Ottoman Women
By Katharine BranningThis beautifully illustrated book presents a sensitive, respectful and generally unbiased presentation of the subject and offers a timely contribution to the critical questions facing the relations between Islam and the West, and Islam and secularism in Turkey. It will serve to encourage the ever-growing field of research into the complexity of the institution of the harem.In order to directly jump into the debate and to appeal to the Western reader, Sancar starts her book with an introduction to the Ottoman women as seen by Western eyes: their physical appearance, refinement, cleanliness, devoutness, hospitality and generosity, modesty, freedom, love of nature and social status. She quotes the often-cited accounts of such famous female travelers as Lady Mary Montagu, Julia Pardoe and Lucy Garnett, all of whom traveled or lived in Ottoman territories during the 18 and 19th centuries. The droves of Western (usually British) female visitors to the harems in the 19th century were often struck by the nobility and generosity of the women they met, far from the prevalent depraved and indolent images gleaned from male sources and Orientalist paintings. It is the hope of Sancar that these unbiased descriptions of harem life will overturn what she considers the tiresome image of the Turkish woman as one trapped and enslaved to men.In order to directly jump into the debate and to appeal to the Western reader, Sancar starts her book with an introduction to the Ottoman women as seen by Western eyes: their physical appearance, refinement, cleanliness, devoutness, hospitality and generosity, modesty, freedom, love of nature and social status. She quotes the often-cited accounts of such famous female travelers as Lady Mary Montagu, Julia Pardoe and Lucy Garnett, all of whom traveled or lived in Ottoman territories during the 18 and 19th centuries. The droves of Western (usually British) female visitors to the harems in the 19th century were often struck by the nobility and generosity of the women they met, far from the prevalent depraved and indolent images gleaned from male sources and Orientalist paintings. It is the hope of Sancar that these unbiased descriptions of harem life will overturn what she considers the tiresome image of the Turkish woman as one trapped and enslaved to men.Above all, this is a stunning book to behold and is a gorgeous publication that speaks highly of its publishing house, The Light, which is committed to producing high-quality publications that contribute to a better understanding of the issues of religion, science and the promotion of information on the Islamic faith and lifestyle to a Western public. --Today's Zaman