Historically forbidden to all who were not part of the sultan’s immediate family or concubine, the Harem is one of the most fascinating parts available for tour in the Topkap Palace because it is in this section that much of the palace intrigue occurred.  After experiencing the peaceful tranquility of the First Court and viewing the arms and amour collection in the Inner Treasury located in the Second Court, the elaborate private quarters of the Ottoman sultans augmented the grandeur of the palace.  While the rest of the palace is splendidly ornate with Iznik tiles, gold accented pillars, tidy gardens, and marble walkways, the Harem is equally impressive because of the intricacy of over 400 hundred rooms surrounding the sultan’s opulent suits. 

            Harem is the Arabic word referring to the maids of the old caliphates, but the tradition most attached with the term comes from the Ottoman practice of concubines.  The word harem means forbidden coming from the Arabic word haram, but suggests private quarters that are off limit to the public.  Because Islam prohibits the slavery of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, the Ottoman sultans’ concubines were foreigners brought to the palace from outside the Empire’s territory.  At one time hundreds of women lived in the harem, while during some sultans’ reigns there were over a thousand concubines.  Maids-in-waiting, the most beautiful and talented concubines, were taught to recite poetry, play instruments, and dance.  Not all the women in the harem were for the sultan’s sexual pleasure.  Many were servants to the valide sultan or nanny to the children; others fulfilled various jobs such as keeper of the baths, mistress of the robes, and keeper of the jewels. 

The harem practice of producing heirs from concubine slaves was to prevent female influence in the male dominated society.  Although there was competition amongst the women for the sultan’s favor, they women never rose to any political power.  Before Suleyman, the Magnificent (1494-1566), once a woman produced a potential heir, she and her son would be sent to away to a province so that the son could learn the ways of a sultan and practice governing the province.  Once the sultan died, which ever son made it back to the palace first assumed the throne and then killed his brothers to prevent them from plotting against him. This changed however with Roxelana, one of Suleyman’s concubines.  Suleyman fell in love with her, married her, and consequently established her as the first powerful Ottoman female.  The practice of fratricide ceased after Roxelana because she produced more than one heir and did not want to see her other sons killed after Selim II took the throne.  While she did not have official political power, she was influential by allying with one son over another and lobbying for him as the next sultan.  Eventually the sultan’s mother and wife allied with the Chief Eunuch and Grand Vezir, creating political parties.  Sultans became more incompetent as rulers because once they were born they were locked away in the harem to indulge in sex and alcohol until the throne was vacant.  As the sultan grew to be more of a symbolic figure than a capable ruler, the palace factions became the governing forces of the empire.  Grand vezirs and the janissary corps manipulated the sultans like puppets to accomplish their own agenda, while the sultan’s mother and wife aligned themselves on opposite sides in order to gain the most power.  Just think, the destruction of the Ottoman Empire might have been avoided if Suleyman did not fall in love with one of his concubines and the harem practice was maintained as it originally was intended.

The physical harem does not house only the wives and concubines of the sultan, but also the valide sultan (sultan’s mother), sisters, children, and eunuchs.  Upon entering the harem, you pass through the Court of Black Eunuchs.  On the left is a small mosque and dormitories; on the right is the apartment of the Chief Black Eunuch who held the fourth highest position in official protocol.  The tour leads next through the hall of mirrors, past the forty rooms belonging to the valide sultan, and toward the innermost section belonging to the sultan.  Here you find the library of Ahmet I, dinning room of Ahmet III, swimming pool, and bedchamber of Murat III.  While most of the harem is the masterwork of architect Sinan, the bedchamber of Murat III and the Imperial Hall are his most exquisite designs. 

Wandering the halls of the harem, I was amazed at the grandeur and lavish details remaining after hundreds of years.  The Golden Road extends throughout the length of the harem, which is the decorated walkway.  There are manikins in authentic costume in one of the dorms seen from the Courtyard of Black Eunuchs, facilitating my imagination as to what the harem looked like in its prime.  The Hall of Mirrors is fantastic, and the floor-to-ceiling mirrors are absolutely gorgeous.  The detail of the ceilings, floors, and walls, demonstrates the overindulgence of palace decoration; Iznik tiles line every wall, fountains are in almost every room and mother of pearl accents every piece of furniture.

The most impressive room is the Imperial Hall, where the sultan would entertain his most important guests.  It is adorned with Iznik tiles, bronze fireplaces, and a marble fountain, not to mention the gigantic chandelier, flamboyantly painted arches and domes, and the finest rugs.  I could not believe the opulence and immense size of the room!

Although only about twenty of the 400 rooms are open for the tour, the extravagance of the harem is quite obvious.  The distinctive features of each room such as the stained glass windows, mother of pearl incrusted wooden doors, plush pillows, and colossal domes establishes the harem as one of the most impressive sections of Topkap Palace.