Glossary

abaya. A cloak-like wrap, frequently made of wool, but may be composed of other fabric.

bey. Traditionally a title of prestigious social rank, achieved either by merit or through bribes and awarded by the ruler of Egypt; it may also be used more loosely as a term of respectful address.

dahabeah. A type of wind-propelled houseboat specifically associated with the Nile, and often with nineteenth-century tourism, although this type of vessel, in one form or another, has existed since pharaonic times.

dhikr. A practice, Sufi in origin, of repetitive chanting in praise of God; may be accompanied by music and dance, or dance-like ritual movements.

Dinshaway. A village in the Egyptian Delta, iconic in the history of Egypt as one of imperialist Britain’s most egregious atrocities in the region (1906); the novel’s description of this episode hews substantially to historical accounts.

effendi. A gentleman, specifically a non-European clothed in Western garb, except for the distinctive cylindrical hat (usually red, with a tassel) known as a tarbush; also used as a postpositive title, and sometimes as a proper name.

al-Fatiha. Opening chapter of the Qur’an, often recited on ceremonial occasions, but also under relatively informal circumstances.

felucca. A sailboat of traditional Egyptian design; similar to a sloop, except that, unlike a sloop, it may have two sails rather than just one.

fellah (pl. fellahin). A peasant farmer.

gallabiya. A long, robe-like garment, traditionally worn by male Egyptian and Sudanese peasants (although its use has expanded); especially in cold weather, other clothing, such as long underpants, may be worn underneath.

hajj. The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, specifically performed during Dhu al-Hijja, the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar; pilgrimages performed at other times of year are known as ‘Umra.

hanim. Lady; originally a Turkish term referring to an aristocratic woman, it came to be applied postpositively to the names of high-class Egyptian women.

Helmiya al-Gadida. A district of Cairo; notably more prosperous than that of Gamamiz Lane.

jilbaab. A long, flowing outer garment; similar to a gallabiya (q.v.), worn by either men or women.

khamsin. A hot southerly Egyptian wind usually carrying sand.

khedive. An official of the Ottoman court, roughly equivalent to viceroy; the khedivate of Egypt was a tributary state of the Ottoman empire, lasting from 1867 until 1914 and substantially overlapping with the British occupation of Egypt (1882–1914).

kuttab. Traditional primary school at which, in addition to religious teachings, reading, writing, and grammar are taught, with the Qur’an as the basis for instruction.

al-Liwa. Nationalist Egyptian newspaper founded in 1900 by Mustafa Kamil; the word liwaa’ means banner.

Maghreb. The region of North Africa generally associated with modern-day Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Majnoun and Layla. The principal characters in a well-known traditional story, dating to pre-Islamic times, of star-crossed lovers.

Mamluks. Muslim rulers between the tenth and nineteenth centuries, who were originally slaves conscripted into military service; accorded privileges denied ordinary slaves, they were ultimately able to seize power in their own right and establish a series of dynasties in Persia, Egypt, and elsewhere.

mastaba. A specific type of ancient Egyptian tomb, consisting of a rectangular superstructure and one or more subterranean chambers.

mizmar. A single-reed musical instrument producing a sound somewhat similar to that of an oboe.

nargileh. A device for smoking tobacco (or sometimes hashish) consisting of a flexible or bamboo pipe attached to a bottle-like receptacle filled with water, through which smoke is drawn to filter and cool it; also known as hubble-bubble, hookah, gouza, or shisha.

Pasha. An upper rank in the Ottoman political and military system; also an honorary title similar to that accorded a peer or knight in the British system.

piaster. A small coin, equivalent to one one-hundredth of an Egyptian pound.

rebaba (also rebab). A traditional instrument with a small sound box, a long neck, and two or three strings, played with a bow.

riyal. A small coin (no longer used in Egypt) worth twenty piasters. (q.v.).

Saïd. Upper Egypt, generally considered to be the regions of Egypt extending south from Fayoum; the term Saïdi refers to an Upper Egyptian.

Sea of Shadows. An ancient name for the Atlantic Ocean.

al-Siyaasa. Fictional name of a turn-of-the-century (early 1900s) Egyptian newspaper more sympathetic to British occupation than al-Liwa (q.v.); the word siyaasa also means politics. The actual name of the newspaper founded by Lutfi al-Sayyid (see Historical Figures Featured in the Novel) was al-Jarida, and it was not, in reality, sympathetic to colonial interests; on the contrary, it was nationalist in character.