Sultanian harem, Topkapi, Istanbul

Traveling in Turkey, be sure to stop in Istanbul for 2-3 days. In this charming city on the Bosphorus, there is a wonderful chance to touch the history of the Ottoman Empire and visualize beautiful stories and fairy tales about the Terrible Sultans and their wonderful concubines.

Entrance to Palace Topkapi, Istanbul. Photo Credit: UrbanCapture

Slightly stories to start

Turks called harem "home of happiness". The polygamy first appeared in Assyrians. Then it was taken by Muslims who were allowed to have up to four wives. In the 10th century, the Turks appeared with the adoption of Islam, the traditions have a harem. She reached his apogee during the board of Osmanov and was banned by Ataturk in 1926.

Sultanian sample sample 16-17 centuries were huge "organizations" with their hierarchy and management structure, at the head of which the mother always stood – Sultan. Caiders Harame – Black Eunuchs occupied not recently in the Empire. According to the official protocol, the position of the chief ENNUCH was the fourth in due date after Sultan, the Great Vizier and the Supreme Priest.

Career in Harem

For girls came in the harem two ways, the first, something like a chance to make a brilliant career, which was able to make only very strong, smart and sometimes cruel women. In order to make a career in a harem, it was not enough to fall in love with the Sultan, it was necessary to enlist the support of Enuch, Sultanha or other influentials of the empire. In the harem flourished intrigue, bribers, betrayal. And the second way, stay in a harem all life as a slave.

Girls lived in specially reserved premises. Miscellaneous teachers were engaged with them. Girls taught literature, music, mathematics, astrology, also taught to be a servant and a woman at the same time. Each of them had their own duties, someone brought Coffee to Sultan, someone was draining the pan in the kitchen, the fate of these girls depended on two people in the Harem of Enuch and Sultanshi. If the girl was lucky and she liked Sultan, she moved from the slave to the next step of the career ladder and became concubine – "Ikbal".

The next high and difficult stage – the wife of Sultan (Cadin Efendi). Wives became only the most talented and smart concubines who managed to conquer the heart and mind of Sultan and get support in his surroundings. The wife who gave birth to Sultan the first son was called his first wife. Favorite wife was called "Haseki". These women managed to leave their mark in history.

Appearance Harem, Topkapi Palace. Photo Credit: UrbanCapture

Hall with fountain &# 8212; Lobby, where women waited for permission to enter Sultan. PHOTO CREDIT: FARM7.StaticFlickr

Roksolana &# 8212; Hurra

One of the most famous "Haseki" entered the story was Roksolana. So the European ambassadors of the red-haired girl Nastya, a prisoner from Western Ukraine. She, Nastya Roksolana, managed not only to survive in a harem, but also to become a beloved wife of one of the most great Sultans of the Ottoman Empire – Suleiman Great.

By the set of intrigue, the skillful seduction of Suleiman, bribes the eunuham Roksolana achieved his own and became his wife of Padisha. Accepting Islam after the birth of the first son, Roksolana had a serious impact on politics in the state. Roksolana was declared a legitimate wife of his sovereign with the provision of all the privileges of Sultashi Valida. To this day, the beautiful and romantic correspondence of the Sultan and Roxolants, which he called Hurra (laughing), was preserved: "Let the Hurrend be sacrificed for one hairs from your mustache".

This love lasted until the death of roxolane and was irrigated by blood not one person, including the first Sultan son. Mustafa was stipulated and strangled by the orders of the Father. Nevertheless, Sultan’s magnificent for thirty years loved his Hurm, who gave him six children and was her faithful husband.

Sultan Suleiman Gorgeous and Rocksolane. Photo Credit: N / A / Museum of Arts John and Male Ringling, Sarasota

Reconstruction of events, topkups. Photo Credit: Sadullah Hazar, 500px

Palace Topkapi

One of the oldest Turkish palaces, Topkappa for a long time was the main residence in the Ottoman Empire. It is located in the historic center of Istanbul, on the top of the peninsula, among the greenery, with a beautiful view of the Bosphorus. In a huge palace with four courtyards, a mosque, hospital, a harem and a lot of pavilions, from generation to generation, Sultans lived with their families and concubines.

From here, for 400 years, they ruled the empire until in 1856 they did not move to a new Europeanized residence – Dolmabach’s Palace. In the topkups, it was decided which land the fate will expand the borders of the Ottoman Empire. How to manage, and in the case of Suleiman magnificent and how to reform state institutions.

Walking around the palace, you can only imagine that and how much did these walls seen. Thanks to the abundance of books and films on the topic of the Ottoman Empire, live images easily replace planted here, then here mannequins. But the romanticism of the era is fading against the background of events sometime occurring here. The struggle for power has always been, is and will be ruthless and the degree of the latter will determine only the value system adopted in society. Against the background of the fame of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi also remember her horrors, such as massacres of heirs.

Epoch morals

Far from the only one, but perhaps one of &# 171; outstanding&# 187; Cases was at the time of Mehmed III. Becoming the ruler, Sultan gave an order to strangle all its 19 brothers, among whom were babies. And all because those ever could challenge the right to throne. Sought in those times a lot and passionately. But here it is: o Tempora, o Mores! / O times! About moral!/ &# 8212; In the case of potential heirs, this murder method was chosen because the noble blood was flowing in favor, which could not be shed.

Today Topkapi &# 8212; This is an incredibly beautiful museum in which half-century exhibits and memory of life and the neckens in the Ottoman Empire are stored. One of the most beautiful parts of the palace occupies a harem &# 8212; Labyrinth of corridors and rooms, where Sultan family lived, eunuhi and concave. Harem is striking with its luxury and paints. Bright colored mosaics, stained glass, marble and gold decorate the walls of his halls and windows.