The children of the sultan precede their mother in rank, for they are of royal blood, while she is but a slave.
Hence the mother always takes a secondary position in cayiks, carriages, or in the saloon of reception. This apparent superiority never elates the children, nor in any way lessens the respect which they feel for their mothers. For whilst they are flattered and worshipped as Shah-zadés and Sultans, or Princes and Princesses, the general deference paid to their mothers is undiminished. They have a proverb which is very expressive of their feelings on this subject,
"Dagh kadar babam olajaghina, Yüksük kadar anam ola."
"Rather than a father the size of a mountain, Give me a mother, small as a thimble."
The late Validé-Sultan, or mother of the sultan, was one of the most powerful individuals in the realm, and her patronage most assiduously courted.
His majesty and his harem are frequently entertained with the graceful movements and merry castanets of the dancing girls. The Osmanlis are very fond of dancing, but consider it inconsistent with their own dignity; they always have beautiful young slaves trained in this accomplishment, and also made proficient in the music of the country.
Turkish music is very unlike that of European countries, where there is a general similarity. Although the Orientals have very good ears for music, and treat the subject scientifically, yet it is strange that they do not understand the harmony of sounds--for all their concerts, both vocal and instrumental, consist of solos, that is, they all sing and play only the air or tenor, and never the bass and contralto, etc.
The natural tones of their voices are very sweet; and of late years the military music having been arranged in European style, they have made great proficiency in this art.
The opera house in Pera is also very attractive to the Turkish gentlemen, and much frequented by them. The sultan has his loge, or box there, and sometimes honors the house by his royal presence.
Recently the piano has also become very fashionable among them, and it is to be heard incessantly jingling in all the harems. The sultan being himself an amateur, frequently plays on that instrument, and has also an Italian Opera attached to his palace for the entertainment of his ladies, where many of the female slaves are trained to sing and act à la Italienne, in the costumes of both sexes.