Caption
A ‘harem' is not a bordello, seraglio or brothel, but refers to the women's quarters, usually in a polygynous household, which are forbidden to men. It originated in the Near East and is typically associated in the Western world with the Ottoman Empire.
Female seclusion in Islam is emphasized to the extent that any unlawful breaking into that privacy is ?aram ie, 'forbidden'. A Muslim harem does not necessarily consist solely of women with whom the head of the household has sexual relations (wives and concubines), but also their young offspring, other female relatives or odalisques, which are the concubines' servants. The harem may either be a palatial complex, as in Romantic tales, in which case it includes staff (women and eunuchs), or simply their quarters, in the Ottoman tradition separated from the men's selamlik.
A hammam is a common bath house
Date
Aug 05, 2010
Credit line
Photo12/imageBROKER/Pictures From History
Reference
BRK25G29_421
Model release
NA
Property release
No
License type
Rights managed
Available size
50,0Mb (2,6Mb) / 12,3in x 15,8in / 3680 x 4746 (300dpi)