What girls were taught in harems. How the concubines were prepared for the wedding night

Not much is known about how the first Ottoman sultans lived. Turkish scientists to this day, literally, bit by bit, collect information about the rulers themselves, their closest relatives, wives, etc.

The more time passes, the more difficult it is to find truthful information regarding the first Ottomans.

So, it is still not known exactly how many wives and children the first rulers, Osman and his son Orhan, had. However, according to the discovered historical data, it can be assumed how exactly marriages took place in the early Ottoman beylik.

It is known that the Osman tribe was not so strong, as a result of which the neighboring states did not want to pass off their noble girls as the sons of the Sultan. Men had to choose between neighboring tribes, as well as some Christian peoples, with whom either a war was waged, or vice versa - there were good neighborly relations.

As we know, a Muslim has the right to have four wives, but in conditions where marriage is sometimes the only way to conclude a peaceful union, such a restriction is very problematic.

Accordingly, it was decided to take foreigners into their harem, giving women all the same rights as official wives with whom nikah was concluded.

One of the European scientists, who is fond of the history of the Ottoman Empire, is A.D. Alderson claims that Orhan, the son of Osman, had 6 women in his harem. All of them were women of noble origin: some of them were Byzantines, including the daughter of the Byzantine emperor John VI, one was the daughter of the Serbian king Stephen and two local women, including a cousin by uncle.

Thus, harems were a necessity that later became traditions. As the empire grew, more and more women became in the harems, and most of them did not come of their own free will, as in the case of the Orhan family, but were brought from military campaigns and were captives.
But, as we know, each such slave had a chance to still become a mistress.

The Sultan wanted only virgins?

Girls from different parts of the world got into the Topkapi Palace. From everywhere where the Ottoman army reached, the warriors brought women of different origins and ages to Turkey. Among them were rich merchants, and poor peasant women, and noble ladies, and rootless girls.

However, not everyone got into the Sultan's harem. Girls for the ruler were chosen at once according to several criteria, in addition to beauty. This is a healthy body, healthy teeth, beautiful hair and nails. Blonde girls, with light brown hair and untanned skin, were highly valued.

The figure was also important - the slave should not be too thin or full. A thin waist and wide hips, a small tummy were appreciated, but the size of the chest didn’t particularly bother anyone.

Having thoroughly studied the girls in the slave market, they selected the best. They were sent for examination to a doctor, where they once again checked their health, as well as virginity. The last parameter was especially important, because each of the slaves could later become the sultan's concubine.

Yes, the purity of a woman was important for the Sultan. Despite the fact that the slave is far from being a legal wife, her main purpose was the birth of an heir. Like any oriental man with a hot temperament, the Sultan could not allow the possibility of communication with a previously used girl.

Moreover, the girls had to keep secret even the fact that, while living in their homeland, they were engaged or in love. It was necessary to maintain the appearance that the sultan was the only man of interest to his concubines.

However, in addition to virgins, older women, or young women, but already living a family life, were also taken into the harem. They were needed for chores, cleaning, cooking.

Were there non-virgins in the Sultan's harem?

Girls for the Sultan's harem were carefully selected. Not only beauty was important, but intelligence and the ability to present oneself. Of course, there were certain standards that a concubine must meet. These standards were common knowledge, so if the right girl came to the slave traders, they already knew who to offer her to.

As a rule, girls were selected no older than 14 years. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska got into the harem at the age of 15 - and this is quite late, for this reason there are many rumors around her life before Suleiman. But she got into the harem already trained in everything necessary, which is why she so quickly ended up on the helveta of the young sultan.

But back to concubines. Most often, they were very young girls, from whom they “sculpted” what the Sultan liked. But it is also known that there were older women, and even those who were already married and had children.

Of course, they were not suitable for the chambers of the Sultan, but still remained in the palace as laundresses, maids and cooks.

However, there is some evidence that, nevertheless, several Sultan's concubines, once in the palace, were no longer virgins.

So, for example, it is assumed that Safiye Sultan originally belonged to a noble pasha, and then was transferred to Murad II, as the Sultan really liked it.

It is also known that Selim I stole one of his wives, Tajla, from the Safivid Shah Ismail, who remained in the Ottoman harem for several years, but was later given away for one of the political figures.

Harems were not only among Muslims, but also among Orthodox princes

There is an opinion among the people that harems are an original oriental tradition. It is assumed that polygamy is peculiar only to Muslims, and Christians have never practiced this.

However, such a statement is fundamentally wrong. Even in the Bible, we find lines about King Solomon, which say "... and he had 700 wives and 300 concubines ...". In general, King Solomon is considered the richest man in the entire history of the Earth, so he could easily afford the maintenance of such a huge number of women.
As for Rus' specifically, here monogamy began to be instilled only after baptism, and this took more than one century.
It is known that Prince Vladimir with his voluptuousness could compete with any Ottoman Sultan.

Vladimir had several official wives: Rogneda, who bore him four sons and two daughters; there was also a wife - a Greek by nationality, who gave birth to a son; were wives from the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In addition, 300-500 concubines in Belgorod and Brestov. It is also known that Vladimir did not stop there. He could well point to any girl he liked, and she was immediately taken to his chambers.

After the baptism of Rus', Vladimir calmed down. He dissolved his harem and even divorced his wives, leaving only one of them. The rest he gave in marriage to his closest associates.

It took Rus' itself a long time to put an end to its "lustful" past. Even after several centuries, many peasants continued to practice polygamous marriages, although the church did not marry them.

The rights of slaves in the harem

Despite the fact that a stereotype has developed in society that claims that in the east a woman is a creature without rights, in reality this is far from being the case. Of course, we do not take into discussion such countries as, for example, Afghanistan, where only a name remains of religion.

If you study the history of developed Muslim states, it becomes obvious that the attitude towards women there is very pompous. Yes, there are some peculiarities that seem to the European either as eccentricity or immorality, but it should be understood that these are completely different laws of life.

For example, take at least harems. The sultan's harem is a place where hundreds of women, gathered under one roof, wait for their turn to spend the night with the ruler. Some waited for years and were left with nothing.

However, not everything is so terrible. Girls who did not get to the Sultan were given in marriage to noble pashas, ​​they were provided with rich devotees. And, moreover, if desired, they could get a divorce and even ask to be returned to the harem, as a maid or calf, for example.

Every girl got an education. Over the years of her life in the harem, she accumulated a good fortune, because everyone was paid a salary.

The fact is that a Muslim, regardless of position, taking a woman into his possession, also assumed obligations for her maintenance. He had to dress her, feed her deliciously, treat her well.

And, meanwhile, a Muslim could not take his harem to any woman. Either it had to be a legal spouse, or a prisoner captured in the war. A Christian, a Jew could not get into the harem, being a free woman.

And, by the way, the slaves of the harem could also communicate with their relatives. It was not forbidden, but on the contrary, it was encouraged. Islam does not approve of breaking family ties, so the girls could well correspond with relatives.

The position of a slave who became pregnant by the Sultan

The ultimate dream of every girl living in the Sultan's harem was the birth of a child to the ruler. Pregnancy opened up completely new opportunities for the slaves, increased their status and living conditions. Although the harem girls were already taken care of in the best possible way.

Nevertheless, the slaves dreamed of getting on the helvet. For this, any tricks and even bribery of eunuchs were allowed to enter. It should be noted that the latter had a very good income from the girls of the harem.

However, the concubines did not get into the harem in a chaotic manner, but in accordance with which of them was able to conceive a child. Each girl had to keep a calendar where she noted her menstrual cycle and its features. If the sultan called the girl to him not intentionally, but at the discretion of, for example, a eunuch or Valide, then the one who, according to calculations, was ovulating, was sent to his chambers.

After some time, if the concubine reported a menstrual delay, she was taken to the doctor, who, based on the results of the examination, reported whether there was a pregnancy.

In the event that the slave was pregnant, she was settled in separate chambers. She received gifts and decorations from the Sultan and Valide, and a maid was given to help her.

The birth itself often took place in the presence of several midwives, the male doctor could communicate with the woman in labor and give instructions only through the screen.

The pregnant favorite was taken care of in the best possible way. The girl herself prayed to give birth to a son to the Sultan, that is, Shahzade. Girls in the ruling family were loved no less, but the birth of a son brought the slave to a different level. The boy could participate in the struggle for the throne. True, if this struggle was defeated, then the shahzade, as a rule, was waiting for death. But they tried not to think about it.

Why did the slaves sleep in the same room

Topkapi is a huge palace complex, the size of which is comparable to a small town. Topkapi's main palace was very functional. Here was located the residence of the ruling Sultan, and the kitchen, and the harem. The latter aroused the greatest interest, both among the Turks themselves and among the guests of the capital.

At various times, there were up to several hundred slaves in the harem. And only a few of them had a privileged position, all the rest had to be content with less.

So, only the favorites of the Sultan lived in their own chambers. The rest slept in one big room. Here they ate, and spent hours of leisure, and even celebrated holidays.

In the TV series Magnificent Age, the very large room where the life of the concubines flowed was shown. However, the question arises, for what reason did all the girls live together?

There were several reasons for that. Firstly, it was less expensive in terms of landscaping and heating.

But more importantly, it was easier to keep track of the slaves. Kalfs and eunuchs had to control everything that the concubines do. The rules of conduct in the harem were very strict, so constant supervision was required. God forbid, the concubine would have committed some obscene act. For this, even the duty officer of the harem could pay with his life.

If the girls had separate rooms, keeping track of them would be much more difficult. Thefts and quarrels would become more frequent, the concubines, feeling freedom, could not be afraid of communication with eunuchs and male servants.
No one wanted such problems. So the life of the slaves was arranged as simple as possible.

Did the Sultans sleep with black slaves

The original function of the harem was to prolong the lineage of the ruling sultan. Each ruler had to have at least about ten sons in order to provide himself with heirs.

Unfortunately, a large number of Shahzade eventually led to a struggle between them, and even fratricide. But, apparently, so that the brothers would not be so offended by killing each other, the rule was introduced: "One concubine - one son."

The Sultan's concubine could be of any nationality. For a long time, fair-haired rulers, born of Slavs and Europeans, sat on the Ottoman throne. But over time, Circassians came into fashion, and the sultans "darkened".

Nevertheless, there were never black concubines in the harem. That is, they were used very successfully as servants, as they were hardy and unpretentious, but they were not destined to get into the Sultan's chambers.

Of course, it was a matter of succession to the throne. A black sultan could not ascend the Ottoman throne.

And in general, black women were perceived by Turkish men as something exotic, but completely unsympathetic. Since ancient times, the Turks have lusted and interested in fair-skinned and fair-haired women.

But, of course, it is impossible to exclude the fact that occasionally the sultans still slept with black women.
By the way, as for the Turkish series about the reign of the sultans, we did not see black women in the Magnificent Age, but in the Kösem empire we were still shown what place they occupied in the harem hierarchy.

Why men dreamed of marrying a girl from a harem

As you know, the Sultan's harem could number from several dozen to several hundred young and beautiful girls. Slaves from all over the world were brought here, each of which was distinguished not only by beauty, but by intelligence and many talents.
It would seem that if the Sultan invests so much money to ensure that his slaves are the best women in the country, then they can belong exclusively to him. But in this matter, not everything is so clear.

Indeed, quite a lot of effort was invested in the education of the concubines, and funds were invested in the maintenance. But at the same time, not every slave had the luck to get into the chambers of the Sultan on the helvet, and even to give birth to an heir is generally happiness.

So there were dozens of young healthy women, as they say, not destiny. A few were destined to become favorites, while the rest spent their days studying, sewing, music lessons.

Such an idle life could not go on forever. By the age of 19-20, the girl approached the threshold when she was no longer considered young. Yes, yes, at that time girls matured by the age of 13-15. At this age, they could well conceive children and already coped well with childbirth.

As a result, it turned out that dozens of girls of “advanced” age simply lived in the palace, without any benefit or benefit. At the same time, each was smart, educated, knew how to play musical instruments, danced beautifully, cooked - well, in general, a miracle, not a woman.

What to do with such a miracle? The only way out is to marry. Strange as it may seem, grooms lined up for such a beauty. At the same time, they did not even look at whether the girl was a virgin. Even if she was once with the Sultan, but was not in favor, there was still a groom for her.

Moreover, even those concubines who gave birth to a child to the Sultan could be given in marriage, but, let's say, a long life was not destined for him. These girls also found their family happiness outside the walls of the palace.

Why life in a harem would seem like hell to you

There is a false opinion among the people that life in a harem for a woman was a complete pleasure. No worries, there are caring eunuchs around - and you know yourself, eat sweet delight, and satisfy the Sultan, if he even remembers you, because there are hundreds of people like you.

However, it was the latter fact that often led to bloody events in the harem. Strange as it may seem, but for the slaves of the Sultan, the main goal of life was to get on the helvet to the ruler. It would seem that there is every chance to sit quietly in a harem, and after 9 years successfully marry some rich pasha - but no, this prospect did not suit the concubines.

The girls fought a fierce fight for the attention of the ruler. Each wanted to become his favorite and give birth to an heir, or, at worst, a girl.

What is the reason for such an unbridled desire to become a sultana? After all, not every ruler was a handsome man, and many were so in general - not only did they not differ in beauty, but also had a lot of addictions - alcoholism, opium addiction, and some were mentally retarded in general.

Obviously, most women were attracted by the possible prospects. True, for some reason, few people cared about the fate of their children. After all, the Fatih law was in force in the palace, which allowed the Sultan to kill all male heirs in order to rid the country of possible unrest.

One way or another, but women used every opportunity to attract attention. Rivals were eliminated in the most cruel ways - they poisoned, choked, spoiled and so on.

Agree, it is a very dubious pleasure to while away your life in such conditions. But there were still those who wanted to.

In what cases could a concubine become free

Spectators of the Magnificent Age remember that Suleiman gave Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska freedom, and then married her, making her his lawful wife. In fact, such a practice before Suleiman was so rare that only legends circulate about such cases. It was the descendants of Suleiman who began to marry one after another, and the ancestors treated this with great skepticism.

However, the concubine could still get the long-awaited freedom and become an independent woman.

Surely you have already guessed what was required for this. Yes, give birth to a son to the Sultan. However, this alone was not enough. Then it was necessary to wait until the Sultan leaves this world. He will give his soul to God, in other words.

Only after the death of her master did the concubine become free. But if her child died in infancy, and the Sultan was still alive, healthy and his business prospered, she still remained a slave.

A clear example of such situations is Mahidevran and Gulfem. As we know, both lost their children during the life of the Sultan, never having received freedom.

However, all this only in theory looks quite simple. In fact, it turned out that after the death of the Sultan, his concubines, who gave birth to sons, not only did not receive freedom, but were also sent to the Old Palace, unable to see their children, who in the meantime lived in cafes - golden cages.
Only a few slaves managed to live up to the moment when their sons became sultans. Then they were returned with honors to the capital's palace, where from now on they were free and ruled the harem.

The real situation of concubines in the Sultan's harems

Sultan's palaces are shrouded in many secrets, most of which are not usually remembered in Turkish society. Much of what is known about the life of the people of the medieval Ottoman state is kept, as they say, behind seven seals. And only the descendants of the sultans themselves, their courtiers and employees know how the people of that time actually lived.

These stories are passed down from generation to generation. They are not accepted to distribute and make public. However, we are still learning more and more every day.

So, one of the most important questions that concern people of our time is how did the concubines actually live in a harem? There is an opinion all over the world that the harem is a kind of place of debauchery and vulgarity, where the sultans satisfied their lust.

However, in fact, the harem is absolutely not correct to compare with some kind of brothel. In fact, up to several hundred women could live in a harem at the same time. These were young girls who got here, as a rule, at the age of 13-15 years. And if you are now thinking about child molestation, then you are mistaken.

In the Middle Ages, as you know, women matured earlier. By the age of 15, the girl was ready to start a family and become a mother. And in the harem, by this age, the girls were taught everything necessary to not only be able to please a man, but also to be a full-fledged member of society.

Girls were taught language, literacy and various skills. And by the time the training ended, the slaves were so accustomed to their position that many did not even think about another life for themselves.

The girls from the harem were treated quite carefully, taking care of their mental and physical condition. They were well fed, dressed in the best clothes, and given jewelry. After all, any of them was a potential favorite of the Sultan, capable of giving birth to a Shahzade.

But there were downsides to this pastime. The first is huge competition. And as a result - constant intrigues, conflicts, reprisals.

At the same time, the behavior of the girls was monitored quite strictly. Any oversight could lead to depressing consequences, up to cruel punishment.

What could have caused the wrath of the guards, whose role was played by eunuchs and Kalfis? Any quarrel, God forbid - a fight, a disrespectful look, loud laughter. Yes, it was strictly forbidden to laugh and have fun in the palace. And not only girls and servants, but even members of the Sultan's family.

As for those girls who were lucky enough to give birth to a child to the Sultan, their life was a little more interesting. However, not everyone was lucky. Plus, there was a rule according to which, after the birth of a son, a slave could no longer visit the chambers of the ruler. Only a few managed to take a significant place in the heart of the Sultan and be something more than an "incubator" for bearing Shahzade.

In a word, the fate of the harem girls was not the most enviable. Living in luxury, each of them was limited in their own will. Birds in one big golden cage.

Concubines under the supervision of a eunuch

The word "harem" in Arabic means "separated, forbidden." This place in the house was always hidden from prying eyes and carefully guarded by servants. Women lived in this secret room. The main one was recognized either by the wife who was honored to marry first, and occupied a high title together with the betrothed, or eunuchs.

Often in the Sultan's harems there were a huge number of women, the number of which could reach several thousand. 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 - for this you just had to be a beautiful young virgin. But, even once in the harem, not everyone managed to establish a relationship with their "husband" and give him an heir.

Such high competition among wives allowed only the most intelligent, prudent, 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 could never see their betrothed for the rest of their lives.

Who will be loved today.

There were also special orders in the harems that could not be violated. Moreover, everything was far from being as romantic as in the popular series "The Magnificent Century". The overlord could be carried away by a new girl, and those who "were numbed with their eyes" could be executed. Moreover, the methods of reprisal were striking in their cruelty.

One of the options to get rid of a boring wife is to immerse her in a leather bag with snakes, tie it tightly, tie a stone to the bag and throw it into the sea. An easy method of execution is strangulation with a silk cord.

Almost in paradise.

According to the documents, the first harems arose in the Ottoman Empire. Initially, it was formed exclusively from slaves, and the sultans took only the heirs of the Christian rulers of the states located in the neighborhood as wives. However, during the reign of Bayezid II, the usual attitudes changed. From that time on, the Sultan did not limit himself to marriage bonds at all, but they acquired children from their slaves.

Undoubtedly, the Sultan was the most important in the harem, then his mother, called "Valide", was in the chain of hierarchy. When the ruler in the country changed, his mother would definitely move to a luxurious mansion, and the process of moving was accompanied by a chic procession. After the mother of the sultan, his betrothed were considered the main ones, who were called "kadyn-efendi". Next came the disenfranchised slaves, called "jariye", with whom the harem was often simply filled.

How did you end up in a harem

The Caucasian princes wanted their daughters to be in the Sultan's Ottoman harem and marry him. Putting their daughters to bed, caring dads sang songs to the little ones about a happy fate, a chic fairy-tale life in which they would find themselves if they were lucky enough to become the sultan's wives.

The masters could buy their future slaves when the little ones were five or seven years old, they brought them up and raised them until puberty, i.e. up to the age of 12-14 years. Parents of girls renounce the rights to their child in writing after they voluntarily sold their daughter to the Sultan.

To serve the Sultan is a whole science.

While the baby was growing up, she learned not only all the rules of bonton, but also how to please a man. Upon reaching adolescence, the matured girl was shown in the palace. If, upon examination, a slave girl had defects in appearance or on her body, she never learned etiquette and showed bad behavior, she was considered unfit for the harem and cost less than others, so her father was paid a smaller amount than what he expected.

Ordinary slave days

The lucky ones, whom the Sultan supposedly thought of taking as his concubines, had to know the Koran perfectly and master female prejudice. And if the slave still managed to take the place of honor as a wife, her life changed radically. The Sultan's favorites organized charitable foundations and 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 attitude towards the concubines was relatively decent, they were well taken care of, they were regularly given gifts. Every day, even the simplest slaves received a payment, the amount of which was set by the Sultan personally. On holidays, whether it was a birthday or someone's wedding, the slaves were given money and various gifts. However, if the slave was naughty, regularly violated established orders and laws, the punishment for her was severe - severe beating with whips and sticks.

Being beautiful is the main task.

After 9 years of living in the harem, the slave received the right to leave it, but on the condition that the master would approve it. In the case of a positive decision by the Sultan, the woman received a paper from him that she was a free person. The Sultan or his mother in this case without fail bought her a luxurious house, additionally gave a dowry, and looked for her husband.

Well, before the onset of heavenly life, especially passionate concubines had intimate relationships between their own kind or with eunuchs. By the way, all eunuchs were brought from Africa, so they were all black.

This was done for a specific purpose - thus it was not difficult to figure out the person who committed adultery with a servant. After all, in the case of pregnancy, black babies were born. But this happened very rarely, because often the slaves got into the harem already castrated, so they could not have children. Between concubines and eunuchs, love relationships often began. 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.

The real name of Roksolana is Anastachia.

Until the 16th century, persons from Russia, Georgia, Croatia and Ukraine fell into the harem. Byazid tied the knot with a Byzantine princess, and Orkhan-gazi chose the daughter of Emperor Constantine, Princess Caroline, as his wife. But the most famous Sultan's wife was from Ukraine. Her name was Roksolana, she stayed in the status of the narrowed Suleiman the Magnificent for 40 years.

Roksolana's real name is 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 failed bride ended up in the Muslim market, where the 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 very cunning and prudent, therefore, through bribery, intrigue and coaxing, in a short time she got to the young padishah, who was carried away by her, and then married. She gave her husband three healthy heroes, among whom was the future sultan - Selim II.

Harem interior.

There are no more harems in modern Turkey, and the last one disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century. A museum was subsequently opened in its place. Nevertheless, among the elite, polygamy is still practiced today. Young 12-year-old charmers, against their will, are given as wives to rich men of age. This is mainly done by poor parents who do not have enough money to feed a large number of children.

In the United Arab Emirates and in a number of other Muslim countries, polygamy is legal, but at the same time they are allowed to have no more than 4 wives. All 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 the beautiful life, wives are often kept in extreme severity. In the event of a divorce, the children always remain with the father, and the mothers are forbidden to see them. This is the retribution for a comfortable and luxurious life with an influential Arab man.

1. The harem of the Sultan never got any girls. For the Sultan, the same number of brunettes and blondes were chosen. Particular attention was paid to the forms of girls - voluminous waist and hips were considered the standard of beauty. Less attention was paid to breast size and height. When choosing concubines, they paid attention not only to beauty, but also to the mind of the girl.

2. The concubines that became part of the harem were sent to the so-called seduction courses. The training lasted for 2 years, it was conducted by Kalfs - experienced women. The girls read the Koran, learned the Turkish language, literature, poetry and the basics of calligraphy. In addition, the girls were taught to properly communicate with the ruler, serve coffee and food, and perform oriental dances. After training, each girl took an exam.

3. Before going through the Golden Path, the concubine went through a whole beauty ritual. Getting into the harem is only half the battle, because the most important task was to please the Sultan. Every day, dozens of beauties passed in front of the ruler, and only a few were lucky to go through the Golden Way (as the path from the common bedroom of the girls in the harem to the chambers of the ruler is called). The girls very diligently studied all the secrets of intimacy, because it depended on their skill whether they would pass the Golden Path again.

4. The concubine, who was prepared to go through the Golden Way, first went to the hammam. Hamam - a Turkish bath, where they led a beauty who fell in love with the Sultan. The girl was bathed in water infused with hibiscus and violet flowers. The water filled his skin with an intoxicating scent. After that, a clay hair mask was made for the girl. Mallow flowers oil was applied to clean hair, which makes the hair soft to the touch. The concubines also waxed with a mixture of lemon, honey and eggs. It was important that the body of the girls remained elastic and young. They often received relaxing massages and applied olive or sesame oil to their bodies. Before going to bed, the girls washed themselves with water with rose extract. It makes the skin soft and smoothes wrinkles.

5. The last thing in preparing the girl for the night with the Sultan was makeup.. Each girl tried to correctly emphasize her facial features. To make the Sultan remember the look, the concubines drew bright arrows. To make their lips redder, women prepared a paste of pepper and flax seeds. The spicy aroma of cinnamon sticks helped freshen the breath. They finished the image with henna drawings on the body.

In the harems of the sultans there were always beautiful and well-groomed girls who could conquer any man with just one look. But few people know how the concubines were prepared for the night, what subtleties these procedures have.

Hair

After washing the hair, the hair became very stiff and to soften it, the Ottoman beauties used a special cream made from mallow flowers, because every year tons of these plants were delivered to the Sultan's palace. The inhabitants of the harem have always watched and looked after their hair with special attention. Masks made from ground walnut shells and henna were regularly used. After applying such a tool, not only the condition of the hair improved, but also their growth was significantly accelerated.

Body

The bodies of the concubines had to always remain young and elastic, so cosmetic masks made from clay, infusions of herbs and flowers were applied to the skin. First, the girls bathed thoroughly, after which the body was ready for a massage. On the eve of the wedding night, specially trained maids did a massage, thanks to which almost all the muscles of the body were effectively relaxed. Steamed skin has the ability to quickly harden and begin to wrinkle. That is why, after taking the hamam, the girls applied essential oils to the skin. As a rule, sesame and olive oils were used, to which a few drops of ether were added for flavor. In summer, rose or violet oil was used, and in winter, carnations. Before going to bed, the concubines always washed themselves with rose water, as it softens the skin and also smoothes wrinkles. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that even today Turkish rose oil is used during the production of elite cosmetics.

Makeup

Before going to the Sultan's chambers, the girls always did makeup, with special attention being paid to the eyes. The girls used antimony mixed with ash to draw arrows to impress the Sultan at first sight. Oriental women chewed betel (pepper, flaxseed, and lime paste) to give their lips a richer scarlet hue. On the eve of the night, cinnamon sticks helped to freshen the breath.

The Sultan was spoiled by female attention, so it was quite a difficult task to inflame interest in him. In order to become the favorite and favorite of the padishah, the girls tried to highlight their best features, using all available means for this. To make the image harmonious and complete, the girls applied henna drawings. Patterns covered the ankles, hands, collarbone and back of the neck. In some cases, the drawing was applied in the navel, on the lower part of the lower back.

Selection of girls for the Sultan

Any girl could not get into the harem, because for the padishah they always chose a certain number of brunettes and blondes, according to a special plan. Most of all, the rulers of the east valued the waist and hips. At the same time, the least attention was paid to the growth and volume of the breasts of girls, since these were secondary indicators. Girls of Slavic appearance have always been held in high esteem by the sultans.
When choosing girls, not only their external beauty played an important role, because the concubine must also be smart in order to entertain the Sultan with conversations. After entering the harem, the girls must undergo a complete medical examination. Despite the fact that the girls were in the harem, they could live in luxury for years, but never even get into the Sultan's bedroom, because for this they had to receive a special invitation.
Hundreds of beautiful concubines showed off in front of the padishah every day, but not everyone was lucky, so the girls looked after themselves with special attention, trying to draw attention to themselves.