By Esra Erduran
A cuddly woman wearing a bikini-like belly dancing costume decorated with colorful beads is dancing while men with mustaches focus on her body watching her moves. Arabesque music is playing in the background. It is belly dancing; and Turkish men love belly dancing!

Every nation has different ways of expressing its joy and enthusiasm. Turks, having the advantage of living in Anatolia which has been a land of many different cultures throughout the centuries, have a variety of rituals.

Every region has different traditions but there are some common and well-known customs especially when it comes to entertainment.

Belly dancing is one of the most popular forms of entertainment but it is not unique Turkey.

Dance has always been a way to attract the opposite sex. It's samba in Rio, it's flamenco in Spain, and it's belly dancing in Turkey and many of the Middle East nations.

Belly dancing may seem in contrast with the Muslim religion, and Turkey and the countries of the Middle East are overwhelmingly Muslim.

There is no doubt that belly dancing is one of the sexiest forms of dance in the world and some claim that the basic moves of belly dancing are a call to love.

Although Islam strictly bans women from wearing sexy clothes and having illegitimate relations, Turkish men could not keep themselves away from this attractive dance.

Konya, which is known as one of the most conservatives cities in Turkey, is famous for its "oturak alemi" (men only parties). As the name suggests only males attend these parties where they eat meze (Turkish hors d'oeuvres), drink raki (the traditional Turkish beverage) and watch a young and cuddly girl dancing on a big round metal platform.

During the Ottoman era there were theaters in Istanbul -- which at that time was the capital city -- where non-Muslim dancers took the stage.

These women, mostly Jewish or Armenian, sang strange songs and performed belly dances because Muslim women were prohibited from doing so.

Some brave Muslim women managed to break this ban but they were the exceptions.

Only after the establishment of the modern Turkish state did Turkish women have the chance to engage in the performing arts. Belly dancing is one of those arts but it is generally not considered to be a serious artistic skill. Like other arts, it has rules and requires hard work. However, education is not an imperative.

Preferably, belly dancing should be performed by a beautiful women who is not skinny but at the same time not fat. Although Turkish men have recently begun to develop an affinity for very slim women in harmony with worldwide trends, cuddly women remain at the top of their list.

Turkish woman of all ages know how to belly dance. It is not performed only for men. Women also do the dance when they have female only get-togethers.

Male Dancers of Old: The Kocek and Tavsan Oglan
Young and handsome male belly dancers wearing attractive clothes are fascinating male audiences. They are called "rakkas" which originates from the word "raks" meaning dance. Although the rakka tradition emerged and enjoyed high popularity during the Ottoman era, there are still very few rakkas at present.

The rakkase is the female dancer of Ottoman era. Becoming a rakkase or a singer is strictly prohibited for Muslim women. Even non-Muslim rakkase in Ottoman times had to have headscarves and their costumes bear no similarity to the modern belly dancers' costumes consisting of bikini-like dresses embroidered with beads and high-heeled shoes.

With the absence of females in social and entertainment life, Ottoman men would watch male dancers to satisfy their need to see something aesthetic.

The male dancers had more freedom when Compared with rakkase. They could be either Muslim or non-Muslim. Historians say that there were two different types of rakkas: kocek and tavsan oglan.

Koceks had long and curly hair which was seen as a sign of beauty during that period. Koceks did not wear hats or headscarves but wore women's dresses.

The tavsan oglan (rabbit boy) wore a charming little hat and tight pants. Historians believe the majority of tavsan oglans originated from non-Muslim societies living on islands in the Aegean and Marmara regions.

Reports suggest that koceks and tavsan oglans performed mainly during Ramadan. At other times these men would work as "Sakis" (bartenders) in the meyhanes (special restaurants serving meze, raki or wine) or dance at special occasions such as weddings.

Wedding ceremonies in the Ottoman era were not at all like those of modern times. Men and women used to celebrate separately.

The tradition of rakkas is a reflection of the solitary existence of the Ottoman male. In that "womenless" world male dominance in every sphere sometimes resulted in loneliness.

Life without the female touch must have been boring, or was it?
Turkish Daily News

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