From Kim:

 

The Harem. That's what the sign said outside a narrow entrance portal within the grand confines of the Topkapi Palace.  Images from A Thousand and One Nights danced in my mind - and yet as I soon learned, "The Harem" does not mean a group of sequestered women, but rather, the private living quarters of the Sultan where he, and all his family, including the women and children lived. There are what seem like miles of exquisitely tiled rooms and several fountains with the cooling, calming sound of water tinkling.  I'm sure that in the day, there were yards and yards of sumptuous textiles all about, with mounds of luxurious pillows everywhere, similar to our signature pillows of various silk velvet textiles!

August 01, 2023 by Kimberly Hayes

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