14 DAY TRIAL // Believe it or not, male belly dancing is a genuine art form, albeit only in Turkey. That's right, some of the men living in this country actually make a living wearing skirts and shaking their hips around.
Mind you, these guys even wear makeup while on the job. Check out the photos accompanying this article if you're having trouble believing it and need proof.
The men dance at weddings or birthday parties
Let's face it, one of the chief reasons parties are as entertaining as they are is that they involve a whole lot of dancing. In Turkey, the coolest of parties have male belly dancers as guests of honor.
The skirts that these men put on before reporting for duty are decorated with coins and tassels. The more professional dancers are so good at their job that they can wiggle sheets of silk around while performing seductive moves and routines.
In fact, the costumes worn by male belly dancers look just like the ones worn by ladies, expect for this one insignificant detail: they don't include bras or brassieres, simply because the men have less to hide.
What with all the stereotypes and prefabricated judgements that we can't seem to shake off, some might be tempted to question these guys' masculinity. There people could not be more wrong.
Male belly dancers, known as zennes in Turkey, are just like all other men, except that they like to dance and don't mind putting on ornate costumes before performing in front of an audience.
“Anyone who loves dancing and getting applauded on stage should do it,” said a dancer by the name of Segah. “If a man is in shape and can learn to dance, he can be more alluring than a woman,” added another one, named Alex.
Oddity Central tells us that Turkey's male belly dancers are invited to dance at bridal showers, weddings, birthday parties and all sorts of private gatherings. They make enough money to support themselves and their family, which is why this profession is steadily gaining ground.
Male belly dancing has been around for centuries
Rather than be some seriously odd glitch in the matrix of modern history, male belly dancing has been around as a proper profession for centuries now. It was insanely popular during the times of Ottoman Empire and it's now once again getting plenty of traction.
Centuries ago, the Ottoman Empire had male belly dancers because women were banned from drawing attention to themselves and their body by dancing on stage. These days, efforts to put Turkey's Ottoman past in the spotlight need be credited with resurrecting this profession.
