Odalisque is a woman who served in a harem. Despite the fact that from time to time she performed the function of a concubine, her status was lower, since she was primarily a service staff for wealthy gentlemen.
The unusual mysterious life of the East contains a huge number of unique features and traditions. The harem, that is, part of the palace or house where the wives of Muslim rulers lived, is no exception. Odalisque is one of the residents of the harem (girl, woman), who was a servant for the masters, although at the same time she often played the role of a concubine.
What did odalisk
Translated from Turkish, "odaliska" means "indoor girl", which directly indicates the nature of her duties - household, domestic service. Odaliscs performed tasks and subordinated exclusively to the female part of the master’s composition of the harem, that is, to those who were closest to the Sultan (mother, sisters, wives). Surprisingly, the clothes of these eastern slaves did not differ in gloss, effect, beauty, and was about the same as that of the male harem workers. Odalisks occupied the lowest level in the hierarchy of the harem, had no rights and could not declare themselves, however, opportunities were still open for them to occupy a higher position. If Odalisque was distinguished by the presence of talents in any entertainment sphere, for example, it was able to charmingly sing, dance excellently, and even possessed several unique abilities at once, there were prospects for her to become the wife of the Sultan, in this situation and her desire, she would learn to become a concubine. This was especially true of those minions who managed to win his sympathy and even the love of the Sultan, such a situation was not uncommon in the conditions of their lives. It is noteworthy that the system of relations in the harem was not depraved, according to Eastern laws everything was strict and clear in it, therefore it is incorrect to call odalisok prostitutes.
