Here is a virtual tour of the harem section of Topkapi Palace. 

http://www.360tr.com/topkapi/english/

OK. I have to correct myself. There was no harem within Topkapı palace durign the reign of Kanuni (aka Süleyman The Magnificent). Then harem was in where I said it was. At those times Sultans would go there (where the harem was) to sleep.

And what happened to series about Süleyman The Magnificent? Is it continued or stopped?

The 4th episode will be aired tonight.

And it gets very good ratings.

Great!

And protests, are they continued?

No. Things seem to have settled down.

I am against banning this serial but I am sick of reading and watching Harem life in Ottoman Empire. What is so interesting about it?

From what I have been able to learn, it seems much of the downfall of the Ottoman Empire took place as result of the going on in the Harem. Hürrem, aka Roxelana was a clever manipulative lady who became a very powerful force. She considered herself Polish, BTW...hmmm....very interesting.

The whole sucession thing with the Sultans being the sons of captured slave women seems very strange to me. Not very efficient either. What kind of real loyalty can one expect from one who was captured against her will and forced?

The book The Harem by N. M. Penzer covers a lot of material on the Topkapi Harem. It was written 25 years after the end of the harem and has contemperanious interviews.

One thing I found interesting in researching the politics of the Ottoman Empire and the Harem, was the power and influence of the Chief head Eunuch, (Kızlar Ağsi) who was always black.

So far I know Anastassia Lisowska aka Roxalane or Hürrem was of Slavic origin, Ukranian, but at that time this region was under the control of Lehs, maybe that is why she considered herself Polish.  And right, she was very clever and manipulative even she caused Süleyman to kill his own and first son Mustafa who was very much loved by public and the soldiers. Mustafa was the most powerful nominee of being the next Sultan. And the period of Süleyman gave a start to downfall of Ottomans. I always likened the story of Roxalane to England´s Anne Boleyn by the way because Sultans were forbid to legally marry to the girls who were captured but as far as I know Süleyman broke this rule. Anyway It seems Süleyman was not that magnificent

Interesting....I did not know who you were talking about when you mentioned Lehs. There were many tribes, many forgotten now. The ones who stronger, more dominant have countries names after them.

Say whatever one might about Hürrem, she wasr part in the Kadinlar Saltanati (Sultanat of Women) that ushered in some of the most beautiful parts of what we think about when we think of Ottoman Culture.

Reading about the power these women had and how they wielded it, from behind a veil, gives an amazing view of power structures.