchers, the main written source not only on the harem, but also on the history of the Ottoman Empire, is the work of an employee of the Swedish embassy, Muradya d "Osson." The big picture Ottoman Empire", which he published in 1791. And as a artistic source, depicting life in a harem, is a famous engraving by Melling. The first Ottoman researcher who, with special permission, managed to visit the Topkapi Palace and describe the place of residence of the courtiers was Abdurahman Eref. Eref published the results of his research between 1910 and 1911.
Antoine-Ignace Melling. In the sultan's harem. 1810. Ill. orientaliststyle.com
If I were a sultan, I would be single
The words of the famous song from the movie “ Caucasian captive"were very relevant for the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. In order to avoid political and legal consequences, with the exception of some rulers, they did not marry, but took a “jariye”, which is translated into Russian as “concubine”, although the Ottomans themselves put a slightly different meaning into this concept - a female slave or servant.
So, to maintain the institution of “jariye”, which, by the way, were recruited according to the principle of “devshirme” (shifters), the harem system was formed in the Ottoman Empire. What did the Sultan's harem represent? First of all, it was a hierarchical system, headed by the Sultan's mother and the chief eunuch, designed to promote the continuation of the Sultan's lineage according to male line. Not all the inhabitants of the harem were concubines. Only the most successful girls were allowed to see the Sultan, who were taught the basics of Islam, Turkic culture, literature, the art of poetry, embroidery, music and much more. If the Enderun school under the Sultan was engaged in preparing future civil servants, then the harem prepared future wives for these same employees. This was done so that civil servants appointed to remote corners of the empire would not develop family ties with the local population and would maintain personal loyalty to the Sultan.
Zulfiya irons my robe at the board
All the women of the harem were busy various works housekeeping of the palace. Each of them, depending on the position and social status, a daily allowance was paid. For example, the mother of Sultan Murad III Nurbanu received 3,000 akçe daily. For comparison, at the same time, the head of the Janissary corps received only 500 akce. Known to many readers from the film “The Magnificent Century,” the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent (Kanuni), Hurrem Sultan, received 2,000 akche as a daily allowance. The distribution of wages was handled by the chief eunuch.
Khurem Sultan. Painting from the 15th century. Ill. wikipedia.org
The inhabitants of the harem lived in rooms of five people. For the sake of order, an older woman always moved in with the four young girls. The Sultan's mother and pregnant jariye, who had Haseki status, lived in separate chambers. The greatest authority in the harem was Valide Sultan, that is, the mother of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. After her, the chief eunuch, the Sultan's daughters and the Sultan's milk mother.
Disputes often arose between the pregnant “wives” of the Sultan about which son would become the next ruler. Various unions and groups were formed, into which viziers, members of the diwan, the Janissary corps and other civil servants were drawn willy-nilly. Intrigues were woven, conspiracies and coups were being prepared.
Due to the fact that according to the legal status of the jariye they were slaves, and Islam prohibited the enslavement of Muslims, the inhabitants of the harems were mainly representatives of other cultures and religions. There is a common belief among historians that this is what led to the decline of the Ottoman Empire.
Bulat Nogmanov
Reference
Bulat Nogmanov- researcher, translator.
- Born on October 31, 1985 in the village of Apatovo, Apastovsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan.
- In 2008 he graduated from the International Kazakh-Turkish University. HA. Yasawi majoring in International Relations.
- In 2010, he completed his master's degree at Ankara University in the same specialty.
- Participant of ethnographic expeditions.
- Member of the Tatarstan branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
- Speaks English, Turkish and Kazakh languages.