In a Forbidden Place: Hidden Lives in a Harem

The term harem comes from the Arabic haram meaning forbidden place. This defines the sphere of women in a polygynous household and makes reference to their enclosed quarters being forbidden to men.

In the Middle East and South Asia

The word first appeared in the Middle East, where harems were composed of sultans, mother, sister, wives, children, and concubines. The South Asian equivalent of the harem is the zenana.

As the harem had a secluded nature, there are no exact sources which can present the truth of harem life. Instead, there are only imaginative representations available about what happened within the harem.

‘The Reception’ (1873) by John Frederick Lewis. (Public Domain)

In Islam, female seclusion was emphasized and any unlawful breaking into that privacy was regarded as “haram” meaning “forbidden”. A Muslim harem did include the women with whom the head of the household had intimate relations, but it also included children and other female relatives.

The harem also referred to the women’s quarters as opposed to the men’s selamlik. The zenana, meaning “pertaining to women”, was the part of the household belonging to women in a Hindu or Muslim family of South Asia. The term “harem” is used, in general, for Muslim households only. However, the word can also refer to other ancient Oriental communities in which polygamy was allowed.