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Article: Harem
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HAREM
HAREM.
The Arabic term
harem
means a forbidden and sacred space that describes inviolable sanctuaries like the holy cities of Mecca and Medina
(haremeyn-i sharifeyn)
and the Muslim household, which were off limits to outsiders who were non-Muslims in the former case and unrelated men in the latter. In the ordinary meaning of the word
harem
usually refers to the extended household and may or may not refer to a polygamous household. Ruling-class harems, however, were usually polygamous and contained several servants and slaves in addition to close relatives.
The institution of the imperial harem can be traced back to the ancient Near East. It became firmly established under the ...
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