Odalisque

An odalisque was a female slave or concubine in the harem of the Turkish sultan. The word appears in a French form, and originates from the Turkish odal?k, meaning "chambermaid", from oda, "chamber" or "room". Various writers spell the word as odahlic, odalisk, and odaliq.

Related Topics:
Slave - Concubine - Harem - Turkish - Sultan - Turkish - Chambermaid

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An odalisque was not a concubine of the harem, but she could possibly become one. Odalisques were the virgin slaves of the harem, where they were at the bottom of the social ladder, serving not the sultan himself but rather his concubines and wives as personal chambermaids. Odalisques were usually given as gifts to the sultan, and many Georgian and Caucasian families even urged their daughters to enter the harem as slaves in the hopes that they would become a palace concubine, favored slave, or wife of the sultan.

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An odalisque was generally never seen by the sultan, but instead was under the direct supervision of the Valide sultan. If an odalisque was of extraordinary beauty or had exceptional talent in dancing or singing, she would be trained as a possible concubine. If called for, an odalisque trained as a concubine would serve the sultan sexually, and only after such sexual use would she change in status, becoming thenceforth a concubine. In the Ottoman Empire, concubines were the modern equivalent of a one-night stand, and would only see the sultan again if they were especially skilled in dance, singing, or the sexual arts, and had thus caught his attention. If by chance the concubine's time with the sultan resulted in the birth of a son, she would become one of his wives.

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In popular usage, the word odalisque may also loosely refer to a mistress, concubine, or paramour of a wealthy man.

Related Topics:
Mistress - Paramour

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In Western culture odalisques became common 19th century fantasy figures in the artistic movement known as Orientalism; they feature in many erotic paintings from that era.

Related Topics:
Western culture - 19th century - Orientalism

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