Welcome
Login:   Pass:     Register - Forgot Password - Resend Activation

Turkish Class Forums / Turkey

Turkey

Add reply to this discussion
Moderators: libralady, sonunda
The intrigues of the harem
(12 Messages in 2 pages - View all)
1 [2]
10.       Roswitha
4132 posts
 15 Jan 2008 Tue 09:42 pm



At Dolmabahce, kitsch is the word that most readily comes to mind, from the statues in the garden of lionesses tending their cubs, to the orientalist-heavy imagery of paintings expressing eastern ‘mystique’ which the Sultan commissioned Italian and other European artists to paint.



In contrast, Topkapi is a transcendent piece of architecture, with its beautiful proportions and simple elegance. It was interesting to see what the palace’s massive haramlik was really like. The popular idea of the ‘harem’ being the Sultan’s pleasure palace, a massive hall jam-packed with reclining beauties says as much about western fantasies as it does about reality.



Although the Sultan had several wives and concubines, it was not a free-for-all orgy, as some western art would suggest, and there was a strict hierarchy and structure, with each wife occupying her own apartments. The haramlik, as it is more properly known, were really just the living quarters of the Sultan. However, the fact that future sultans were raised here, and wives enjoyed intimate access to the Sultan’s ear, the haramlik was a powerful instrument in state affairs.



11.       kafesteki kus
0 posts
 15 Jan 2008 Tue 10:41 pm

ahhh...not to mention Alhambra
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Spain/Andalucia/Granada/Alhambra/
at least had sth similar with Topkapi..

12.       Roswitha
4132 posts
 15 Jan 2008 Tue 11:28 pm

Wow! Memories, I stood here:
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Spain/Andalucia/Granada/Alhambra/photo570221.htm

http://www.magicspain.com/andalucia/granada/

(12 Messages in 2 pages - View all)
1 [2]
Add reply to this discussion




Turkish Dictionary
Turkish Chat
Open mini chat
New in Forums
Crossword Vocabulary Puzzles for Turkish L...
qdemir: You can view and solve several of the puzzles online at ...
Giriyor vs Geliyor.
lrnlang: Thank you for the ...
Local Ladies Ready to Play in Your City
nifrtity: ... - Discover Women Seeking No-Strings Attached Encounters in Your Ci...
Geçmekte vs. geçiyor?
Hoppi: ... and ... has almost the same meaning. They are both mean "i...
Intermediate (B1) to upper-intermediate (B...
qdemir: View at ...
Why yer gördüm but yeri geziyorum
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much, makes perfect sense!
Random Pictures of Turkey
Most liked