Abstract

This article argues that privacy is essential for the personal boundaries of Muslim women who implement the hijab as part of their religious rules in terms of spatial practices within their environments. Visual aspects in relation to the concept of “seeing but not being seen” are fundamental in providing privacy. The “escape room” is a manifestation of spatial practices for privacy needs related to the presence of others who are not mahram in Islamic rules. Not only is the “escape room” a space (room) with dimensions of length, width, and height, but it also exists in the form of clothing. In this case study research, nine Muslim women respondents were observed and interviewed in depth and data relating to their clothes and their behavioral reactions in the presence of others in their dwellings were coded and analyzed. The study reveals that the privacy needs of Muslim women are strongly related to their religious beliefs and that to obtain this privacy these women create an “escape room.”