Nothing fascinated the 18th century more than the idea of the seraglio and the associated culture of the harem. The imagination was dominated by lavish parties, fragrances and luxury. In this period, women ruled the harem, were educated in music, poetry, rhetoric and science, and were not objects of pure desire. Women like Dilhayat Kalfa composed and were very much involved with the culture of Christian Europe. In Christian Europe, no one actually knew what really happened in the harem. That is how stories and myths came into being. The harem still retains its magic; it is synonymous with the term Orient. The ballet La Fête du Sérail by Cannabich plays with this theme. Mozart also deals with this subject in his Zaide. In the Fête du Sérail programme, wishes and reality are juxtaposed and combined by a storyteller to create an auditory and visual experience. Dance, music and song, fairy tales and poetry combine to create a feast for the senses.