We decide to start our visit in the Harem. This is indeed the part of the palace where the wives and concubines of the sultan lived. Contrary to popular opinion, the concubines - and there were hundreds of them - were not sexually active with the sultan. He may, however, choose up to four concubines to become haseki, or "favorites," which is a different status altogether from concubine. Haseki and "regular" concubines had completely different living quarters. The sultan was sexually active with his wives and haseki. A haseki who bore a child of the sultan was often treated with similar respect to a wife.