Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar - Shah of Iran

Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar and his beloved wife Anis al-Doleh.

A few days ago the news spread around the world: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has revived the tradition of his grandfather and father and started a personal harem "Garden of Delights". Harem for europeans seems sort of abode young and beautiful women from the famous Arabian Nights "1000 and One Nights." Meanwhile, a curious pictures of the harem of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, who ruled in Iran in the late 19th century, are changing stereotypes of old beauty standards. In our review you can see the beauties of the harem of the Iranian shah.

Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar - Shah of Iran was the fourth power in 1848 and ruled for 47 years. His reign was the longest in the 3000-year history of Iran.



Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar

Historians tell about Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, that in his time Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar was very well educated and had the reputation of a sybarite, what later made angry people surrounding him.



Al-Din Shah Qajar and photographer Sevryugin before photoshoot.

One of the many passions of Shah Qajar was a photography. In childhood he liked to take pictures, and when he came to power, decided to establish in his palace the first official photo studio. In the 1870s in Tehran russian photographer Anton Sevryugin opened his photo-atelier , Anton Sevryugin became court photographer of Iranian ruler. Sevryugin created a chronicle of Iran and for his services was awarded the honorary title.



The main entrance to the palace of Gulistan.

Russian photographer could shoot only Shah, his male relatives, courtiers and servants. And for a Qajar, an ardent fan of the photo,shah left the right to take photos of his harem, in which according to the testimony of historians there were about 100 concubines.



Completeness of the body - as the main criterion of beauty.





It is known that Nasser al-Din Shah himself printed the photos in the palace laboratory and kept in satin albums in his Golestan Palace, which now is the museum.



Incomparable Anis al-Doleh - beloved wife of the Shah (right).

Extraordinariness of photos of his concubines is that Shiite law at that time was not permissible to shoot the faces of people, and especially faces of women. And only the most powerful man in the country could afford to break the law.



Anis al-Doleh or soulmate of State.

Looking at the photos of the ladies of the harem, you feel that they look quite modern for their time , as women behave steadily calm in front of the camera.



Incomparable Anis al- (sitting)

Photos of women challenged the conventional view of life in the harem - the wives of shah look quite modern for its time and self-confident, they quietly look into the camera lens and not shy.



Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar with some women of the harem.

You can even suggest that women in the harem had friendly relations - some photos show the group on a picnic.



Harem at the picnic.



The harem inmates did not suffer of thinness.

By the photos can be seen the taste of the Iranian monarch - all women are complete , with fused bushy eyebrows and clearly visible mustache . It is clearly seen that women do not suffer from hunger and are not burdened with physical work.



Young concubine with a hookah.

On many photos concubines depicted in short skirts like a lush ballet tutus (shaliteh). And it is no coincidence.



The ladies of the harem in ballet tutus.



The ladies of the harem in ballet tutus.

It is known that in 1873, Nasser al-Din Shah, at the invitation of Alexander II visited St. Petersburg and attended the ballet. According to legend, he was fascinated by the Russian dancers ,so he introduced the ballet tutu to his harem. However, it is possible that this is just a legend.









Article translated from www.kulturologia.ru