Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/152



1. Turkish Harem, which means "the sacred place," is the name given to the ladies' department in the Mohametan home, where no man is allowed to enter without special permission from inside unless he is the husband, father, brother, son, grandfather, grandson, uncle—in short, one of the nearest relatives who could not legally marry the women in the harem. In case of a stranger's inevitable visit each woman over twelve to thirteen years of age must cover her face. The visitor's duty is to stop at the outside of the gate and knock, saying, "Take your veils," and wait for the response from inside. The houses in Turkey are surrounded by a strong thick wall, at least ten to twelve foot high, having only one gateway for entrance, which is kept closed and bolted. Sometimes the husband locks it in the morning and takes the key with him to his business place. Wealthy people have their special department for men entered by a separate gate, and receive their visitors and guests in this department, which is called "Selam lik." A doctor's visit to a harem, which is very seldom among Moslems, is regarded as an exception for the harem law, according to the decree of the Koran that "Necessities modify the prohibition." The ladies of the Imperial Palace were lately