18+: The harem of the Ottoman Topkapi Palace (15th-19th cent…

Question

Did you know? The harem of the Ottoman Topkapi Palace (15th-19th centuries) housed over 1,200 women at its peak, all led by the sultan's mother ("valide sultan"). The mother's power often outweighed even the sultan's — a phenomenon historians call the "Sultanate of Women".

Accepted Answer

The harem of the Ottoman Topkapi Palace (15th-19th centuries) housed over 1,200 women at its peak, all led by the sultan's mother ("valide sultan"). The mother's power often outweighed even the sultan's — a phenomenon historians call the "Sultanate of Women".

De harem van het Ottomaanse Topkapı-paleis (15e-19e eeuw) telde op zijn hoogtepunt meer dan 1.200 vrouwen, allemaal onder leiding van de moeder van de sultan ("valide sultan"). De macht van de moeder was vaak groter dan die van de sultan zelf — een fenomeen "vrouwenheerschappij" genoemd.

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