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The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a vast and expansive statehood that encompassed, at one point in history, over 32 provinces and numerous vassal states that contributed to its economy and wealth.^[1] It reigned much of the Middle East from the 14th century until its dissolution after the end of World War Two. Suleiman the Magnificent (known more commonly as Sulemain the Lawgiver in the Middle East) is commonly regarded as its most prosperous ruler.

The Influence of Islam

The separation of male and female spaces is an important concept in Islam, one often muddied by outside interpretation. Even the word harem is an anglicized version of the Arabic word ḥarīm, which denotes at its simplest the female members of a family.

As such, gender segregation was an important part of society during the Ottoman Empire. While these structures were less prevalent in lower classes of society, they affected the nobility greatly. It was common for women outside of the palace walls to own businesses or help their families run theirs.

The Practice of Purdah

Modesty is at the heart of gender segregation in traditional Islamic societies; the court of the Ottoman Imperial Harem was no different. Purdah is the practice of secluding women from public view, both in their own clothing and the physical separation through the use of curtains, walls, and screens in the home.^[2] While most modern scholars agree this is not a Quranic mandate, it is an important cultural concept for the time period.

Not all women were able to practice the fullest degree of purdah, however. Lower-class women had to interact with men outside of their families frequently in their occupations. As such, being able to practice high degrees of purdah was commonly regarded as a privilege and a mark of wealth and status.

Haremlik vs. Selamlik

The haremlik was the portion of a household that was entered in only by the family. It was not exclusive to women; it was the interior of the home where outsiders were not permitted.

The selamlik, in contrast, was the public area of a home where guests and visitors were allowed. Women were not permitted to be in these areas of the house without a male family member who could escort them. These male family members are known as mahram.

The Role of the Seraglio

The term seraglio is also a European one, used as early as 1581^[3]. It originates from the Italian spelling serraglio which originally meant “enclosure” or “containing wall,” such as one that would house livestock or other animals. This was a word not used by the Turkic Ottomans to describe their own environments: it was an imposed one. Regardless of the origin of the word, it had been adopted into the Turkish language to mean the private housing in a palace for the sultan’s wives, consorts, and female family members.