Feminism in old Istanbul

Outside the Harem at Topkapi Palace
Drew thought it would be funny to have a women's libber pose here. But seriously I just couldn't buy the whole idea they pitched here that getting picked to be in the Harem was a good thing, opening the way for poor women to education and hygiene (baths were a big thing in the harem) and preparing the women who would marry noblemen and raise future leaders for their civic tasks.

Compared to a life dirt-farming in Bulgaristan, as Drew put it, yes the Harem might hold some charm, but pretending this was all more than sex and control, well.

The Harem was actually packed. There could be 1,000 people in it at once counting the Sultan's mother, who ran the place, the Sultan's favorites, the women the Sultan had already slept with, and the hoping to be slept with plus the Eunichs, blacks abducted from Africa, who oversaw security and chores. They must have been starved for things to do, locked up in that place, beautiful and betiled as it was. The Gilded Cage it is known as. They could look out at the sea and over a patio onto a pool where dwarfs in boats entertained them and then they had that one night a year with the Sultan I guess.

One woman at least beat the system. Roxelana, wife of Suleyman the Magnificent. She began as a slave brought to Istanbul from the slavic area. One of her nicknames was the Russian. She caught Suleyman's eye, however, and rose quickly to a favorite and to wife. Suleyman gave up other women for her. Another of her nicknames was The Witch.

Roxelana had a son, Selim, with Suleyman but unfortunately he already had two sons. One died of smallpox and that left Mustafa, his eldest and favorite. Roxelana convinced Suleyman that Mustafa was plotting against him and so the father had his son killed.

Selim rose to the throne, but he didn't really deserve it. His nickname was Selim the Sot.