köçek
Sign in to savethumb|200px|right|Köçek in Ottoman miniature. The '''' (plural ) was typically a young, male, and physically attractive enslaved dancer (rakkas''), who usually cross-dressed in feminine attire, and was employed as an entertainer.
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Roots
- Culture
- Modern offshoots
- Turkish reaction to köçek
- In film
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|200px|right|Köçek in Ottoman miniature. The '''' (plural ) was typically a young, male, and physically attractive enslaved dancer (rakkas), who usually cross-dressed in feminine attire, and was employed as an entertainer.
== Roots == thumb|left|250px|"Köçek'' troupe at a fair" at Sultan Ahmed's 1720 celebration of his son's circumcision. Miniature from the Surname-i Vehbi, Topkapı Palace, [[Istanbul.]] Turkish köçek derives from Persian kūçak کوچک. 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. Its genres enriched both the music and the dance of the Ottomans.