Alexandra Mavrokordatou
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Mavrokordatou was a famous Greek intellectual and salonist
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...

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A member of one of the most famous families in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, she was raised in Constantinople, where she was given a good education. After two unhappy marriages, she became the first woman in Greece to start a salon in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

.

Although Greece was occupied by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

, it was not as isolated as other countries in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

, and enjoyed a close contact with the cultural influences of Western Europe. As non-Muslims, the people of Greece were not obliged to obey the Islamic laws of restriction in contacts between the sexes, with made the salon possible in Greece. Her example where soon followed by other women, both artists and female members of the aristocracy, and she became quite influential in society as the centre of political discussions.

In 1683, her son participated in the Battle of Vienna
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...

on the Austrian side, and Alexandra was accused by the Turks of having encouraged his participation on the Austrian side in her wish to liberate Greece from Ottoman rule.

She was arrested and put in jail, where she died at the age of 79 in 1684.
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