You know what the eunuchs will do to you if you enter the harem, right? At Topkapi Palace, visiting the Sultan’s harem is no longer forbidden, but also not as exciting as it was in the days when “beautiful and intelligent girls” were imported from around the world as concubines. (And “promoted according to their abilities.”) But the harem was also the chill zone for the Sultan, where he could kick back and relax. Very few people could speak directly to the Sultan anyway, so I’m not sure how stressed his life was, beyond the perpetual worry of being removed from the picture by a brother or cousin.
Certainly life was nice and clean in the harem. Tons of bath plumbing, and lots of nice scents for the Sultan’s lucky ladies.
