Retro images, debunks popular myths about harems. Photo

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Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото Myth and truth about popular photos.

Pictures strange and full of mustachioed women in Eastern head-dresses and short puffy skirts twice shook the Internet. The first time they were signed, as the wife of the Shah of Iran, and is astonished by the fact that the Shah was clearly satisfied with their appearance (and how immodestly they are dressed). The second time they were presented as enemies of the Shah, which he was forced to portray women as a shameful punishment.

Enchanted ballet

That sounds like the version that calls mustachioed women with bare legs wives of the Shah. Nasser al-DIN, the fourth Shah of the Qajar dynasty in Iran, visited at the invitation of the Russian Tsar Alexander II in St. Petersburg. He made a full cultural program, including, showed the ballet. Ballerinas in fluffy tutus absolutely charmed the Shah, and when he returned, he ordered his wives to wear a short puffy skirt. Wife left the right of every honest Muslim women cover the hair.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

The main thing for Muslim women to wear the headscarf.

Like the Shah and the progress, like photography. Shah learned to take pictures and then develop and print photos and immediately began to fix his harem right in ballet skirts – despite the fact that Shiite Muslims were forbidden in any form to create images of people. So photos of mustachioed women he left behind many, many hundreds. No one else to photograph them: first, in the harem of the photographer was not allowed to, it’s a harem, and secondly, the place was full of Shia Muslims, all of them was impossible.

In addition to ballet tutus, wife of Shah learned also wearing cute white socks with a colored border, which Russia, too, was new – they were intended specifically for sports. I must say, despite the absurdity of the apparel, all the wives of the Shah in the frame look very confident, stand, sit and lie calmly and with dignity that surprised viewers particularly. In addition, among the photos of the wives very many group why some of the portraits as if made on the choir or on the memory of the change in health by the sea.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Some photos of wives similar to those in the twentieth century did in memory of rest in the sanatorium.

Rebel in a dress

Supporters of the version that the photos depict men, pay attention to some details. First, indeed, take pictures of ladies in skirts in many pictures sit in exactly the way any work team – for example, a theater troupe. Second, whiskers. Thirdly, very much confident they hold. Fourth, no Muslim would be to remove my wife’s face, then everyone will see! Fifth, no Muslim in his right mind would not walk with bare feet even at home. Finally, one of the photos is reproduced with the caption “Princess” Anis and Anis is a plant, so it’s a nickname, not the name.

Who, then, is depicted in popular images for this version? First of all, theater actors, who made himself Shah after he visited St. Petersburg. As in Iran, to play a woman could not, female roles were given to men. So this is men running around the stage in short skirts, to the delight of its main audience. His audience didn’t bother: in the East the standard of beauty was a youngster, so it was enough to trim your mustache the actors that they already looked quite attractive.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Not the man in this photo?

In addition, in acting troupe depicting princesses and other wives of the Shah were forced to play as punishment seized religious rebels. It is one of them though was nicknamed “Anise”. Women’s clothing for men in the Muslim world – the traditional way to humiliate the enemy or criminal. That’s why some of the Shah’s wives particularly inscrutable face.

What about the Iranians themselves?

Shah, the ruler of the country – the figure is very noticeable. He communicates with a large number of the people, as among his subjects, and various diplomats from neighboring and distant countries. Could not be that of the harem in tats or religious rebels playing in the theater, no one left written memories – this is the nineteenth century, one of the richest in the memoirs of different eras!

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

To solve the mystery of photos of Iran women in tutus and scarves, you should know that I think about it contemporaries.

Shah Nasser al-DIN of the Qajar dynasty were very advanced for their region’s ruler, although in order to take truly progressive steps, he lacked formal education and natural intelligence. But he has been very active adopting of European life that could. For example, they organized a reception for foreigners, where guests were welcomed by his main wife.Anis al-Dawla (Yes, Anise is a normal Muslim female name; we are not surprised if we see a girl named rose, or violet, although these names also come from plants).

Photos of Anis al-Dawli survived a lot, not all of it – in a tutu. Anise liked European dress, and she introduced the fashion for them among the Iranian women from wealthy families. Living at that time in Iran Russian eyewitness describes Anise as a tall brunette with a visible mustache. Antennae were not just normal in the East it was believed that the woman up the flavour, setting off bright lips like stroking and showing that she has a passionate temperament.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Anise was not the main, but the most favorite wife of the Shah, he thought she was smart and beautiful, and his guests also spoke well about the Anise.

Women in packs from the harem of the Shah regularly seen wives of European diplomats, coming to visit. Some time the Shah, like Anis helped to make the men stayed with the harem, to kindly accept women. However, the courtesy he did not feel constrained by European rules, and during the conversation, Nasser al-DIN was able to throw over the head of the first ladies in the window of bone berries, which are eaten in front of her. After some time the Shah left, leaving the women to communicate with each other.

So, wives of diplomats noted that both the resident do go in packs. One time tutu was worn on bare feet, but noticing embarrassment Europeans, Iranian women began to pry tight tights assorted pastel colors: pink, lilac, turquoise.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Iranian women wearing tutus looked so indecent, they quickly realized close to the foot of the tights.

If you look closely at the pictures from the harem of Nasser al-DIN, we can see that women not only stand solemnly by the handful or one at a time, but also often hug children, write something, eat, smoke hookah and so on. This does not fit well with the theory of actors, only dressed in women’s clothing: the photographs clearly depicted the normal, everyday life.

By the way, the camera the Shah gave to Queen Victoria when he was only eleven years old. From that gift started a hobby of Nasser al-DIN art photography. Women were his hobby room, photography and hunting. Only four inmates of the harem had the status of regular wives, the rest were officially considered temporary. Married Shah simple: wherever he appeared, before his gaze all girls and young widows in the house was to stand with open face. In fact, he married Anise (name before her marriage she was unremarkable – Fatima): she was the Miller’s daughter.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Photos of Nasser al-DIN often clearly relaxed family atmosphere.

All of his wives, the Shah, of course, considered beautiful – because he chose them for their beauty and are not found in them museotopia. Confident expression befitted their status, the completeness was considered desirable, about the antennae and temperament we have already mentioned. Tutu isn’t the only thing the Shah was forced to entertain the wives of his gaze. He ordered to build in the garden like a children’s slide. With this slide, his legs wide apart so that it could be seen stirring Shah place, right at his feet was supposed to be out naked wife, when the Shah was playful and passionate mood to spend time with one of them in the favorite.

The fad of Nasser al-DIN is so well-known in Iran, that on this subject stroll in caricatures and cartoons, and none of the Iranians even not think that the wives of the Shah can be issued for men: a few dozen photos from the harem of Nasser al-DIN officially as a Museum value, and they can always go take a look. So the authors of version about disguised men just played on the modern European prejudice about how may how may not look a woman, and even the wife of the monarch, who can afford everything. And allows you.

Ретро-снимки, развенчивающие популярные мифы о гаремах. Фото

Cartoons family pictures of the Shah from Bozorgmehr of Hosseinpour.

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