Leyla: The Black Tulip

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