Courtesans by type

thumb|200px|Greek and her client, approx. 430 BC. The fact that she is on the couch with him is telling, as wives were not allowed into the symposium. A ' (; , ; . , ), Latinized as ' ( ), was a type of highly educated female companion in ancient Greece who served as an artist, entertainer, and conversationalist. Historians have often classed them as courtesans, but the extent to which they were sex workers is a matter of dispute.

In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taking care of the temple and performing rituals, these women also learn and practice classical Indian dances such as Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi. Their status as dancers, musicians, and consorts was an essential part of temple worship.

thumb|upright=1.2|An sitting with a client and an apprentice. Ukiyo-e print by [[Suzuki Harunobu (1765).]] thumb| dancing, 2023 is a collective term for the highest-ranking courtesans in Japanese history, who were considered to be above common prostitutes (known as ) for their more refined entertainment skills and training in the traditional arts. Divided into a number of ranks within this category, the highest rank of were the , who were considered to be set apart from other due to their intensive training in the traditional arts and the fact that they lived and worked in Kyoto, the politica

thumb|right|Court Gējìs of the Former Shu by Tang Yin (1470–1524)

right|thumb|Tawaif Mah Laqa Bai singing poetry A tawaif () was a highly successful courtesan singer‚ dancer‚ and poet who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. With fewer opportunities available during the British Raj, many tawaifs (known as "nautch girls" to the British) transitioned into prostitution.

'''''', French for "half-world" is a 19th-century term to describe women on the fringes of respectable society, particularly courtesans supported by wealthy lovers. The term originally derives from an 1855 play called by Alexandre Dumas , which depicted how prostitution challenged the institution of marriage.

thumb|A mural from the Ajanta Caves depicting a dancer. Nagarvadhu (also Nagaravadhu or Nagar Vadhu; Devanagari: नगरवधू; ) was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.

historical term for high class prostitutes in France

19th century nickname by Westerners for Chinese prostitutes