The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem

There are many accounts written about the Turkish Harem, but very few of them are written by those who actually lived there. This book contains three memoirs written by women of the 19th century, who lived in the Harems of Turkey's last three Sultans. One was a concubine. Another was a Sultan' s daughter. The third was a teacher hired to instruct the royal children. What surprised me was the propriety, devoutness, ritual, and decorum practiced in the Harem. There were strict rules and etiquette, and everyone had her place in the hierarchy. The reader learns about the harem as a family with rules, worship, celebrations, and rituals. it was not a place of unbridled lust, but a haven for the Sultan, his consorts, and his children. The reader also meets the female servants and the Black eunuchs, who also acted as part of the family. There are lovely photos in this book, showing Sultans, Princesses, Princes, and consorts. All of them are dressed like European nobility, and their manners certainly matched the Western royalty of the era. I really enjoyed this book, because it sheds light on a mysterious world that still existed not all that long ago.

There is nothing as authentic or enticing as reading the first hand accounts of imperial women who lived in the harem of the Ottoman Empire. So much of what women were like at that time is gleaned from memoirs written by European women and men, as the Ottomans were noteworthy in their recordkeeping, but neglected to record and chronicle the lives of their women and harem. Thus, it is truly refreshing and enlightening to hear the voices of the women themselves.Author Douglas Scott Brookes has compiled the personal memoirs of three significant women who lived in the palace harem of the ruling Sultan during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. These women include the Concubine Filizten, who served during the brief reign of Murad V (he only reigned 3 months!), the Princess Ayse, daughter of Sultan Abdulhamid II, who ruled after Murad V, and the schoolteacher Safiye, who instructed the grandchildren and harem ladies of Sultan Mehmed V. Most compelling are the words of the Concubine Filizten who, together with deposed Sultan Murad V and his harem, was sequestered in Ciragan Palace for 28 years. Brookes has done a stellar job translating and compiling these memoirs.The voices of these women show a picture very different from how Westerns view the harem life. These women were virtuous, devout, and serious about following the rules of their hierarchy. There was also much warmth and devotion among them, and an admirable feeling of respect and loyalty to the ruling Sultan. It is the first time I have read something by a non-Turkish author that sounds and feels like it was written by a native speaker and resident of Turkey. With all of their captivating details and intimate revelatory expressions, the reader is truly pulled into their world.

The book seller was fine; the book itself was a disappointment. Only the first memoir was particularly interesting, alas.

The first of the memoirs is fascinating, the other two less so.

Not much is known about the harem of the Turkish sultans, but the are a couple of books which give a lot of information about conditions in the last half of the nineteenth century (and the nineteenth century only).This book is one of then. A concubine, a princess and a teacher (an outsider) tell their stories. Their perspectives differ a lot from one another.And it is a good read.