Lady Montagu's Letter (Formal-Oct. 1)

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s letter, #107 Lady, dated April 1717 is an interesting account of her experience in a Baggio. She not only gives a detailed description of the bathhouse, but also provides wonderful insight to the social lives of Muslim women. Mary Wortley Montagu, being a woman, was able to offer inside accounts of the behavior within this “no boys allowed” atmosphere.

Our Lady describes the Baggio as five domes joined together, with the only window being on the roof for light. She spoke in detail of the magnificent marble floors and benches. The room held fountains that ran to little channels within the floor. She describes the baths that had cool water running in to it for the perfect temperature.

Mary seemed very impressed with the elegance of the Baggio, but more so with the manners of the woman occupying it. She noted the contrasting social tact between these Muslim women and women of her own country. She stated that women did not show the slightest bit of surprise of curiosity with her style of dress. Mary said that, in two hundred women, she could not pick out any “disdainful smiles” or “satylic whispers” as she would of, had she been mingling with the English. They kept repeating, “Uzelle, pek, uzelle” or “Charming, very charming.”

Lady Montagu was also surprised, not only by their genuine kindness and acceptance, but by their natural beauty and grace. Mary paints a scene of a room full of naked women with “fine skins” and “delicate shapes” (of whom earned her greatest admiration) standing and lying is a plethora of poses without shame or apprehension. She told of women lounging around while slaves braided their long hair. These women tried to persuade Mary to join them, but she politely refused. She did however satisfy them by showing off her corset that was believed to be a little box in which English men locked up their wives. (Obviously they had misrepresentations of our culture, just as we had of theirs.)

This kind of social setting was similar to a coffee house, where people, or men for that matter, gathered. Mary actually refers to the Baggio as a “Woman’s coffee house” where they may sit around and gossip about the town’s affairs. This reminds me of a bunch of women sitting around the nail salon getting manicures and pedicures, chatting about this, that and the other thing. This is the first account we have come across that really exposes the female lifestyle. This intimate view of women in their element seems to contradict the familiar stereotype that women of the Muslim faith are oppressed by their patriarchal society, more so than the Western culture. Mary’s visit to the Baggio shows that Muslim women were not slaves, more accurately they were able to enjoy leisurely activities from time to time.

I greatly enjoyed this letter. I felt like I gained so much more knowledge of the role of women in a Muslim society. Prior to this letter, I was under the impression that women stayed in the house all day cleaning and preparing for their husbands arrival. I now understand that Muslim women were allowed to go have their “girls day out” and pamper themselves just like English women. I loved the optimism and admiration that was imbedded in every word that Mary used to describe these women. I think that it was easier for women of different cultures to relate to each other than it is for men, because the role of the woman was similar throughout the world at that time. Women were expected to mind the children and keep up the household chores in every society, so they had something in common. I think that it was easier because women were not involved in the politics that often built walls, separating the different cultures. This letter is great representations of the fact that women did, in fact, have rights, contrary to the common perception.