Places of ill repute

Taverns or pothouses were rarely found at the centre of an Ottoman city. The holy law of Islam forbade alcohol consumption and shops selling alcohol had no place in the holy center of an Ottoman city. However, the cities and villages of the empire abounded in pothouses and taverns owned by Christians, so did the big ports of the Aegean. They were usually underground and confined. Only men visited them ; however the owners employed musicians to entertain them. Especially the faithful Muslims regarded the pothouses places of corruption, alcohol abuse and prostitution. So, after the 17th century, they were annoyed to see the janissaries from the sultan's escort get drunk, smoke and participate in sexual orgies with young boys and prostitutes.

Prostitution was common elsewhere. Every big city had public whorehouses recruiting women from all territories the empire, Russia, North Africa and Europe. During the day the whores pursued their clients on city roads and quite often they gathered at the shops of the Kaymakci in secluded mahalle (neighborhoods). The whores were major figures at the ports of the Aegean, part of the crowd in the platforms and the alleys around the port. Piracy in some islands of the Cyclades like Milos or Serifos favored prostitution and had established it as a common female occupation.