What were the concubines taught in the harem. Concubines in the harem
How the concubines were prepared for the night of love: the secrets of the Sultan's harem Everyone has their own associations with the harem. Someone imagines the majestic sultan and around the dancing concubines in beautiful dresses, someone will immediately smell the fragrant oils from the hamams, and some will have a desire to try the well-known Turkish sherbet or other delicacies. Most women of the East exalt their men to the rank of sovereign, sometimes completely forgetting about themselves, their beloved. Even during the government of the Great Ottoman Empire, methods and techniques for seducing and delighting men were known. It turns out that the path to the gifts of the ruler's love was not so simple. To step on it, one beauty and charm was not enough.
Today you will learn about several main lessons on the way to the Sultan's box. The most famous harem in the history of the Ottomans was the Seraglio Palace, located in Istanbul. Imagine, it contained more than four hundred large rooms! The inhabitants of these rooms were approximately 2,000 concubines. The palace was surrounded by high walls. It had many beautiful gardens and alleys. Not every girl could get into this unearthly paradise.
Casting According to historical facts, the caretakers of the harem had a specially approved plan, relying on which a certain number of blondes and brunettes could get into the harem. Random girls never got into the Sultan's harem. As for the figure, the Eastern padishahs liked a beautiful waist and wide hips. The ratio should be 2 to 3.
Seduction Courses The next step was the special training of girls. The educational process was supervised by special workers of the harem - kalfas. Moreover, studies did not consist only of courses of temptation. The girls had to become literate: they studied Turkish, the Koran, literature, writing, poetry. An additional advantage was the ability to play any musical instrument. Skilled dancers were also valued, as it was important to be in good physical shape. In addition, the beauties needed to learn how to take care of themselves. They needed to know how to properly apply makeup, use aroma oils, select clothes and jewelry. Mandatory for the study was the dance "Raks sharkhi". The concubines believed that this dance could excite the fantasy of the padishah. It was also necessary to know some moments of intimate gymnastics, which consisted in training the muscles of the vagina. The course ended with an exam. On the Golden Path, But the exam was not enough to be awarded to please the Sultan. Not all oriental odalisques were invited to the Sultan's bedroom. To please him, they contrived various tricks and tricks. Sometimes it was luxurious outfits, shiny exquisite jewelry, or a defiant seductive look.
Not for nothing, the path to the Sultan's chambers was called "Golden". It was not enough to step on it, it was also necessary to stay there. Hamam The first step before the night of love is a visit to the hamam - Turkish sauna. Bathing water was special: it was infused with violet and hibiscus petals. It was the best skin softener ever. A clay mask was also considered healing, it was applied to the hair and face. Hair removal was also interesting: the girls preferred to remove hair from all parts of the body with a special mixture of honey, eggs and lemon juice. 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. Even peeling in those days was special. The skin in the bath was well steamed and massaged with a special mitten made of hard fabric. A body worthy of a sultan After the hammam, beauty treatments followed. One of them was a massage with aromatic oils. Then - rubbing the hair with a cream of mallow petals. For this, hundreds of kilograms of flowers were brought to the palace every year. In addition, masks were made for girls from henna and ground walnut shells. After such procedures, the hair was soft, silky and grew quickly. Olive oil was also famous, to which oils of cloves, roses or violets were added. Instead of makeup removers, the concubines used rose water. Interestingly, Turkish rose tinctures are still used to make expensive high-quality cosmetics. Make-up In the make-up of the Turkish mistress of the heart, the main thing was to emphasize the eyes. For drawing the arrows, antimony and an admixture of ash were used. Lipstick served as a paste with pepper, lime and flax seeds. Cinnamon spices freshened the breath. The body was often painted with henna, especially on the neck, ankle, hands, lower back, and lower abdomen. So, there were a lot of baits for the conquest of the Sultan. The main thing is to use them correctly.
Everyone has their own associations with the harem. Someone imagines the majestic sultan and around the dancing concubines in beautiful dresses, someone will immediately smell the fragrant oils from the hamams, and some will have a desire to try the well-known Turkish sherbet or other delicacies.
Most women of the East exalt their men to the rank of sovereign, sometimes completely forgetting about themselves, their beloved. Even during the government of the Great Ottoman Empire, methods and techniques for seducing and delighting men were known.
It turns out that the path to the gifts of the ruler's love was not so simple. To step on it, one beauty and charm was not enough.
Today you will learn about several main lessons on the way to the Sultan's box.
The most famous harem in the history of the Ottomans was the Seraglio Palace, located in Istanbul. Imagine, it contained more than four hundred large rooms! The inhabitants of these rooms were approximately 2,000 concubines. The palace was surrounded by high walls.
It had many beautiful gardens and alleys.
Not every girl could get into this unearthly paradise.
casting
According to historical facts, the caretakers of the harem had a specially approved plan, relying on which a certain number of blondes and brunettes could get into the harem. Random girls never got into the Sultan's harem.
As for the figure, the Eastern padishahs liked a beautiful waist and wide hips. The ratio should be 2 to 3.
Seduction Courses
The next step was special training for girls. Controlled the learning process 
special harem workers - kalfas. Moreover, studies did not consist only of courses of temptation. The girls had to become literate: they studied Turkish, the Koran, literature, writing, poetry. An additional advantage was the ability to play any musical instrument. Skilled dancers were also valued, as it was important to be in good physical shape.
In addition, the beauties needed to learn how to take care of themselves. They needed to know how to properly apply makeup, use aroma oils, select clothes and jewelry.
Mandatory for the study was the dance "Raks sharkhi". The concubines believed that this dance could excite the fantasy of the padishah.
It was also necessary to know some moments of intimate gymnastics, which consisted in training the muscles of the vagina.
The course ended with an exam.
Along the Golden Path
But the exam was not enough to be awarded to please the Sultan. Not all oriental odalisques were invited to the Sultan's bedroom. To please him, they contrived various tricks and tricks. Sometimes it was luxurious outfits, shiny exquisite jewelry, or a defiant seductive look.
Not for nothing, the path to the Sultan's chambers was called "Golden". It was not enough to step on it, it was also necessary to stay there.
Hamam
The first step before the night of love is a visit to the hamam - Turkish sauna. Bathing water was special: it was infused with violet and hibiscus petals. It was the best skin softener ever. A clay mask was also considered healing, it was applied to the hair and face. 
Hair removal was also interesting: the girls preferred to remove hair from all parts of the body with a special mixture of honey, eggs and lemon juice.
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.
Even peeling in those days was special. The skin in the bath was well steamed and massaged with a special mitten made of hard fabric.
Body worthy of a sultan
The hammam was followed by beauty treatments. One of them was a massage with aromatic oils. Then - rubbing the hair with a cream of mallow petals. For this, hundreds of kilograms of flowers were brought to the palace every year. In addition, masks were made for girls from henna and ground walnut shells. After such procedures, the hair was soft, silky and grew quickly.
Olive oil was also famous, to which oils of cloves, roses or violets were added. Instead of makeup removers, the concubines used rose water. Interestingly, Turkish rose tinctures are still used to make expensive high-quality cosmetics.
Makeup
In the make-up of the Turkish mistress of the heart, the main thing was to emphasize the eyes.
For drawing the arrows, antimony and an admixture of ash were used. Lipstick served as a paste with pepper, lime and flax seeds. Cinnamon spices freshened the breath.
The body was often painted with henna, especially on the neck, ankle, hands, lower back, and lower abdomen.
So, there were a lot of baits for the conquest of the Sultan. The main thing is to use them correctly.
Post prepared by: Irina Zinevich
What were the living conditions of the 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, the European ambassadors talked about the Sultan's harem, which is overflowing with beauties from all over the world. According to their information, Suleiman the Magnificent had more than 300 concubines. Even more women allegedly had his son Selim II and grandson Murad III - he had 100 children.
However, the Topkapı Palace granary books 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. Sultans did not have intimate relationships with everyone, and only 3-4% of the total number of concubines were in the family circle : favorites and mothers of children.
So, Suleiman the Magnificent from the 1530s lived in a monogamous marriage with. This was a precedent, because according to the laws of Islam, the Ottomans could have four official wives and an unlimited number of concubines (mistresses). After Roksolana, the sultans married concubines for almost a century. Selim II was faithful to his wife, the Greek woman Nurban, for most of his life. The mistress of Murad III and the mother of his five children was the Albanian Safiye.
Until the 15th century, sultans married only women of noble birth: Christian princesses and daughters of Turkic tribal leaders.
"Court of the Chosen" - 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 Topkapı Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr The Imperial Hall in the Harem of Topkapı Palace. Photo: Dan/Flickr
The second myth 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 brand new slaves - ajemy. Picked them up valid- the mother of the Sultan, who traditionally headed the harem. Ajem was placed in common rooms under the care of experienced maids.
Girls under the age of 14 were taken from the captivity of the Crimean Tatars and Ottoman pirates. Then for a long time they were taught in a harem school: to 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 a must.
The discipline in the harem is evidenced by the Arabic script, which decorates the walls of the rooms and corridors of Topkapı. The guides mistakenly claim that these are lines of love poetry. In fact, these are surahs of the Koran. So, above the carved marble gate is written: “Oh, those who believe! Do not enter other people's houses until you ask permission and greet the world of their inhabitants. That's better for you". (Sura An-Nur, 27).
No man had the right to enter these doors into the women's quarters, except for the Sultan and the eunuch servants. They were predominantly Africans, who were castrated by Egyptian Christians during the passage of caravans with slaves. The law forbade Muslims from doing this. Prophet Mohammed said: "In Islam, castration is possible only in the form of fasting."
Arabic calligraphy on a stained glass window in the Harem of Topkapı Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr Arabic calligraphy on the walls in the Harem of Topkapı Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr Arabic calligraphy on a door in the Harem of Topkapı Palace. Photo: Brian Jeffery Beggerly / Flickr
The third myth about unbearable slavery in the Sultan's harem
The life of the concubines was radically different from the slave labor on the plantation. “All slaves had a surprising amount of free time, which they could dispose of at their discretion, freedom of speech and action within the harem”, - notes the American researcher of Turkish origin Asli Sancar.
Ottoman nobles dreamed of marrying the Sultan's concubine. Firstly, they were the most beautiful women in the empire, selected for the lord among the many enslaved peoples of Europe and Asia. Secondly, they had an excellent upbringing, were trained in etiquette and respect for their husbands. Thirdly, this would be the highest favor of the Sultan and the beginning of career growth in government positions.
Such a marriage was possible for concubines who did not have an intimate relationship with the Sultan. After 9 years, such people were freed from slavery and endowed with a large dowry: a house, gold jewelry and a pension, that is, regular payments from the palace treasury.
List of servants of the Sultan's harem. Photo courtesy of Alexandra Shutko
Myth four about the death penalty for minor offenses
In the West, they loved scary stories about how disobedient concubines were sewn into leather bags and thrown from the windows of the harem into the Bosphorus. It was said that the bottom of the strait was littered with the bones of girls. But those who have been to Istanbul know that the Topkapi Palace was built at a sufficient distance from the water. In our time, the hypothesis of the existence of an underground tunnel to the Bosphorus has not been confirmed.
For misconduct, concubines were given mild punishments - keeping in the basement or beating on the heels with a stick. The worst thing is removal from the harem. So it was with the concubine of Selim I the Terrible, who had an unbearable character and started fights with other girls. Pregnant from the Sultan (a unique case!), She was married to an approximate pasha.
Kizlyar-aga, senior eunuch of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, 1912. Source: Wikipedia
Myth five: how the children of the Sultan were taken from slave mothers
The children of the Sultan from slaves were full members of the Sultan's dynasty. Sons became successors to the throne. After the death of his father, the eldest or most dexterous of them received power, and his mother - 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 struggle for the throne that was destructive for the state. This rule was unconditionally adhered to until the 17th century.
Sultan's daughters from concubines had a title sultans. Marriage with them could only be monogamous. The sons-in-law of the emperor had to give up other wives and concubines: the Sultana was the only mistress in the house. Intimate life was completely controlled by a noble wife. The husband could enter the bedroom only with the permission of his wife, and after that he did not lie down, but “crawled” on the bed.
The Sultan's daughters had the right to divorce and remarry. The record was set by Fatma, the daughter of Ahmed I, who changed men 12 times. Some were executed by their father, others died in the war or died of disease. Then they said that to marry Fatima Sultan is to throw yourself into the arms of trouble.
"Odalisque". Artist Mariano Fortuny 1861.
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 harem was home to several hundred odalisques (concubines) and the ruler's wives. Only selected members of the Sultan's family had access there, and the most famous of the harems was the Istanbul Seraglio Palace, which was a small city of amazing beauty, surrounded by high walls and having its own guards. There were about 400 rooms in the Seral, in which more than 2,000 beauties lived.
However, getting into the harem was very difficult. It was a careful selection, and random girls never got there. A strict number of brunettes and blondes were selected for the harem, and Slavic appearance was also highly valued. Most often, attention was paid to the hips and waist, while height and bust size were of secondary importance.
But not only appearance was important - the presence of a tenacious mind was always welcomed. After the girl still managed to get into the harem, a two-year general education course awaited her: it was unsuitable to approach the Sultan unprepared. The concubines taught languages, the Koran, literature, danced, learned to play various musical instruments, composed poems and even knew how to fill the Sultan's pipe.
The course also included knowledge of the intricacies of body care - the odalisques knew how to prepare this or that mask and how to rub themselves. The girls were also taught how to dress properly and choose jewelry. In addition, they mastered the art of seduction and learned the intricacies of intimate gymnastics. It was a special striptease and wumbling dance aimed at training the muscles of the vagina.
In those days, cosmetics were only of natural origin and were very expensive. Mallow oil was in a special way - hundreds of kilograms of these flowers were delivered to the palace every year. Also, deliveries of rare clay, henna and various herbs and flowers were arranged. What can we say about cinnamon, lemons, antimony and tons of jewelry.
However, no matter how diligently the girl studied, there was no guarantee that she would ever appear before the Sultan. It often happened that the concubine lived in the harem all her life, and she never got to see the master. And this is not surprising, because hundreds of gorgeous girls flaunted in front of the Sultan every day, and it was necessary to spend a lot of effort to be among them. Therefore, no one canceled intrigues and competition.
But if the sultan nevertheless noticed the girl, the "golden path" was waiting for her - the road from the dormitory to the coveted chambers of the ruler. Especially talented concubines won the attention of the Sultan for many years, sometimes turning him into a dependent person.
Sometimes it happened that the favorites not only pleased the ruler, but also managed state affairs on his behalf. A striking example is Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Haseki Sultan, better known as Roksolana.
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 a special plan, according to which a certain number of blondes and brunettes were chosen. 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 constantly kept fit, devoting a lot of time to 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. They put on the most beautiful dresses, spent several hours a day on make-up. 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 prepared very diligently 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 hit the heart of the padishah at first sight, the girls drew arrows with antimony mixed with ash. To give their lips a scarlet tint, Eastern 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.