Shirin of Malatia was Queen of Iran and wife of King Khosrau (aka Chosroes) who ruled 598 - 628 AD. Khosrau first saw Shirin when she was bathing at a place where she could be seen by passers-by. Shirin bathing was a popular subject in Persian art. An example may be found at this link: http://www.nortonsimon.org/collections/ ... in+Bathing
If I could do my historical posts over again, I would combine this post with Bathsheba, Empress Theodora, Josephine Bonaparte, and Lady Hamilton. What they all have in common is that the women appeared nude in public places before they were married, and they all married rich, powerful, and respectable men. In their cultures it was apparently OK for women to appear nude. Respectable and rich men would still associate with them, and even marry them.
