>>6224291there were eunuchs of non-African descent, the "white" (aq-hadim) eunuchs but they were forbidden even to approach women because they were not completely castrated, and were mostly either soldiers or workers
the black eunuchs also served to educate princes and sons of aristocracy.
the Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi tells about a Veli Mustafa Agha, a black eunuch who was close to sultan Ahmed I and was the tutor of the great vizier Melek Ahmed Pasha. Mustafa was honored with the title of "veli", which was given to saints and great religious leaders. In Egypt, Abu al-Misk Kafur - the black eunuch from Ethiopia ruled as the sultan from 946 to 968 (more than 20 years).
black eunuchs dwelt in Muslim shrines: in Mecca and Medina. Mainly because there were female pilgrims and only the eunuchs had the privilege of guarding the holy place with its donations. They were treated as holy people, who guarded the tomb of the Prophet and Kaaba. The famous Arab traveler Ibn Battuta (1304-1377), who visited the sanctuary, describes their appearance:
>“The servitors of this noble mosque and its custodians are eunuchs from among the Ethiopians and such like. They present a beautiful feminine appearance, they have a clean, meticulous look, and their clothes are elegant. Their chief is known as the shaykh al-khuddam, and he has the position of one of the grand amirs. They have stipends in the lands of Egypt and Syria which are brought to them every year”. 