MY MIND : The contrast that modern day Turkey is
A woman with male features. She was one of the favourite wives of the King of Persia. INTERNET PHOTO.
What you need to know:
EQUALITY. Turkey is now a very different country compared to its history. It is a completely different story laced with lots of modernity and Western lifestyles.
Trust Dubai to come up with all sorts of innovations.
I was watching the news about the glamorous inauguration of an exhibition centre that is related to the famous Turkish series, Hareem Al Sultan (the Harem of the Sultan).
The series that depict the life of one of the Sultans during the Ottoman era has become an addiction to watch by almost all families in the Gulf.
More important than the life of the Sultan himself, his battles and victories, were the tales of his harem, the plots and intrigues between his wives and concubines, and above all, every lady spectator was waiting to see the dresses and jewelry worn by the actresses in the series.
At the same time, as I was reading some information online, I happened to see a few rare pictures of some wives in the Persian Harem of one of the Kings of Persia, and I was shocked!
The difference between the ladies I saw in the pictures and the ones portrayed in the Turkish series (and these are ladies who lived in the same region and era) can be compared to the distance between the earth and the last galaxy!
In this particular Persian Harem, the ladies looked more like men, with moustache and extremely round figures, while in TV series they were like ladies coming out of fairy tales, long blond or black hair, a well-defined waist and a flawless skin that shines through.
If all the above is left in the virtual world, one would accept living a lie for the sake of entertainment, however when the series are finished and they continue in the real life, then there is big problem.
This is not an exaggeration; the latest statistics in the Gulf region indicate that Turkish soap operas and social media feature as some of the main causes of divorce in this very traditional region.
The handsome actors and beautiful actresses appearing in the soaps become the standard for the young generation; husbands want their wives to look like movie stars, tall, long wavy hair, thin nose and a figure with no fault.
While ladies want their other half to be handsome , athletic, and above all with a very romantic approach, a fiery love that no power on earth can extinguish, hands laden with gifts and flowers and an unquestionable loyalty to her heart, alone.
Reality check: The Turkish actors and actresses of the series that attended the opening of this exhibition in Dubai were given hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend. It’s all about money, my friend.
