Interesting facts:
• The word harem is strictly applicable to Muslim households only, but the system was common, more or less, to most Oriental communities, especially where polygyny was permitted.
• It is claimed that harems existed in Persia under the Ancient Achaemenids and later Iranian dynasties (the Sassanid Chosroes II reportedly had a harem of 3000 wives, as well as 12,000 other women) and lasted well into the Qajar Dynasty.
• Some women of Ottoman harem, especially wives, mothers and sisters of sultans played very important political roles in Ottoman history, and in times it was said that the empire was ruled from harem.