The Harem was the section where girls and young women taken captive in war or purchased as slaves were educated. Not all of these young women, who were taught how to read and write, dress elegantly, play and compose music, and follow the court etiquette, were intended to be consorts of the sultan. Other high-ranking statesmen also married girls educated in the Harem. For instance, in almost all the neighborhoods of the foremost cities such as Istanbul and Bursa, there would be a woman who had been educated at the palace before marrying a prominent figure from that area. This was the way palace