The "Great Century" series depicts the harem in many of our minds as a place of unparalleled luxury, complex intrigue, and romantic encounters with the sultan. This was reported by Upl.uz.
However, in real life, the daily life of the harem was completely different for most women and differed significantly from the glorious images on screen. Behind the enchanting beauty of Eastern garments and delicate dances lay strict order and hard work, especially for those at the lower levels of the harem hierarchy.
The day in the harem would begin before dawn, with the muazzin calling for the morning prayer. After the prayer, the women would start their tasks, and their days were planned down to the minute.
They would carry out daily cleaning tasks, washing floors, shaking out heavy carpets, and airing all the rooms. Additionally, up to four hundred kilograms of laundry would be done by hand each day.
Personal items such as clothing, sheets, and towels were also included in this process. In the kitchen, they were required to help prepare thousands of dishes, which demanded not only strength but also attention, as any mistake could lead to serious consequences.
The workday often lasted twelve to fourteen hours, and a small mistake or negligence would be punished severely. After long and hard work, hygiene was considered very important.
In the main bathhouse of the harem, approximately 150 square meters in size, fifty women could bathe at the same time. Each woman was required to go to the bath at least twice a week and undergo long and often painful procedures.
These procedures included cleaning the skin using harsh gloves and fragrant scrubs, massages to relax the muscles, hair removal from the body, and skin care with various oils. These practices were essential for personal hygiene and maintaining appearance, and they were an integral part of harem life.
Thus, the harem was not just a place of expensive jewelry and intrigues. For many women, it was a place of hard and often unbearable labor, strict discipline, and continuous rules.
Unlike the chosen women striving to gain the sultan's attention, the others simply aimed to finish their tasks quickly and awaited the opportunity for a well-deserved rest. Their lives were filled with monotonous tasks, and dreams of luxury and influence remained only at the level of imaginary visions.
In this world, survival depended on hard work and obedience, while romantic images like intrigue and love passions were only manifested on screens.
