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Since Heyuri was kind of ghey lately, I feel like sharing something I recently read about Ottomans! :biggrin:

Pasting below interesting bits from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6%C3%A7ek?useskin=vector

The köçek (plural köçekler) was typically a young, male, and physically attractive enslaved dancer, who usually cross-dressed in feminine attire, and was employed as an entertainer.

The culture of the köçek, which flourished from the 18th to the 19th century, had its origin in the customs in Ottoman palaces, and in particular in the harems.

A köçek would begin training around the age of seven or eight after he was circumcised and would be considered accomplished after about six years of study and practice. A dancer's career would last as long as he was clean shaven and retained his youthful appearance.

A köçek's skill would be judged not only on his dancing abilities but also on his proficiency with percussion instruments.

The youths, often wearing heavy makeup, would curl their hair and wear it in long tresses under a small black or red velvet hat decorated with coins, jewels and gold. Their usual garb consisted of a tiny red embroidered velvet jacket with a gold-embroidered silk shirt, shalvar (baggy trousers), a long skirt and a gilt belt, knotted at the back. They were said to be "sensuous, attractive, effeminate", and their dancing "sexually provocative". Dancers minced and gyrated their hips in slow vertical and horizontal figure eights, rhythmically snapping their fingers and making suggestive gestures.


Can u guess the reason why they eventually disappeared? Hint: Not because they were made of captured slaves, but:

Many Istanbul meyhanes (nighttime taverns serving meze, rakı or wine) hired köçeks. Before starting their performance, the köçek danced among the spectators, to make them more excited. In the audience, competition for their attention often caused commotions and altercations. Men would allegedly go wild, breaking their glasses, shouting themselves voiceless, or fighting and sometimes killing each other vying for the opportunity to rape, molest, or otherwise force the children into sexual servitude. This resulted in suppression of the practice under Sultan Abdulmejid I. In 1805, there were approximately 600 köçek dancers working in the taverns of the Turkish capital. They were outlawed in 1837 due to fighting among audience members over the dancers.

Damn drunkards couldn't fukken behave...

Anyways, a bonus information!

Köçeks were much more sought after than the çengi ("belly dancers"), their female counterparts. Some youths were known to have been killed by the çengi, who were extremely jealous of men's attention toward the boys.
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