It was a meticulous selection; random girls never ended up there. In the harem, a certain number of brunettes and blondes were selected, and Slavic appearance was highly valued. First, attention was paid to the waist and hip circumference, while breasts and height were of secondary importance. But not only appearance was important; a sharp mind always came in handy.

When a girl entered the harem, she faced a two-year training: one could not go to the sultan unprepared. The sultan`s brides learned languages, the Quran, literature, danced a lot, played musical instruments, recited poetry, and even knew how to fill the sultan`s pipe.

The training course included wisdom on how to care for one`s appearance – the girls knew how to make various masks and what to apply on themselves. They were also taught how to properly choose clothing and jewelry. They were also trained in seduction. It was a special striptease dance.

At that time, cosmetics were only from natural ingredients and cost very dearly. Especially used was mallow oil – hundreds of kilograms of these flowers were delivered to the harem every year. There was also a supply of special clays, herbs, henna, roses, and carnations. Not to mention tons of cinnamon, lemon, antimony, and gold and silver jewelry. By the way, Turkish rose oil is still used in the production of elite cosmetics.

And yet, that was not enough; one could live one`s whole life in the harem and never get to the sultan – because hundreds of beauties paraded before him every day. It required enormous effort to even get among them. Therefore, intrigues and competition were rampant. If the sultan noticed a girl, she awaited the `golden path` – the path from the common bedroom to the ruler`s apartments. Particularly talented girls captured the sultan`s attention for several years, often turning him into a dependent person. You surely know stories about favorites who not only pleased the ruler but also influenced state matters in his name. A vivid example – Hurrem, more widely known in Europe as Roxelana.

Don`t forget to share this interesting material!