Leyla: The Black Tulip

İstanbul, Turkey – 1720
Author Alev Lytle Croutier
Illustrator Kazuhiko Sano
Originally Published © 2003 Pleasant Company
ISBN 1584857498
 

Georgia

In her small village in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, Laleena’s father, Aslan, is one of the best painters. He paints of Christian icons for the Christian churches, even though he is Muslim. But he always tells Laleena, Cengiz, her brother, and the twins “Lailahi Illallah, there is no God but God,” regardless of what religion a person is.

Cengiz, Laleena, and their father often sit around the fireplace at night and paint and read. They study Mkhedruli for the language of Georgia, and Arabic for the language of Turkish. And they blend paints, glaze, and draw.

But when the Ottoman Empire attacks Georgia, Georgia’s king is unsuccessful in defending the country; Russia didn’t help him gather an army. When the Georgian army orders him to, Laleena’s father sets off to be a war painter who will paint famous battle scenes. Laleena and her family watch him fade farther and farther into the distance as he walks away.

Now, even after the war is over, and Georgia officially becomes part of the Ottoman Empire, Laleena’s father never returns. Although nobody knows exactly where he is, they all fear for the worst, and rarely speak of him.

 

The First Tulips

Since Aslan left, Laleena, Cengiz, and their mother have been working hard to expand their garden. They begin growing vegetables to sell and trade. It is Laleena and Cengiz’s job to take them to the market while their mother is home with the twins.

One day, Laleena and her brother get lost on their way to collect water. They find themselves in a meadow full with beautiful, purple flowers. They initially think they’re irises, but upon inspection, they see the flowers are tulips. The flowers form an urn and flash their petals towards the sky.

The siblings continue to return to the meadow to watch them bloom. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t last long. But when they fall, the siblings dig their seeds out of the ground. They look like onions, but are bitter to the taste. Laleena suspects they’re not meant to be eaten.

The siblings dig up as many tulips they can find, and they continue to return to the meadow for more. Laleena has a magic touch in the garden. Maybe she can get them to bloom.

 

Growing Tulips

That winter, everything freezes. Laleena and her siblings and friends have snowball contests and go ice skating on the lake. Although those activities are fun, the cold winter is difficult, too. They are always cold at night. They huddle together in all their clothes for warmth. They just barely have enough to eat. The twins, growing bigger, are always hungry. Laleena is hungry, too, but she doesn’t complain.

When spring finally arrives, the tulips in their garden begin to blossom. They reach for the sky and open their bulbs. Surprisingly, they are not all purple. They are all colors of the rainbow. They’re so lovely that news begins to spread of the beautiful tulips.

One day, an old scribe named Ilia comes to visit. He has traveled to many lands and knows many things. He explains tulips, once called lâle, were originally from this area. The Dutch got their first tulip bulbs from the padishahs a hundred years ago, and they began to grow their own. They send tulips back to the Sultan every year as interest for the gift. The tulips became so valuable that many rich people have traded their houses for tulips. Now, the Ottomans import their tulips from the Dutch. They cross the bulbs and sell them for unthinkable prices. They come in all shapes and sizes, except for black. Nobody has been able to grow a black tulip.

This story confirms Laleena’s belief that the tulips hold great value. Cengiz and Laleena continue to try to cross-breed them, trying to convince the dark tulips to grow even darker. But despite their efforts, they cannot grow a black tulip, and their household remains poor.

 

The Strangers

The summer continues on, until autumn begins. Now it is time for the annual mushroom festival. Whoever produces the largest mushroom will win a prize. Laleena and Cengiz search long and hard for the perfect mushroom. When Laleena finds one larger than her head, she knows she will win.

Later that evening, Laleena is at the festival when she spots three strange men in the crowd. Everyone knows they are foreigners by their turbans. There are whispers that they are from İstanbul. When one stops to look at her, she grows uneasy. He gestures to his friends, and they turn to stare at her, as if looking for prey. Laleena turns and darts into the crowd.

The next day, while working in her garden, Laleena overhears voices. She turns and sees four men walking toward her home. Three of the men are the strangers from last night, and the fourth man is the mayor.

Laleena runs inside and upstairs before she’s noticed. She presses her ear to the floor to eavesdrop on her mother’s conversation with the men.

The mayor explains the men are offering money in exchange for taking Laleena away. They will place her in a good home, and find her a good husband. Someday, Laleena will be a lady. Laleena’s mother is shocked. She cannot imagine sending Laleena away. She’s twelve years old, still a child! The mayor impatiently responds she’s not a child anymore. This is an incredible opportunity. She would have enough money to feed her family for years to come. Laleena’s mother is resolute, and refuses.

After the men leave, Laleena comes down to find her mother in tears. Laleena knows her mother is in a difficult spot. While Laleena takes her twin brothers outside to fetch vegetables for dinner, she has an idea. But it is so terrible Laleena pushes it out of her mind.

 

The Daring Choice

That night, Laleena cannot sleep. The images of the men float through her mind. Eventually, she climbs out of bed. She sees one of Cengiz’s tin soldiers on the mantel. She used to pretend it was her father in her hands, and she’d have conversations with it. She asks the soldier what she should do. And suddenly the answer becomes clear—she must follow her destiny.

The next morning on the way to the market, she stops by the caravansarai where the Ottoman men are staying. She approaches the men who are sitting drinking their morning tea.

She asks the men, in Turkish, if it is true they are looking for girls to take to İstanbul. They reply it is true, but the girls must be pretty, talented, and well-behaved. When she asks how much they’d pay for a girl like herself, a man hands over three gold coins. In exchange, Laleena promises to be there the next morning before dawn.

That night, Laleena has another restless night. She climbs out of bed in the early morning, and goes outside. The sky is clear, and there are shooting stars. She can hear the insects and owls in the distance. It’s a beautiful night.

Laleena visits her garden for the last time. Her beautiful roses, violets, hyacinths, and tulips. She decides to dig up a few tulip bulbs, the ones she and Cengiz were trying to cross. She’ll try to bring them on her journey to İstanbul.

After Laleena packs some clothes, the bulbs, some paintbrushes, herbs, and her tin soldier in a small bundle, she goes to her mother’s bedside. She sets the coins under her mother’s bolster and kisses her forehead. She covers Cengiz with his blanket, and whispers in his ear to watch over the family.

And with that, Laleena shuts the door on everything she’s ever known.

 

Voyage to İstanbul

The trip to İstanbul takes Laleena through the Caucasus Mountains on camels. They stop to pick up more girls at other villages along the way. The girls can all sense what the others gave up to be there, although they’re too shy to speak to each other.

Soon, the group switches to mule carts, and they must cover their faces and bodies to protect themselves from the swirling dust.

Days later, the girls sense a change in the air. A girl explains it is the scent of the sea. Laleena spots palm, lemon, and orange trees, which she’s never seen before. Cafer Efendi, the tallest man of the two, who Leyla learns are brothers, says this is Batum, and they are close to the Black Sea.

Laleena’s father had told tales of the Black Sea. Sailors would lose their way and mermaids would cause shipwrecks. Laleena is excited they’ll be getting on a boat for the next part of their journey.

But Laleena’s excitement quickly diminishes. At the port, they meet up with more girls, totaling nearly two hundred. Some are perhaps sixteen or seventeen, but the smallest cannot be older than four or five. They board a ship, but are stuffed into a small storage room where it’s almost impossible to find room to lie down. The hay on the ground begins to smell. And because there’s no windows or portholes, the entire room is in darkness. When the girls start to moan or cry too loud, a man will come into the room with a whip. Some of the girls faint, and Laleena spends most of the time seasick, which causes her to lose track of time.

At some point, Cafer Efendi comes into the room and calls Laleena’s name. She’s pulled to her feet, and brought outside the stuffy room. The clean air and wind is refreshing on her skin. She’s led into a room with other men. They evaluate the delicacy of her hands, her dark brown eyes, and her straight teeth. She doesn’t like being looked over as if she’s an animal, so she bites the man who tries to open her mouth. She’s slapped as a response, and the men laugh.

When Laleena is brought back into the hold, she trips on a little girl who begins to cry. Laleena sits next to the girl and holds her tight. The girl, whose name is Lena, reminds Laleena of her brothers. Lena has long, wavy white hair. How on earth can they give a baby to a stranger to marry?

Overhearing Laleena’s whispers under her breath, an older girl retorts that they aren’t bringing all the girls for husbands. The girls are to be slaves! They will be sold on the slave markets!

The girls around them all start to talk loudly and cry. Laleena is shocked. She can’t believe it. Slowly, she realizes they must be right. That’s why they’ve been treated so poorly… they are slaves. She thinks of the toy soldier. It told her to follow her destiny. Why would her destiny lead her here?

When the ship finally docks in Trabzon, all of the girls are taken off the boat and separated into groups. Laleena passes Cafer Efendi, who tells her the girls will be separated, some going to İstanbul, but others to İzmir, Salonica, and Cairo. Laleena hasn’t heard of Salonica and Cairo, but she’s grateful to learn both she and Lena are heading to İstanbul.

Unfortunately, they must take another, smaller boat to get there. This boat is more cramped, and the winds on the water makes the ride choppy. The girls are again stuffed into the hold. Laleena begins to wish the stories of the mermaids were real, so they could dash the ship on the rocks and end the nightmare.

 

City of the World’s Desire

Finally, one day the doors to the small hold of the boat open. The brothers tell everyone to come out, and the girls awkwardly get to their feet again. Laleena pulls Lena’s hand through the crowd of girls to find a railing to hold onto. She breathes the fresh air, and lifts Lena up so she can see over the side of the boat.

Before their eyes is the most exquisite beauty Laleena has ever seen. It’s evening, and there’s a light fog in the air. Behind the fog are marvelous mansions and a forest. The boat travels through a narrow strait. Laleena can see minarets poking out in the distance. The landscape reminds her of the Thousand and One Nights stories her father used to tell her.

When the boat drops anchor, the girls gather their bundles and baskets. Lena falls asleep in Laleena’s arms when they board a covered oxen cart. Although the curtains on the cart are drawn, the girls compete for the slits where they can peek out to see the beautiful city of İstanbul.

Cafer Efendi takes the girls to the largest house Laleena has ever seen. The girls are immediately brought to a women’s hamam, where they are scrubbed clean and their heads inspected for lice. Luckily, both Laleena and Lena’s hair is spared from being cut. The girls are all given simple cotton gowns to wear, and then they’re brought together with more girls from other parts of the world. Some are unusual looking, with skin as dark as coffee. Laleena knows they’re from a place called Africa.

After a hearty supper—the first real meal they’ve had in weeks—they’re taken to a dormitory bedroom to spend the night. The beds are so clean they smell of freshly scythed grass. Laleena immediately falls asleep.

Before bedtime, the older girls were separated from the younger girls, so Laleena doesn’t know where Lena is. Lena cried when they were separated, and she hopes Lena isn’t getting into trouble by crying too loudly. And the next morning, Laleena doesn’t see Lena again.

Instead, Laleena is brought to a large room where there’s a woman in yellow feradje. She wears a translucent scarf to cover her mouth and neck. Laleena can see her inner dress has fur on it, and she wears many rings on her finger. She has a tortoiseshell hotoz and yellow shoes. Laleena has never seen anybody so flamboyant, so clearly this woman is wealthy.

The woman’s name is Madam Siranush. She tells them she is going to teach the girls how to walk properly and speak politely. Over the next several days, they work all day long learning how to walk, sit, serve guests, and speak in Turkish. Laleena is happy she already knows Turkish, and she pities the girls that don’t know how to say anything. Slowly, on the outside, they are no longer girls from the Caucasus or other parts of the Empire—they are girls from İstanbul.

Laleena learns that Lena is elsewhere in Madam Siranush’s household. She hopes that soon she’ll be able to catch a glimpse of her.

 

The Poet’s Gift

After several more days of training, Madam Siranush comes to tell the girls it was time to go to market. The girls stand in small groups while customers come and look at them. The customers are all men.

Some customers buy several girls. Laleena overhears one man buy a dozen girls. The man’s words feel like a stab to Laleena’s heart. They’re being bartered and sold off like chicken or eggs. One girl is exchanged for a suit of armor. Another, a horse. By the end of the day, many of the girls have sold, but not Laleena.

The next day, they are back again at the market. Laleena watches girl after girl be sold, but no one seems interested in her. Laleena is grateful. She thinks the men must sense how she despises them.

Then, she notices a man standing quietly watching her. He doesn’t look frightening. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold coin. Handing it to Leyla, he explains it has the Padishah’s turah.

When Laleena asks him who the Padishah is, he explains the Padishah is the Sultan. Bu şehri Stambul ki bimislü bahadır… a poem. The Sultan rules all the way to Italy and the Alps Mountains to the west, to Persia in the east, and North Africa to Morocco. But the King is a peace lover and doesn’t believe in war or slaves.

Laleena is very confused. She doesn’t know these places, and the poet mentions a map—Laleena doesn’t know what a map is. The poet senses she’s confused, and says it’s okay. She can keep the coin. Laleena wants to give him something in return. She reaches into her sack and pulls out one of the tulip bulbs. She explains how she used to garden tulips at home. The poet smiles. He responds gratefully, saying he’ll plant it and write a poem about it. He cannot buy her, since his job is to find inspiration, not slaves, but he’ll do what he can to see she’ll go to a good home.

That evening, the big room where the girls sleep feels empty. Laleena overhears Madam Siranush talking to a man outside. She’s telling him that if the girls don’t sell on the first couple days, the likelihood of them selling at all is slim. But no matter, they’ll find use for all the girls. Some become thieves or beggars.

Laleena remembers the beggars in her village. Some were missing legs or arms, and some were blind. She promises herself that tomorrow she’ll smile more. She cannot let herself be maimed to just become a beggar or thief.

Later that night, Laleena hears that all the young girls, including Lena, have been sold to a single buyer here in İstanbul. Laleena is sad, because she had prayed they could stay together, but hearing Lena is gone reminds her of everything she’s lost.

 

Master Hyacinth

The next day, while at the market, there’s a commotion. A man appears. He is shaped like a pear, and wears a long robe and a sable coat. He has a pointy turban on his head. He has no beard or mustache, and his skin is as smooth as a woman’s. Two men similarly follow him.

Madam Siranush is quiet, and has the girls line up. One by one, the man stands in front of each girl and inspects her. He walks around each girl, and looks at them up and down with a critical stare. Laleena both hopes he never looks at her that way, and also that he does.

And suddenly, he is standing in front of Laleena! She’s petrified. The man orders her to smile. She’s shocked by his high-pitched voice. He repeats his order, and Laleena forces the edges of her mouth upward. He comments that her smile is not real. She must smile as if she’s happy and having fun, with her eyes as well as her lips.

Laleena feels she cannot smile as if she is happy, so far away from home, only a slave. But for just a moment, she remembers the poet from the day before, and a smile truly comes to her face. “There you go,” he exclaims. She has nice teeth, but her smile is even lovelier. A tear rolls down Laleena’s cheek, and he smiles, saying it is a good omen she knows how to smile and how to weep.

With that, the man goes to Madam Siranush and begins to barter. Madam Siranush explains that she’s beautiful, maybe she won’t even sell Laleena. Laleena learns his name is Sümbül Ağa—Master Hyacinth. The two of them go back and forth, negotiating and raising prices. Laleena hopes Master Hyacinth wins the bargaining.

Finally, they agree on a price, and the sale is complete. Nervously, Laleena picks up her bundle and follows Master Hyacinth’s men. She’s taken to a carriage drawn by two black horses. As they ride, she can see the silhouette of mosques and buildings through the lattices of the carriage.

Laleena’s curiosity grows. Where are they taking her? She prays for kindness and luck.

 

Beyond the Gate of Felicity

After three days of uncertainty with Madam Siranush, Laleena feels tired enough to fall asleep in the lull of the carriage. When she wakes up, she’s led on foot through an enormous gate. One of the men says it’s the Gate of Felicity. They’ve arrived at Topkapı Palace. “Felicity” means happiness, this is the gate of bringing happiness to others.

Laleena is led through a large ornate door, and she follows the man through hallways lined with carvings, paintings, and calligraphy. An old skeletal woman is waiting at the end of the corridor. She leads Laleena through more corridors with tiled floors and walls with stained glass windows. Laleena has never seen such beauty.

In a large room made entirely of wood, the woman tells Laleena this is the dormitory of the acemis, or the apprentices. Laleena will be an acemi until she masters her training. Laleena’s instructed to place her bundle in a cabinet with her mattress. Then she’s given a pair of very tall wooden clogs to wear, and she’s brought to a hamam with large slabs of white marble and colorful geometric tiles.

The hamam is unlike anything Laleena has ever seen… nothing like the public bathhouses she used with Madam Siranush. Girls’ voices echo through the steam, and Laleena can see girls of all ages and skin colors. They’re all naked. Laleena feels nervous about undressing completely, so she leaves her chemise on while she bathes.

After Laleena is done bathing, the old woman returns and brings Laleena to a small closet. She’s instructed to sleep here for the night, and that she’ll be interviewed tomorrow.

That night, Laleena slowly drifts off to sleep, dreaming that her father has returned from war, but is forlorn when he discovers that she is gone, and nobody knows where she is.

 

Leyla

The next morning, a girl slightly older than Laleena comes and leads her to an infirmary. There, Laleena is inspected alongside other girls for diseases, defects, and imperfections, along with their hands, feet, teeth, eyes, and ears. Over the past few months, Laleena had never been inspected so much! But this inspection wasn’t nearly as bad as the ones done by Cafer Efendi and the other traders.

After the inspection, the girl leads Laleena through the maze of corridors and staircases to a row of big apartments that must belong to important people. Inside a room, a large woman sits on a divan.

The woman asks Laleena to turn to be inspected again. The woman comments that Laleena’s hands are too small for housework, and asks if Laleena has any skills, such as sewing, cooking, music, or dancing. When Laleena responds that she doesn’t, the woman comments that Laleena knows Turkish. Laleena says she also knows a bit of Arabic and Georgian, as well as how to paint.

The woman’s eyes open wide and she reminds Laleena that she should not mention painting again! To paint the likeness of human beings is sacrilegious. Laleena knows this, but momentarily forgot—painting like her father did is against the Koran.

Instead, Laleena suggests that she may have a talent for growing flowers. The woman perks up when Laleena particularly mentions tulips, since tulips require special skill and patience.

Then, she asks Laleena her name. The woman says “Laleena” sounds like a gypsy fortune-teller’s name, and instead she’ll go by a proper Turkish name: Leyla. Every girl has her name changed so she’ll forget who she was in the past and become a new person.

Going forward, Leyla will study in the medrese, a religious school. She’ll study the Koran. She’ll learn to walk and sit gracefully, and how to talk without an accent. And, Leyla will garden under the Mistress of the Flowers.

When she’s dismissed, the girl escorts Leyla back outside. The girl asks Leyla for her new name, and introduces herself as Belkıs. The woman is the Kahya, the Chief Headmistress. She names and assigns every woman in the harem.

Belkıs explains that while working with the Mistress of the Flowers, Leyla will be in charge of helping manage the vast interior harem gardens. There are kitchen gardens, healing gardens, scented gardens, and flower beds. If Leyla does well as an acemi, she’ll be promoted. If not, they may move her to a different department.

Apparently Belkıs started out assigned to the Number One Wife of the Padishah before being moved to the Mistress of the Flowers. Belkıs didn’t like it there anyway, it was too stressful because so many people were always trying to plot against the wife and her son.

Leyla is confused… where are they? Belkıs responds that they are at Topkapı Palace, the home of the Sultan Ahmet, the ruler of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. They live in the harem, where the Sultan’s women and children live. There are no men allowed inside except the Sultan’s sons and the eunuchs. When Leyla comments it feels like a cage, Belkıs nods. Some reference the harem as the golden cage: they have great riches, but no freedom.

 

The Mistress of the Gardens

Belkıs tells Leyla the Mistress of the Flowers spends so much time with the plants that she is becoming one of them. She communicates with the flowers and plants. They tell her how to care for them. Although the Bostanjis, the men with bald heads and huge mustaches, disagree with her. The Bostanjis are responsible for everything that happens in the palace. They are also the executioners.

When Leyla hears this, she shudders. The Mistress of the Flowers is in a very large garden when Leyla and Belkıs find her. She’s preparing a large floral arrangement. She’s small and thin, and her skin is so translucent that Leyla can see the blue of her veins.

The Mistress of the Flowers looks Leyla up and down. She motions for Belkıs and Leyla to follow her. They enter a greenhouse nursery with a glass dome. The Mistress of the Flowers points at some drawers and shows Leyla the bulbs inside. Leyla almost swallows her tongue. So many tulip bulbs!

Then, the Mistress of the Flowers leads the girls to a plot of land that smells like manure; it’s been freshly turned. The smell reminds Leyla of her home. Belkıs nods, and says Leyla will begin planting with the bulbs there tomorrow. Then, the Mistress of the Flowers leaves.

Belkıs explains that the Mistress of the Flowers is mute. She spends most of her time alone, communicating with the plant spirits. Although people think she is odd, they respect her ability to communicate with plants.

Leyla doesn’t think the Mistress of the Flowers is strange at all. In fact, she senses that she is extraordinary. Maybe she knows the connection between plants and people. Leyla knows she is lucky to have been placed under the Mistress of the Flowers for her apprenticeship. She wonders if the coin from the poet has indeed brought her luck.

 

Harem Life

Leyla is assigned one of the vast dormitories with fifty other acemis. Belkıs is in the same dormitory, too. She learns that each girl that works in the harem gardens has a specialty, such as roses, medicinal herbs, or plant crafts.

The girls sleep on mattresses on the floor, and the mattresses are stored in closets during the day. There’s a matron for every ten girls to ensure nobody gets into any mischief. Every night as they fall asleep, Leyla listens to the quiet, thinking of her family. She hopes and prays they are all right. She knows they have enough to last them a while, but she thinks of Cengiz, the twins, her mother, and her father, who she hopes has returned home safely. And each night, she whispers a special prayer for Lena, who she hopes is safe.

Every morning, the girls awaken to the müezzin’s call to prayer. The royal kitchens outside the harem provide them food. Some girls were “tasters,” and it was their job to taste the food for the important ladies, in case someone tried poisoning them.

Leyla thinks this practice is silly. But her mind is changed when Ceylan, one of the tasters, falls to the floor and begins writhing and foaming at the mouth. She had just tasted the Haseki Sultana’s halvah. The eunuchs come to pick up Ceylan and take her away to the infirmary. But Ceylan never returns.

Nobody seems to talk about Ceylan. Finally, Leyla asks Belkıs about her. Belkıs shushes Leyla, explaining there have been rumors that Ceylan’s liver has been destroyed and she’s been sent home. But Belkıs has also heard that Ceylan passed away that evening, so she doesn’t know exactly which to believe.

For breakfast, the girls eat feta cheese, olives, rose jam, violet sugar, and baked bread. They sit on floor cushions with tiny round tables. After their meal, they put the tables away and prepare for work.

In addition to working in the gardens, Leyla is instructed in Turkish, etiquette, and the Koran. The heads of those departments, the odahs, instruct those lessons. Leyla enjoys the lessons, and she enjoys meeting the other girls.

But, Leyla’s always happiest in the gardens. Even though it’s winter, they’re busy preparing the old beds for the spring. The Mistress of the Gardens explains how each flower stands for something specific: marigolds for jealousy, periwinkles for friendship, and yellow tulips for hopeless love.

Leyla learns the eunuchs are the keepers of the harem. They are neutrals, neither men nor women. They manage the harem and act as messengers between the women of the harem, the Padishah, and his mother, the Valide Sultana, or Mother Sultana. The Chief Housekeeper assigns tasks and manages the harem girls. The Haznedar, or treasurer, pays the girls slipper money, which the girls can exchange for special fabrics, clothing, jewelry, and other adornments. These can all be purchased from the bundle ladies, female merchants who visit the harem with their goods. But Leyla doesn’t qualify for slipper money yet, not until she’s more trained. She has no idea how long that will be.

When Leyla asks Belkıs how many women are in the harem, Belkıs states there are supposed to be one thousand. But there’s new girls arriving almost every week. After they’re trained, they’ll all be assigned to one of the palaces of the Padishah. He moves from palace to palace depending on the season and his whim. The harem is a part of his wealth and treasure. The more women he has, the richer he is.

The most beautiful and talented girls compete against each other to become personal odalisques. A dozen of them serve the Padishah—they bathe, shower, and dress him. They bring him food, do his personal laundry, and entertain him. The Padishah also has several wives and girlfriends. They all compete to have sons and be the next Mother Sultana. She is truly the ruler of the harem. She has her own pavilions and handmaidens. The eunuchs take orders from her, and even the Padishah kisses her hand and pays her a daily visit. He takes her advice on almost everything.

The Haseki Sultana, or first wife, is the next in the pecking order. She would hesitate at nothing to keep her position, including getting rid of rivals or their children.

Every now and then, the Padishah may give an odalisque to a rich and powerful Pasha, in which she’d leave and become the mistress of her own home. But otherwise, all the girls are destined to stay at Topkapı Palace forever. Unless the Padishah passes away, in which case his whole harem would be sent to the Palace of Tears, where the unwanted ones go. It’s said the Palace of Tears is full of sad women.

Some of the girls in the harem are nice, but others are not. Even the acemis have power struggles. If you’re a loner, you’re harassed. Belkıs explains you have to be part of a clique to protect yourself within the dormitories. But you should never trust anybody fully. Even Leyla should not fully trust Belkıs. But to Leyla, Belkıs feels like a sister.

But most of the girls are warm and generous. They share clothes, braid each others’ hair, and talk and play games together. They play music and dance. And as the days wear on, Leyla grows more and more comfortable in the palace. Until now, Leyla has never had sisters. And in this world of women, she finds something sweet and nourishing. Of course, she still misses her own family, but she learns to understand what the eunuch had told her: “Once you pass through the Gates of Felicity, there is no going back.”

 

Winter

That winter, it snows. Everyone says it’s unusual for it to snow in İstanbul. Although some of the gardeners still work in the greenhouses and sheltered winter garden courtyard, the others don’t work in the regular harem garden beds.

Leyla is happy for the snow. She knows how good the frozen earth will be for her tulips. She has done some experimentation by heating the bulbs, and then moistening and combining them with others through grafting. Then, she put them away until spring. Leyla has planted the bulbs that the Mistress of the Flowers had instructed. But, she also hid three of her own bulbs with the others.

Although Leyla is still taking other lessons, she now has more free time with the gardens inactive. She misses painting and sketching. She finds herself making small ink sketches without realizing it. Leyla knows it’s forbidden to draw anything that looks like people, animals, or plants. But her father had always repeated that his gift was the work of Allah, so he paints everything. But Leyla knows painting what she wants will be a problem here.

Even though the weather in İstanbul isn’t as cold as the weather back in Leyla’s home village, the acemis still spend a lot of days indoors trying to keep warm. They tell stories and read fortunes. They’re well fed, with pilaf, lamb, and syrupy desserts. They see even fancier dishes passed to the royal ladies in their private apartments, too. But after Ceylan’s death, Leyla doesn’t desire to try these foods.

The royal ladies wear furs to stay warm, but the girls have nothing so grand. They sleep with scarves on their heads to keep warm. If they cough, they are sent to the infirmary where the Mistress of Maladies will take care of them.

Leyla’s education continues, and she gradually progresses. She learns court etiquette and how to speak properly. When the müezzin chants from his minaret five times a day, all of the girls in the palace stop, pull out their prayer rugs, and perform the namaz, bending and unbending as they face west toward the holy city of Mecca. When Leyla prays, she continues to pray for her mother and brothers, and her father, and of course, for little Lena.

 

The Royal Halvet

At the beginning of March, the crocuses and narcissus begin to sprout. Then, the jonquils and hyacinths follow. And finally, the fruit trees burst.

The Bostanjis come to the harem garden and uncover a large square area. The ground is laid in beds of loam mixed with river mud, and a border of turf is laid to keep the soil in place.

Leyla is constantly weeding, working in manure, and watering all the beds, but especially the tulip beds. As she kneels on the turf border, she meditates on the forces that might be affected by crossing colors. Even her dreams feature tulips. Although Leyla works alone, sometimes the Mistress of the Flowers will come watch her.

As the snow melts, the Chief Housekeeper announces there will soon be a halvet, or a private celebration, for the royal family to welcome the first day of spring. All the Bostanjis and gardeners are called to work to prepare the gardens.

Throughout the next several days, everybody works tirelessly, raking the grass, trimming branches, adjusting stones, bringing out cages with colorful birds. The garden becomes like a paradise, like a garden of Allah.

On the first day of the spring, the royal family, including all the Sultan’s wives and favorites, plus the Princes and Princesses, will promenade the palace gardens. Although acemis aren’t allowed to participate, Leyla wishes to watch. She can’t contain her curiosity. As the other gardeners finish their last tasks, she slips away, and finds a small space behind a sycamore to squeeze herself inside. She knows if she is caught, that will be the end of her.

She watches the final preparations with awe. Late in the morning, a corps of eunuchs arrive and lay carpets on the grass. Then, the odalisques come out, carrying food and sweets. Then parasols and canopies, and carpets and cushions follow. Then, musicians and singers.

Finally, a procession of eunuchs clears the way for the Valide Sultana. She’s pale, but very fashionable. Her cheeks are painted red, and she wears emeralds and pearls. A pear-shaped eunuch walks alongside her—Master Hyacinth, the man who bought Leyla from Madam Siranush! Clearly he is a very important person.

Next, the older wives come out with their own odalisques, eunuchs, and children. There are girls and boys around Leyla’s age, all dressed in lavish clothing. The women are unveiled, since the gardens are completely blocked off. They recline on divans under silk tents. They wear tunics with fur collars and hats. The odalisques dance and sing songs for the royal family. They feast on sherbets that Leyla heard were made with snow from Mount Olympus.

Leyla had never seen so many beautiful ladies all at once. They are the privileged ones, living in a world all their own. Leyla wishes she was a part of their world, too, filled with beauty and ease, not orders and work.

Leyla sees a boy in a maroon vest like a fancy brocade tunic and touches the ground, no doubt a Prince. He wears a white turban with a jeweled aigrette. At his waist sits an ornate scabbard holding a scimitar. He looks just a couple years older than Leyla. Leyla thinks he looks very serious and alert. On his shoulder perches a falcon, equally as alert.

Then, a girl about Leyla’s age enters, dressed in a royal blue gown. She is holding the hand of a young girl. They cross the lawn and sit down. The older girl pulls the child close, and begins braiding her hair. The little girl’s head turns, and Leyla’s eyes open wide. The little girl is Lena! Leyla’s heart fills with gratitude, knowing that Lena is safe.

Suddenly, somebody grabs Leyla’s arm and pulls her up, covering her mouth so she doesn’t scream. It is the Prince in the maroon vest. He demands to know what Leyla is doing there. She tries to cover her face, since she’s not wearing a veil. Leyla explains she works in the garden. The boy retorts that nobody except the royal family is supposed to be in the garden. When Leyla responds she knows this, but she wanted to see the halvet with her own eyes, he answers that there’s nothing wrong with this desire. He releases her, but says that if he sees her again where she’s not supposed to be, he’ll have to cut off her head.

Leyla hurries back to the conservatory where Belkıs is looking for her. Leyla explains where she’s been. Belkıs berates her for taking chances and breaking rules. But she is also curious about what Leyla saw. Leyla describes the clothing, the women and girls. And she also tells Belkıs about the Prince who found her and threatened her. Belkıs says the Prince must be Prince Mejnun, the Padishah’s youngest son. The rumor is he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, for his head is always in the clouds. He’s a lover of peace, and doesn’t wish to run an empire.

Then, Leyla tells Belkıs about seeing Lena. Belkıs explains the girl must have been Princess Fatma, and Lena must be Semiramis, her living doll. Semiramis is a human plaything for Princess Fatma. Most likely, Princess Fatma will keep Semiramis with her all her life.

Belkıs continues that Princess Fatma was married at age five to an old Pasha. They didn’t live together as husband and wife—the marriage was more a formality. But, the Pasha died in a war against Hungary. Now, Princess Fatma is set to be married again, to the Sultan’s Grand Vizier, İbrahim Pasha. They say İbrahim Pasha is the most enlightened person in the empire. He is brilliant and rich, and is the real mind behind the Padishah. İbrahim Pasha is very much against war, having experienced the horrors himself. Although he already has other wives and children, being married to İbrahim Pasha is a good arrangement for Princess Fatma.

That evening, Leyla cannot stop thinking about Prince Mejnun’s threat to cut off her head. And thinking about Princess Fatma’s marriage to an older man. And little Lena, who is finally safe and sound. There could be much worse things than being someone’s living doll.

 

The Most Beautiful Clothes

Several days later, Master Hyacinth, who has now become the Chief Eunuch, comes to announce that the Padishah wants to meet his entire harem that very day. They’re all to be individually introduced to the Padishah! All the girls get excited, and begin talking about what they’ll wear to see the Padishah, and what they’ll say if he asks them questions. But Leyla isn’t excited. She doesn’t have anything to wear except her work clothes. To hide her sadness, she runs to the garden to work on her tulip beds.

In a little bit, Belkıs calls for Leyla to come back inside. All the girls are getting dressed up. Belkıs complains that Leyla’s isn’t ready yet, and she’ll be left behind. When Leyla defiantly retorts she’s not going, Belkıs asks why not. Leyla, straining to keep from bursting into tears, responds that she has nothing to wear. Belkıs says she has an extra pair of silk şalvar, a pair of loose, red trousers. Another girl, listening in, mentions she has a chemise with Damascus lace on the sleeves.

Another girl says she has a yashmak. And suddenly, Leyla is surrounded by girls, being dressed up like a doll. When they step away from Leyla, she is covered in some of the finest clothes she’s ever worn. Her hair has been braided with pearls, and is wearing rouge on her cheeks. She doesn’t even look like herself. On top of the chemise, she’s wearing a silk brocade kaftan and a red translucent veil over her face. As a finishing touch, Belkıs sticks a fan in her hands.

Surely the Padishah will be pleased with such a fine harem.

 

The Hall of the Sultan

All of the harem are escorted into the Hall of the Sultan. The enormous room is more beautiful than any other part of the palace. A stained glass dome scatters the light across the room, and a grand terrace is outside. Outside, Leyla can see beautiful İstanbul surrounding them. Green hills, cypresses, and linden trees. Other girls seem awed as well. Leyla wishes she could explore further.

The girls watch the man in the center of the room. He sits on a golden throne dressed in a green silk kaftan embroidered with golden tulips. He wears a dagger, inlaid with emeralds and rubies, at his side. Behind him, his mother, the Valide Sultana, is standing solemn and dignified. In the room are all of the Padishah’s wives and their daughters, sitting on dais. Leyla searches for Lena in the crowd, but cannot find Princess Fatma or Lena, even though Master Hyacinth calls Fatma’s name among the list of those present.

The girls salute and form lines around the Padishah according to rank. One by one, each of them approaches the throne and kisses the skirt of his kaftan. The Padishah nods and makes eye contact with each of the girls. As Leyla watches each girl go before her, her nerves drift away. He seems like a very kindly man. After greeting each of them, he addresses them that nothing gives him more pleasure than having all his ladies in the same room.

Then, the Padishah escorts all the ladies onto the terrace. He points to a structure opposite the shore, and says it’s going to be a new palace. More poetic than Topkapı, and more splendid than the palaces built by their eastern ancestors. Even more beautiful than the French king’s palace, Versailles. It will have colored tiles trimmed with gold. Craftsmen and artisans have been working on it. It will be called Sadabad, the palace of happiness. It will be inaugurated in honor of his daughter, Princess Fatma’s, wedding to the Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha and the manhood ceremonies of two of his sons. And at the end, they will celebrate this year’s Tulip Festival.

All eyes turn to Princess Fatma. And there, Leyla sees little Lena in her arms. But Lena seems restless, squirming and looking around. Then, Lena’s eyes meet Leyla’s. Leyla shakes her head to try to indicate to Lena not to move, but in a swift movement, Lena jumps out of the Princess’ lap and runs to Lena. Lena grabs hold of Leyla’s legs and reaches up to be picked up. Now everybody is looking at Leyla.

One of the Princess’ attendants comes over and takes Lena back to Princess Fatma. Lena watches Leyla, and begins to cry. The Princess has her attendant remove Lena from the room. To distract the silent crowds, Master Hyacinth signals the musicians to play music, and dancers come out, clacking wooden spoons. But Leyla cannot enjoy the entertainment. She’s preoccupied thinking about Lena. What if they’ll both get in trouble? Once again, Lena has been snatched away.

After the feast and entertainment, the Padishah rises and announces the evening is over. The girls all salute him as he passes by them. But on his way out, he drops a handkerchief in front of Belkıs’ feet. The whole room is silent; they all know what the dropping of the handkerchief means.

 

The Secret Paintings

The next day, the Mistress of the House summons Belkıs. Leyla waits for her to return, and when she does, Belkıs explains that the Padishah has chosen her to be one of his odalisques. Everyone is happy for Belkıs—this is great news. This is what all the girls wish for. Now she’ll be moved into private quarters and be given her own attendant and eunuch. Perhaps she could even become a Sultana someday. But at the same time, she’ll now be separated from Leyla, and Leyla is sad to lose her friend. It seems like her destiny is to always be parted from those she loves.

Before Belkıs leaves, Leyla would like to give her a gift. She immediately thinks of a tulip, but tulips are ephemeral, not everlasting. She’ll need to find something more durable. The next morning, Leyla comes by a miracle. She sees some discarded sheets of paper someone was practicing calligraphy on. Leyla wants to keep them, of course. She cannot bear to let it go to waste. Her father always said that trees gave their lives for paper. Knowing she could be accused of theft, she takes the paper anyway and hides it behind the heavy tapestries on the wall.

Later, Leyla stops by the laundry. She watches a woman stirring yellow dye into a vat of blue, and the color turns green. It reminds Leyla of mixing colors with Father. Leyla approaches the woman, and says she’s here to fetch some primary colors: yellow, blue, and red. The woman asks what they’re for, and Leyla responds she hasn’t been told. They’re for the Chief Housekeeper. Her heart beats wildly at her lies, afraid she’ll be caught. But the woman doesn’t sense her discomfort. She measures some dyes in powder form and puts them in parchment envelopes.

Leyla hides the dyes in the greenhouse among gardening potions. She knows the challenging part will be finding a place to paint. She’s always with others when she’s sleeping, eating, bathing, or working. But she knows there’s occasionally moments where others stray. That was the time to slip away.

Leyla locates a place by the gazebo near the tulip beds. Leyla wants to paint tulips in different stages of their cycle for Belkıs. The first day of painting, she is so engrossed in her drawing that she’s not aware the Mistress of the Flowers is watching her. As Leyla finishes up, the Mistress of the Flowers approaches and looks at the sketch, and smiles. Leyla hides the drawings under the floorboards of the gazebo, hoping nobody finds them. What is the Mistress of the Flowers going to do? Would she turn Leyla in? Would the drawings still be there when Leyla returns?

A few tentative days later, Leyla returns to the gazebo. The drawings are just where they were left. Leyla inspects the growing tulips in the ground to consult how she should draw them. Leyla draws the petals concealing the tulip chalice. Leyla knows she’s risking everything by drawing and painting again, but she now trusts the Mistress of the Flowers. What Leyla doesn’t realize is someone else is watching her.

The next day, Leyla can tell the paintings have been moved. A note is written attached to them: “Beauty never vanishes, but is transformed.” Is this message from the Mistress of the Flowers?

Several days later, Belkıs’ gift is finished. Looking over them, Leyla feels strange. They remind her of Father and Cengiz. Belkıs is speechless when Leyla gives the drawings to her. Belkıs says nobody has ever given her a gift before. But she’ll have to hide these since it’s against their faith to make or have paintings of plants. But she loves them. Leyla, smiling, says now the tulips are immortal.

Belkıs says Leyla is like a sister to her. But she cannot accept the paintings. It’s too dangerous, especially as an odalisque, where her behavior will be watched every second. They could even search her apartment. Leyla can tell Belkıs is already aspiring to become a Sultana. Leyla understands, but still feels hurt inside. How could she not keep a gift Leyla worked so hard to make for her?

Afterward, Leyla hides the drawings and keeps to herself. She cannot risk loving someone and losing them again. It’s too painful.

 

The Dark Prison

After Belkıs’ leaving, Leyla continues to turn to painting for comfort. Whenever possible, Leyla returns to the gazebo to paint. But when she runs out colors, she must go back to the Mistress of Colors. But this time, the Mistress of Colors is distrustful and snappy. She demands to know why the Chief Housekeeper doesn’t send one of her own girls. And why does a gardener need dyes?! As she prepares the colors, she says something under her breath that Leyla doesn’t understand.

Later that afternoon, Leyla is in the conservatory when a young eunuch comes to tell her the Chief Housekeeper wishes to see her immediately. The eunuch shakes his head. He tells her she is a determined girl, but it’s not smart to test boundaries in the harem.

In her apartment, the Chief Housekeeper is sitting on a divan, smoking a nargileh. Next to her, is the Mistress of Colors. The Chief Housekeeper demands to know what the dyes were for. Leyla freezes. She doesn’t know what to say. The Chief Housekeeper clarifies they were not for her. So Leyla lied. Leyla apologizes, but she still doesn’t know what to say. If she talks about the paintings, it’ll be viewed as an act of sacrilege.

Leyla says she was going to add them to the soil to see if they affect the colors of the flowers. The two women look at each other, doubtful. The Chief Housekeeper says she should’ve gotten permission first. And furthermore, she doesn’t believe Leyla. She announces she’s sending Leyla to prison for not getting permission, for lying, and for being insolent. She’ll remain in prison until the end of the Tulip Festival.

Before Leyla is escorted out, the Mistress of Colors says she’s prepared a potion of red paste. She forces Leyla to open her mouth and shovels in a spoonful. As quick as Leyla gulps it down, she jumps with pain. Her mouth, throat, and insides feel as if they’re burning. She fed Leyla hot cayenne pepper. Leyla tries to cough it out, but to no avail. The Mistress of Flowers says it’s to clean her mouth so she doesn’t lie again.

The prison is a small room with no windows. The floor is covered in straw, and it is cold and smells of mold and other horrid things. Leyla can hear the voices of other girls in other cells talking. How long had they been there? What had they done? When will someone let Leyla out?

Leyla cries until she has no more tears left to cry. She struggles to keep track of time or days or nights. It’s dark when they bring food. Leyla cannot tell if she’s been there a few hours, or a few weeks. She prays to Allah for strength and comfort. She thinks about her family: Mother, Cengiz, the twins, and Father. Why is it so wrong to paint paintings of things like flowers or people? Leyla knows in her heart that it’s good and important to manifest the gifts granted to us.

One day, the door opens, and a eunuch announces to Leyla to follow him. The light blinds her eyes as she steps out of the darkness. Leyla asks the eunuch what she’s supposed to do now. He tells her to do exactly what she was doing before. Work in the gardens. But this time, stay out of trouble.

After the time in prison, Leyla is grateful to be returning to the pavilions, fountains, gardens, and cheery girls. She feels relieved to be outside in the sun again. She feels as if she’s being returned to life.

The first thing Leyla does is check up on her tulips. They are limp and neglected. Leyla waters them and talks to them. Soon, they responded to the nurturing.

When Leyla goes to check up on her drawings, she finds they’re gone. Leyla looks under crevices, planks, and anywhere else she might’ve hidden them. But they’re completely missing. Who could’ve taken them? Someone who destroyed them and didn’t know they were hers? Someone who wanted to protect her? Or someone who wanted to cause Leyla harm?

 

Princess Fatma

That afternoon, Leyla is summoned by Princess Fatma. Leyla’s first thought is that something happened to Lena. Princess Fatma’s pavilion is different from everywhere else. It’s in chaos. There’s toys, pillows, books, and things scattered everywhere. The Princess looks disheveled. The Princess is calling out to Semiramis that she’s made a mess again.

Lena comes in the door, and sees Leyla. Lena runs to Leyla’s legs, and Leyla is relieved to see nothing is wrong. In fact, Lena looks healthy and well-groomed. Princess Fatma is grateful Leyla has arrived. She asks Leyla if she knows Semiramis.

Reluctantly, Leyla confesses that they were brought to İstanbul on the same ship. Leyla doesn’t know whether to trust Princess Fatma’s intentions. Princess Fatma asks for more information: where they came from, how they landed there, and if they knew anything about Semiramis’ past. Leyla doesn’t know much, but answers her name is Lena.

The Princess responds that her name was once Lena, but is now Semiramis. She must learn to behave as a Princess. Princess Fatma wants Semiramis to be perfect in all things, just like a doll.

When Princess Fatma asks what oda she belongs to, Leyla states she works in the gardens. Princess Fatma nods with acknowledgment. She knows of Leyla’s… talents. She knows Leyla doesn’t hesitate to copy the work of the Almighty. Prince Mejnun has seen Leyla painting pictures of flowers.

So it was Prince Mejnun who left the note on the drawings, and probably was the person who stole her paintings! But why? Did he intend to get Leyla into even more trouble? Leyla prays Belkıs was right and that he isn’t cruel and mean.

The Princess continues that Prince Mejnun thought the paintings were beautiful. He had never seen paintings of real things like that. He suggested that Princess Fatma learn to paint from Leyla, and that’s why Princess Fatma arranged for Leyla to be released from prison.

Leyla exclaims she’s grateful for the Princess’ kindness. Without pausing for the gratitude, the Princess continues that she likes to draw and practice calligraphy herself. But she doesn’t have much talent. In fact, Leyla was drawing her tulips on the other side of the Princess’ calligraphy! She’d like Leyla to teach her and Semiramis how to draw. It’s entertainment for herself, but education for Semiramis.

Leyla asks the Princess why she is not against making images of living things. The Chief Housekeeper says the Prophet declared it was forbidden to imitate God. The Princess responds that she doesn’t think that’s what the Prophet meant. They’re not imitating God—they’re channeling his energy into a form of beauty. They exist to be instruments of God, and it’s their duty to express God’s beauty. What the Princess says reminds Leyla of her Father.

The Princess gives Leyla a little room where she could draw and practice calligraphy. Each day, Leyla works with the Princess and Lena. They have lots of paints and paper, and she is doing something she loves.

Princess Fatma brings pictures of Europeans dressed in traditional Turkish clothes. Princess Fatma explains they like to imitate the way the Turks dress and live. Slowly, Princess Fatma learns to trust Leyla, and Leyla feels the Princess is telling her things she doesn’t tell others. Afraid the other girls in the harem would be jealous of their relationship, Leyla keeps it a secret. She fears the girls may try to hurt Leyla if they know she has the Princess’ attention.

One of the things Princess Fatma tells Leyla is that she was married to a Vizier at age five. Although her husband wasn’t even at the wedding. He did send presents to celebrate the occasion, though. In fact, the Princess never even met him—he was killed in the war in Petervardin when she was seven. She’s not even bothered by his passing. And when it comes to her next marriage, the Princess says the Grand Vizier is cultured and clever. He established the empire’s first printing press and mint. He encouraged women to read and write poetry. He is a good man.

 

Anticipation

Princess Fatma’s wedding is scheduled for the last two days and two nights during the full moon of April, to coincide with the Tulip Festival. It is to be more lavish than any other spectacle in İstanbul. The festivities will also celebrate the finishing of the Sadabad Palace and the Padishah’s youngest sons becoming men. And everyone in the city is invited to celebrate. Women will be allowed to uncover their faces and speak in public. The Sultan’s harem will be allowed to participate. This will be the first time Leyla could step outside the harem walls.

Master Hyacinth is put in charge of organizing the festivities. He seems to be everywhere all at once. He is constantly instructing various department heads about details of the festival. Leyla hears him say this kind of festival only happens once in a lifetime. People will be coming from all over the empire to celebrate.

The Topkapı gardens are groomed and cleaned. Dancers are brought in to teach the harem dancers the latest dances. Chefs from France train fifteen hundred cooks to prepare the wedding feast. Sadabad Palace is almost complete, and the eunuchs describe it as a cross between the French palace of Versailles and the Taj Mahal. There’s rumored to be forty orange trees from France in the gardens, and twelve hundred tulip bulbs from Holland. Leyla works with the Mistress of the Flowers to unpack package after package of bulbs. The packages have a special writing on them, and a eunuch tells Leyla it is Latin. Leyla can tell the Mistress of the Flowers knows all the bulbs, and if she could talk, she’d identify them by name.

When the tellâls announce they’ll be offering prizes for the best and most unusual tulips, Leyla feels giddy. The Padishah himself has offered one hundred akças of gold for a pure black tulip. A black tulip has never been seen anywhere. The closest has been a nut-brown color, but nobody has succeeded in producing a black tulip, in neither Holland nor İstanbul. Leyla knows she and Cengiz were working on producing darker and darker tulip colors, but she won’t know if they succeeded until the tulips she brought from home flower.

None of the gardeners suspect anything about the unique flowers, since Leyla’s bulbs are growing well and blending in with the other tulips. Perhaps the Mistress of the Flowers suspects what she’s been doing, but in her own way, she lets Leyla be on her own. As Leyla tends the tulip beds, she feels like she can sense every vein of the flowers. Leyla talks to them each day and prays they’ll help her fulfill her dream of reuniting with her family by finding favor with the Padishah. But no matter what, Leyla cannot vocalize her dreams. She fears if she does, they’ll disappear.

The seamstresses are working day and night to prepare ceremonial costumes for the Princess and other court women. Everyone else in the harem is working on their own costume, too. Leyla, however, still doesn’t own any nice clothes of her own, and doesn’t know how to sew. She’s too embarrassed to ask the other girls for help. The bundle ladies visit with lovely fabrics from Damascus, but Leyla cannot afford them. All she has are her secret tulip bulbs and the gold coin the poet at Madam Siranush’s market had given her, and Leyla doesn’t want to spend that gold coin.

Leyla also cannot burden the Princess with her problems, since she’s so busy with wedding preparations. As the Princess chatters on each day about her wedding, Leyla quietly continues the drawing lessons, helping Lena hold the charcoal pencil and showing the Princess how to blend paints. They’re constantly interrupted by somebody who needs to discuss something about the wedding with the Princess. Eventually, one day, the Princess announces she’ll need to pause the lessons. She cannot concentrate on drawing and painting. They’ll resume again once she’s married. Leyla, Semiramis, and the Princess will continue the lessons at the palace İbrahim Pasha is building for her.

After that, Leyla devotes all her time to her tulips. She meditates and focuses on the theories she and Cengiz developed. She believes the tulips most exposed to the sun will be the darkest. She hears that İbrahim Pasha wishes to find a blue pearl tulip for his bride. Perhaps with more time, Leyla could’ve made one. But, she has her heart set on the Sultan’s preferred color.

Each day, Leyla returns in the morning to look at her tulips. When they begin to show signs of opening, Leyla covers them with branches so people cannot see.

 

The Miracle

The next morning, Leyla wakes up with a heavy heart. Although it is the day of the Tulip Festival, she still does not have any fancy clothes to wear, and no slipper money to buy clothes. She feels like what she always wants most is just out of her grasp.

Leyla rolls her mattress and goes to her closet to get dressed for work. Inside, Leyla sees an exquisite blue velvet kaftan poking out. It looks as if it’s meant for someone in the royal family, not her. What is it doing here? Did someone put it in her closet to trick her and get her in trouble? But pulling it out, she sees a note attached. “Do not ask who sends you this gift. Enjoy the blessings of your fate.”

Leyla dresses quickly and hurries out to the garden. And then, her morning gets even better. For underneath her branches, she sees the darkest tulip she has ever seen.

The gardens and fields are filled with jugglers, dancers, acrobats, fire eaters, dwarfs, poets, and wrestlers. There’s silver wax covering the trees, with mirrors, flowers, and jewels draping down. Leyla has never seen anything so beautiful.

The Padishah is sitting in a pavilion on a golden dais, giving out prizes. While every other tulipist steps up to present their tulip, Leyla shields hers with a scarf. Each tulip is unique. Some are solid colors, while others are gradient. Some have rounded petals, while others are frilly. When Master Hyacinth gestures to Leyla, she steps to the front, and proudly unveils her tulip. It is much darker than any other tulip presented, and gasps rise around her. The Padishah smiles with delight as Leyla offers him her tulip. At a clap of the Padishah’s hand, Master Hyacinth presents Leyla with a bag of coins. As he does, he whispers in her ear that the poet was right about her.

Filled with glee, Leyla wishes she could give some of her fortune to her mother and brother. Cengiz, after all, contributed to the black tulip as well. When Leyla turns, she sees the Mistress of the Flowers gazing at her. She looks proud, as she smiles and nods.

As night falls, Leyla feels she’s in a dream. Turtles are released, and galleys with torches cruise along the coast of the river. Fireworks explode in the sky. For the first time in public, Leyla removes the fabric covering her face, alongside the rest of the harem. Leyla hears whispers that İbrahim Pasha recited love verses to his new wife, and in turn, Princess Fatma sang him love songs. Music, poetry, beauty, and light fill the air, and Leyla drifts to sleep that night soundly and happily.

The next morning, there’s sports competitions. Leyla watches Prince Mejnun throw a javelin. He’s very graceful and fast, and Leyla knows this because she used to watch Cengiz with a javelin. After his sport, he comes to find Leyla. He teases her that he won’t cut off her head this time.

Shyly, Leyla barely responds. Prince Mejnun continues that everyone has been talking of her black tulip, since it has given the Padishah such pleasure. In fact, the Prince wonders if she’d like to meet two great artists.

Prince Mejnun guides Leyla over to a poet who is reciting one of Nedim’s famous poems. In fact, it is the same poet who gave Leyla the gold coin. After he is done with his recitation, he turns to Leyla. He says Leyla’s kısmet, or fate, has brought his sauntering cypress to the pleasure gardens. The tulip bulbs she was so generous with carry magic in them.

Prince Mejnun explains that kısmet is written on a person’s forehead when they are born. They cannot change it, and they cannot steal another’s kısmet. When Leyla asks who the poet is, Prince Mejnun explains that the man is none other than the poet Nedim himself! Leyla can barely contain her excitement. The whole time, Nedim was the one who gave her the coin, and Leyla has managed to find favor with the Padishah, the Princess, Prince Mejnun, and Nedim.

Leyla says she’s heard of Nedim, and Prince Mejnun joyously recites another one of his poems. Prince Mejnun explains he agrees with his father that they should be celebrating instead of warring. People should rejoice, dance, and sing—get drunk with life. The Prince says he knows that Leyla feels this, too. He can tell from her beautiful black tulip and her paintings.

Then, the Prince leads Leyla to an old mill that has been converted to an enormous studio. Inside are dozens of artists hunched over tables. Leyla admires their work, especially the paintings of the Padishah himself and the people at the celebration. She has never seen art so realistic before, and the resemblance shocks her.

Then, the Prince introduces Leyla to a man who is sitting surrounded by the most beautiful miniatures Leyla’s ever seen. The man’s name is Master Levni, the greatest Ottoman artist, and recorder of their visual history. Master Levni pulls Leyla’s paintings out of a drawer. So it was the Prince who took her paintings. It’s all making sense now.

Master Levni tells Leyla that her paintings are very good. When he asks where she learned, Leyla explains it was from her father, the best-known artist in Georgia. Leyla explains that he was gone when she left, and is no longer living in Georgia. Master Levni says he knows some of the best artisans of the empire, but has never met her father.

Then, Master Levni goes on to explain that the guilds don’t allow women, but with the Prince’s permission, he’d like to invite Leyla to join his guild. In fact, not only will the Prince allow it, but he’ll work out her arrangements with the Mistress of the Flowers and Princess Fatma.

As Leyla lays in bed that evening, she runs through the events of the last two days in her head. Just a little while ago, she was sitting in prison. Now, she was able to show her face to the entire city, win the tulip competition, walk with the Prince, and meet incredible artists. Leyla truly feels as if she has been living a dream.

 

Heart’s Desire

Two days later, the Chief Housekeeper tells Leyla that she’s to report to Master Levni’s guild instead of going to the gardens from now on. She says a eunuch will escort her each day, but she must remember to cover her face when she leaves the harem and at the guild. Leyla can tell that the Chief Housekeeper doesn’t approve of the new placement, but Prince Mejnun most likely insisted.

When Leyla joins them, Master Levni’s guild is busy decorating a new library near the Cannon Gate, called Sultan Ahmet Library. Leyla can smell the scent of the paints. It feels strange to be the only woman working in the guild, and she works behind lattices so the other guild members cannot see her. Her identity is to be kept a secret, and she can only speak to the master himself.

In the evenings, Leyla is escorted back to the harem. She doesn’t understand why men and women live so separately from each other. Is one better than the other? Men can go wherever they wish, and Leyla is envious of the freedom. But the women and children are safe, provided for, and always have company, which is far better than her own mother had. But wouldn’t it be best if the men and women lived and worked together, like they did back in Georgia?

One morning, as a eunuch accompanies Leyla to the library, she notices a room with a great deal of noise and commotion. The eunuch explains they are painting the room to build a room representing every fruit. As they pass by the window, Leyla hears a familiar voice and stops. She pretends to adjust her slippers as she listens. It sounds like her father, but how can that be? It cannot be him. Tears begin to roll down Leyla’s cheeks.

All day while Leyla works at the library, she can’t stop thinking about the voice. What if it truly was her father? What if his kısmet had also led him to the same court of the Padishah? Unable to resist temptation, Leyla scribbles a message in Georgian script, and puts her father’s name on it. It says he should leave a response under the broken rock under the yellow rosebush in the courtyard. That evening, Leyla finds a way to slip the note under the door of the Fruit Room without the eunuch noticing.

The next day, Leyla’s thrilled to find a response in familiar handwriting. It’s not signed, but it does look like it’s from her father! The message is short, and explains he was taken as a prisoner of war, and is now employed in an artists’ guild, although not Master Levni’s.

Leyla wants to see him badly, but knows it’s not possible. She’s always accompanied by an obedient eunuch, and isn’t allowed to leave the library until the end of the day. So instead she and her father continue to leave notes for one another under the rosebush. Leyla tells him of their family, her own experience as a slave, living in the harem, and her fortunes with the tulips. Father writes he is very proud of her. His ink runs from his tears.

Later, Leyla is busy putting into calligraphy one of Prince Mejnun’s poems. It is to become decoration in the Sultan Ahmet’s library, alongside the Padishah’s own poetry. Leyla’s learned calligraphy reveals the emotions of the moment, and at that moment, Leyla is so focused on wanting to see her father and those emotions are so deep, that her calligraphy turns into the most beautiful rendering she’s ever created.

When Prince Mejnun returns to the library, he is moved by Leyla’s beautiful rendering. Leyla blushes, and they both turn their heads away. The Prince seems embarrassed, too. When the Prince offers her some gold coins, she refuses—gold isn’t her heart’s desire.

When the Prince asks Leyla what her heart’s desire is, she cannot help but tell him about an artist in the Caucasus, who never returned from war. And the daughter who sold herself to slave traders before being brought to İstanbul. And with the help of some kısmet, a Prince, and a Princess, the daughter managed to find herself doing the two things she loved most: growing tulips and painting. And then, one day, the daughter heard a familiar voice in the palace. Her father.

Prince Mejnun is astonished. He continues to ask Leyla more questions, and says he’ll see what he can do to help, but he can’t promise anything because the final decisions won’t be up to him.

A week passes, and Leyla doesn’t hear anything about her father, nor find any notes from him. She fears he’s gone. One afternoon, Master Levni comes over with another man to look at her botanical drawings. Leyla keeps her eyes downcast. But something whispers in her heart to glance up. And when she does, she sees her father, with open arms. Leyla jumps up and runs to him. They hold each other, thanking Allah for bringing them together again.

Leyla and her father sit together, unable to talk. Father looks more worn, and seems to have a limp. But his eyes are still warm and full of love. Leyla is happier than she’s ever been. He explains he’s been granted amnesty, which means he is free to leave and return to Georgia. He asked the Padishah if Leyla could come with him, but he was told no. Leyla feels a wave of sadness wash over her again. But it’s bittersweet; she’s happy for him, and Mother, Cengiz, and the twins.

Father says even though he’ll be returning home, things will be different. Just look at herself, little Laleena was once a young, sweet girl, but is now a young lady. He’s proud of her achievements, and her sense of freedom within herself, which is the greatest freedom of all. Even in slavery, their spirits can sustain them.

Father describes how he feels such pain at leaving his daughter behind. But, he explains the Padishah has granted a generous offer. If he likes, Father can return to İstanbul with his whole family, as a free man. But he’s not sure if he wants to take it. Perhaps the family will want to stay in Georgia, where their home is. They’ll have to see.

The rest of the afternoon, Leyla shows her father her paintings of the tulips, and gives him some paintings to bring home with him. Leyla also offers most of the gold the Sultan had given her for the black tulip. She cannot show her father the gardens, since they’re within the harem walls, but she goes to dig up some tulip bulbs to bring home, for Cengiz. In fact, one of the bulbs is for a black tulip, but Leyla wants that to stay a surprise. Then, Leyla and her father say a tearful goodbye.

Even though Leyla has found and lost her father once again, she is relieved they were able to be reunited. She feels both peace and hope. And Leyla’s realized her life now also brings her joy. She has friends in Belkıs, Semiramis, Princess Fatma, Master Levni, and especially Prince Mejnun. He’s done so much for her, that she can’t help but hold a special place in her heart for him. Leyla may be far from her homeland, but this is where she belongs now. The rest is up to kısmet.

 

Then and Now: Turkey

Discusses life in the harem of the Sultan in 1720 Turkey. Topics include:

  • Description of Turkey in the early 1700s
  • The palace of Topkapı, and the harem within
  • Descriptions of the girls that come to the harem, usually as slaves, and what they did in the harem
  • Descriptions of the girls and womens’ clothing, and how it was closely tied to hierarchy within the harem
  • How women would cover their faces and dress plainly when they left the harem
  • Peasant and middle-class women would live in haremlik, or women’s quarters, and they would also cover themselves when outside
  • The Sultan Ahmet III’s era was a time of peace; rare tulips were cultivated in gardens and sold to Europe at high prices
    • This “tulipomania” nearly drove the Netherlands into bankruptcy
  • How the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923
  • Modern girls in Turkey can study alongside boys, and both genders can prepare for careers outside the home
    • Turkish women and girls today still enjoy the community of women that has roots in the harem
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