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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology

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Deriving from the same root as haram meaning forbidden or inviolable, the harem was a secluded space in which the royal Islamic women, beginning with the Abbasids, were confined. Although precedent for the isolation of elite women was found in the Qur'an (specifically, the injunctions Muhammad placed on his wives) the harem was found in many non-Muslim cultures, including Central Asian, Byzantine, and Persian. After the reign of Harun al-Rashid, the harem came into regular use and following the caliph al-Mamun no official marriages were recorded for the Abbasid caliphs.

The harem consisted of official wives, unmarried sisters of the caliph, the queen mother, concubines, daughters, many slavewomen and the eunuchs who served as guards. Despite their isolation, these women were members of the khassa and were able to amass significant wealth. Knowledge of the harem in Europe was traditionally shaped by Orientalist literature, traveler’s accounts, and art that served to eroticize as well as emphasize the exotic nature of the harem and its women.

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Posted at Apr 10/2009 01:30PM:
ian: While often seen as a symbol of geneder repression in certain instances it could serve as a base of power for elite women in politics.