PlayRevolutionary344 t1_iw3e02s wrote on November 12, 2022 at 5:29 PM

I apologise if I'm wrong I could be mixing my Chinese or Turkish history but someone told me there is a famous concubine. The court painter wanted extra money from her or he would paint her ugly. She refused and was painted ugly. The king insisted she wore a veil in his presence because of the picture and put her low ranks? But then there was an issue with another country or nobelman or something and to keep peace he offered one of his concubine in marriage. And this concubine volunteered . Then when he handed her over to he seen her without her veil on and realised she was the most beautiful woman who walked walked earth and realised what a mistake he made. And was infuriated and has the court painter killed ? If this sounds familiar can you clarify who it was and recommend any documentaries about it? Apparently she went on to be famous

TheMDNA OP t1_iw3fyo2 wrote on November 12, 2022 at 5:42 PM

I do not recall this from anything I've read about the Ottomans. I know that men from the outside were not allowed to enter the harem, therefore none of them knew what the concubine consorts looked like. The only men who were allowed in the harem were the male slave servants (eunuchs), the princes, and the Sultan himself. The paintings we see of the Ottoman concubines were all made by non-Ottomans (most of them), usually from Europe, who had never entered the harem. They imagined what these women looked like based on letters and rumours which described them.

PlayRevolutionary344 t1_iw3mse4 wrote on November 12, 2022 at 6:29 PM

It's possibly a Chinese concubine then thank you 😊 though incredible history right there 👏 thanks for sharing! Would you know any good documentaries on the ottoman empire ? I'm from Britain so the idea of concubines is so exotic and unusual considering our most infamous king literally changed religion and history of England to be able to have extra wives and lovers

TheMDNA OP t1_iw3nk3m wrote on November 12, 2022 at 6:34 PM

I can't remember any documentaries at the moment, but there are several really good books. I am currently reading Leslie Peirce's 'Empress of the East' and 'Imperial Harem'. Two very good books about the harem in particular. Then there are books like Caroline Finkel's 'Osman's dream, the Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923' and Colin Imber's 'The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650'. The latter ones are more general books about the Ottoman Empire.