6 stories
The Ottoman Bath Keeper | حارسة الحمام العثماني
She maintains the last traditional hammam in Thessaloniki. He's the historian documenting what remains of Ottoman Greece. Their research becomes immersive.
دَرْسُ النِّدَاءِ | The Lesson of the Vocative
A muezzin in Istanbul learns the grammar of calling through النداء, as her voice reaches not only the faithful but also the heart of a forbidden listener.
The Coffeehouse Mistress of Mecca | سَيِّدَةُ المَقْهَى في مَكَّة
In the holy city's shadow, a widow runs the most famous coffeehouse where pilgrims find more than refreshment in her generous hospitality.
The Shipwright's Daughter of Suez | ابْنَةُ بَنَّاءِ السُّفُنِ في السُّوَيْس
Where two seas meet, a woman who builds ships stronger than any man finds her match in a Portuguese captain whose vessel she must repair.
The Sultan's Bath Attendant of Istanbul | خَادِمَةُ حَمَّامِ السُّلْطَانِ في إِسْطَنْبُول
In the steaming chambers of the imperial hammam, a bath attendant teaches a lonely vizier that true cleansing comes not from water, but from passion.
The Sultan's Bathhouse | حَمّامُ السُّلْطان
In the steaming halls of the royal hammam, a voluptuous bath attendant and a visiting prince discover forbidden pleasures amid the mist and marble.