Leyla: The Black Tulip

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.”