25 stories
بازار بزرگ | The Grand Bazaar
داستانهایی از بازارهای قدیمی ایران، از تبریز تا اصفهان... Stories from Iran's ancient bazaars, from Tabriz to Isfahan...
The Dahiyeh Dressmaker | خياطة الضاحية
She sews wedding dresses in Dahiyeh for women who can't afford designer. He's the fabric merchant who supplies her silk. Thread by thread, they stitch a love story. 'Inti ahsan gharzti' (أنتِ أحسن غرزتي).
The Spice Souk's Secret | سر سوق التوابل
In the spice markets of Zanzibar, a merchant's widow meets a visiting historian. Between cloves and cardamom, they discover unexpected chemistry.
دَرْسُ العَدَدِ وَالمَعْدُودِ | The Lesson of Numbers
A merchant in medieval Basra learns the complex rules of Arabic numerals through العدد والمعدود, as she counts her treasures and her heartbeats.
دَرْسُ المَفْعُولِ مَعَهُ | The Lesson of Accompaniment
A merchant's wife in medieval Aleppo learns the grammar of accompaniment through المفعول معه, as she walks alongside desire under the moonlit souks.
甬商海鲜娘 | The Seafood Trader of Ningbo
宁波海鲜市场的凌晨，一位丰满的女商人用大海的慷慨换取人间的温情... In the pre-dawn hours of Ningbo's seafood market, a curvaceous trader exchanges the sea's bounty for human warmth...
حب على الحدود | Border Love of Oujda
A border town merchant discovers passion with a historian studying the cultures that meet in Oujda.
סודות שוק הכרמל | Shuk Carmel Secrets
A spice merchant in Tel Aviv's famous market teaches a food blogger about flavors—and about the heat that has nothing to do with paprika.
Souq Secrets
Antique dealer Jamila runs a shop in Riyadh's old souq. When collector Hassan seeks rare manuscripts, he finds treasure of a different kind. 'Al qeema al haqiqiya ma tat'allan' (القيمة الحقيقية ما تتعلن) - True value isn't advertised.
Spice Merchant
Zahra runs her family's spice business in the historic souq. When chef Omar seeks authentic flavors, their partnership gets heated. 'Al baharat sihr' (البهارات سحر) - Spices are magic.
The Sisal Merchant's Wife of Tanga | Mke wa Mfanyabiashara wa Katani wa Tanga | زَوْجَةُ تاجِرِ الكَتّانِ في تانْغا
In the port city of Tanga, a wealthy sisal merchant's neglected wife discovers passion with the young railway clerk who delivers her husband's shipping documents.
The Spice Merchant's Daughter
Leila inherits her father's spice shop in Jerusalem's Old City—and finds that competitor Samir next door has a recipe for more than just trade wars.
The Wine Merchant's Vintage
Noble Vine has supplied the city's best restaurants for twenty years. When a collector starts coming for more than Bordeaux, she discovers some pairings take time to perfect.
普洱茶娘 | The Pu'erh Merchant of Yunnan
云南茶马古道上，一位丰满的普洱茶商人教授茶与人生的奥秘... On the ancient Tea Horse Road of Yunnan, a curvaceous Pu'erh merchant teaches the mysteries of tea and life...
دَرْسُ النَّعْتِ وَالمَنْعُوتِ | The Lesson of Adjective Agreement
A poetry master teaches a merchant's daughter the art of adjective agreement, finding that descriptions of beauty lead to unexpected intimacy.
دَرْسُ الشَّرْطِ | The Lesson of Conditional Sentences
A clever merchant's widow proposes conditions to a young traveler, each 'if' leading to deeper intimacy and grammatical understanding.
Dire Dawa Somali Merchant
She runs a trading house in Dire Dawa—a thick ebony widow connecting Ethiopian Somalis to the world. When he comes researching diaspora networks, she offers her story. Some stories unfold in private.
Mogadishu Textile Merchant
She sells fabric in Mogadishu's Bakara Market—a thick ebony widow who dresses the city. When he comes sourcing traditional textiles, she offers access. Some fabrics are unwrapped in private.
The Bakhoor Seller
Bakhoor is the incense that fills Somali homes with sacred smoke. She sells it at the Cedar-Riverside market—a thick widow whose fragrance lingers. When he becomes her regular customer, she offers him a private sampling. Her shop stays open late.
The Merchant of Salalah | تاجِرُ صَلالَةَ
A merchant learns that true wealth comes from generosity not accumulation
The Merchant Prince of Zanzibar | أَميرُ التُّجّارِ في زَنْجِبار
On the spice island of Zanzibar, a wealthy merchant's lonely wife finds forbidden ecstasy with a young Arab sailor whose ship brings more than just goods to her shores.
The Merchant's Daughter of Damascus | بِنْتُ التّاجِرِ الدِّمَشْقِيِّ
In the perfumed souks of Damascus, a voluptuous merchant's daughter discovers passion with a mysterious silk trader from the East.
The Silk Merchant's Daughter of Damascus | ابْنَةُ تَاجِرِ الحَرِيرِ في دِمَشْق
In the fragrant souks of Umayyad Damascus, a wealthy merchant's daughter discovers passion with a mysterious fabric dyer whose hands carry the colors of desire.
The Spice Merchant of Aden | تاجِرُ التَّوابِلِ في عَدَن
In the bustling port of Aden, a wealthy spice merchant discovers passion with a voluptuous Ethiopian beauty he purchases to free, only to find freedom in her arms.
The Spice Merchant's Wife of Aleppo | زَوْجَةُ تاجِرِ التَّوابِلِ في حَلَب
In the ancient souks of Aleppo, a spice merchant's neglected wife discovers intoxicating pleasures with a Persian trader whose exotic goods awaken forbidden desires.