Ill Repute

Today we are talking about Circassian Beauties. For a period of time, Circassian women were considered the epitome of beauty. With their fair skin, blue or green eyes, and delicate features, they became an idealized standard of feminine beauty in both the Ottoman Empire and 19th-century Western Europe. But this admiration was deeply entwined with systems of power, slavery, and the commodification of beauty. Support Us: http://illreputepodcast.com Credits: Compiled by Sovereign Syre Hosted by Sovereign Syre and Josh Darling Produced by Joshua Anderson Sources:  Alloula, Malek. The Colonial Harem. University of Minnesota Press, 1986. This work explores how Western colonial powers constructed and eroticized the idea of the harem, particularly through photographs and art, drawing connections to the exploitation and objectification of Eastern women. Bell, James Stanislaus. Journal of a Residence in Circassia. London: Edward Moxon, 1840. A travelogue by a British explorer who spent time in Circassia, providing firs