The Köçek dance was a significant part of Ottoman Empire culture featuring handsome young male dancers called köçekler who were typically cross-dressed and trained from ages 7-8 for 6 years. These dancers entertained audiences and their careers lasted as long as they maintained their youthful appearance without beards. Although same-sex aspects are no longer primary, some folkloric male dances dressed as women still occur in parts of Turkey today.

1. The Köçek Dance

2. Male Belly Dance in Turkey

3. The köçek phenomenon (plural köçekler in Turkish) is one of the significant features of Ottoman Empire culture. The köçek was typically a very handsome young male rakkas , "dancer", usually cross-dressed in feminine attire, employed as an entertainer.

4. "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 .

5. Köçek posing in costume, Photograph late 19th century.

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

7. At present, the same-sex love and sexuality aspect of köçek culture is considered to have been "a privilege of the powerful economic classes or the world of the arts Though no new compositions or performances have taken place in the last hundred years, male dancers dressed as women still perform in some areas of Turkey, though their art is no longer primarily of a sensual nature and is seen primarily as folkloric

12. Zills , also zils or finger cymbals , (from Turkish zil , "cymbals" ) are tiny metallic cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances.They are called sājāt in Arabic. They are similar to Tibetan tingsha bells

33. Music Folkloric Köçek dance song [email_address] February 2011