Fascinating Facts about the Ottoman Harem
10 Fascinating Facts about the Ottoman Harem Whenever we hear the word harem, we tend to imagine a place full of scantily clad women whose only role is to be the sexual plaything of an Ottoman Sultan in his own personal in-house brothel. This myth lived on in people’s imagination during the 18th and 19th century as well as in many films and books. However, what went on in an Ottoman Harem was more than just sex, it was a complex place where strict a hierarchy was adhered to and where plotting for power and influence was sometimes necessary to survive. 1. Residents of the Harem All Ottoman palaces had a harem and Topkapi Palace in Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, was the main residence of Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1856. The Sultan’s Imperial Harem occupied one of the sections of his private apartment and traditionally, apart from the eunuchs, men who did not belong to the family were strictly forbidden from entering the harem. This institution consti...
