How prevalent was the hijab and niqab in historical Islamic societies?

by conbutt

So looking at photos and depictions of Ottoman Sultanas and other women of note noticeably has them without the Islamic headwear common today.

Was this representative of women and Islam at the time, or was this trend more among the social elites?

mimicofmodes

There is always more to be said, but you may be interested in two of my previous answers:

When did the burqa become widespread?

What opinions did Victorians hold on Islamic veiling?