poems were written about the köçek, describing their performances, mentioning their coquettish ways and charm. Derived from that, came the köçekçe, becoming a musical phenomena as they performed in ensembles. Lifestyle Education was provided to the köçek at enderȗn mektebi (the school of the palace) and only some were chosen to live in the inner part of the sultan’s palace. Others resided elsewhere and worked in the kol (in the guilds of craftsmen). Köçeks were recruited of several background and ways, such as by captives, slaves or devşirme (recruiting of boys from the Janissary corps) from the fourteenth to early eighteenth century. They performed at varying sultan festivities, presented to ambassadors and showed their skills at taverns, wine cellars and coffee shops for money. Modern offshoots A modern interpretation is the movie Köçek (1975) by director Nejat Saydam. The movie follows the life of Caniko, an androgynous Gypsy, who struggles with his gender identity. See also Bacha bazi, Afghan equivalent Khawal, Egyptian equivalent Ghilman LGBT topics and Islam Notes References AYVERDİ, Sâmiha; Istanbul Geceleri The nights of Istanbul, ed. Baha, Istanbul, 1977. ENDERUNLU Fazıl bey; Çenginame''', 1759 Erdoğan, Sema Nilgün: Sexual life in Ottoman Empire, ed. Dönence, Istanbul, 1996. p. 88–92 JANSSEN, Thijs: Transvestites and Transsexuals in Turkey, in Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies, edited by Arno Schmidt and Jehoeda Sofer, ed. Harrington Park Press, New York, 1992 Klebe, Dorit. "Effeminate Professional Musicians in Sources of Ottoman-Turkish Court Poetry and Music of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.” Music in Art 30, no. 1/2 (2005): 97–116. KOÇU, Reşad Ekrem, Eski İstanbul'da Meyhaneler ve Meyhane Köçekleri, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi Notları NoÖZTUNA, Yılmaz: Türk Musikisi Ansiklopedisi, Milli Eğitim Basımevi, İstanbul, 1976. p. 23 S.M. ÜSEINOV: Rusça-Qırımtatarca, Qırımtatarca-Rusça luğat'', Aqmescit, Tezis, 2007. External links Turkish Cultural Foundation: Court dance in the Ottoman Empire Köçek (Dancing Boy) – Homosexual Art of Turkey A Question of Köçek – Men in Skirts Turkish male dancers Transgender in the Middle East Middle Eastern culture Arab culture Belly dance Gender systems Turkish sex workers 18th century in LGBT history 19th century in LGBT history Turkish words and phrases Slaves from the Ottoman Empire LGBT in Turkey Cross-dressing Transgender in Europe Male erotic dancers Islam and slavery Sexual slavery