
Everyone knew that Hakem II was a homosexual - as well as having a harem of hundreds of beautiful women, he also had an all-male harem. The only concern for the Royal court was that he would not be able to produce an heir. Although his father al-Rahman III had many children, al-Hakim was his favourite and the one he relied upon to finish his work on building Madinat al-Zahra after he was dead. It was imperative that al-Hakim had a son to succeed him. His mother was a cunning woman and she arranged for one of his concubines to dress as a man and seduce him. As unlikely as it sounds, it worked. The concubine gave birth to two sons and became a close friend and ally of Hakem II, who once his duty was done, returned to the young men he really loved.
