Authors: Jane Johnson
Nus-Nus â or Akuji, to give him his true name â is my own creation.
| abid | slave |
| afrit | devil |
| alhemdullillah | thanks be to God |
| bab | gate |
| babouches | leather slippers |
| baksheesh | literally âcharity', though usually cynically used to mean âbribe' |
| baraka | good luck |
| bukhari | the Black Guard |
| burnous | cloak |
| charaf | honour; also a term of affection |
| chicha | hookah pipe |
| Dar Kbira | Great Palace |
| djellaba | hooded robe |
| djinn | spirit of smokeless fire |
| Eid | feast |
| Fassi | from Fez |
| fkih | sir |
| funduq | guest house |
| hajib | vizier |
| hammam | steam bath |
| haram | forbidden |
| harem | women's private quarters |
| hijab | Islamic headscarf |
| insh'allah | if God wills it |
| kaid | senior civil servant, administrator |
| kasbah | fortress |
| khanjar | ceremonial dagger |
| kif | marijuana |
| koubba | domed, four-sided building, often a shrine |
| lalla | madam, honorative |
| ma'alema | teacher |
| marabout | holy man |
| matamore | slave pit |
| marhaban | welcome |
| mechoui | spit-roasted lamb |
| medina | old, walled part of city |
| Meknassi | from Meknes |
| mellah | âplace of salt', Jewish quarter |
| mezian | good |
| nus-nus | half-and-half |
| oud | Arabic lute |
| qadi | judge |
| qamis | loose leggings |
| qibla | direction of Mecca |
| rabab | Moroccan instrument |
| raïs | captain |
| ras al hanout | mixture of spices |
| Ribati | from Rabat |
| salaam aleikum | peace be upon you |
| shahada | profession of Islamic faith |
| Shaitan | Satan |
| sherif | descendant of the Prophet |
| sidi | sir, lord: honorative |
| smen | preserved butter |
| souq | market |
| sura | chapter of the Qur'an |
| tadelakt | specialist plaster |
| Tafraouti | from Tafraout |
| tajine | earthenware cooking vessel, and the casserole made in it |
| taleb | scholar |
| tarboush | a âfez': hard red hat |
| zellij | mosaic tile-work |
| zelliji | master tiler |
| zumeta | rich paste of nuts and seeds |
With thanks to my wonderful agents, Danny and Heather Baror, for all that they do; to Emma and Philippa for feedback and support; to Venetia and Will at Viking Penguin for their passion and care; to Donna for her exacting standards. And to Eugène Delacroix, whose âPortrait of a Turk in a Turban', glimpsed across a Moroccan restaurant, started a lively discussion and inspired the character of Nus-Nus.
Aouchar, Amina, Jean-Michel Ruiz and Cécile Tréal,
Fès, Meknès
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Encountering the Infidels: Restoration Images of the Moors
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Diary of John Evelyn
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Racism, Mysogny and the Othello Myth
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Magie et religion dans l'Afrique du Nord
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The Court of King Charles II
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Harris, Tim,
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(London, Allen Lane, 2005)
Lithgow, William,
The Totall Discourse, of the Rare Adventures, and Painefull Peregrinations
 â¦Â
to the Most Famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia, and Africa
 â¦Â (London, N. Okes, 1632)
Mafi, Maryam and Kolin, Azima Melita,
Rumi: Hidden Music
(London, Thorsons, 2001)
Matar, Nabil,
Islam in Britain
(Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998)
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(New York, Perseus, 1995)
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(London, Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)
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(London, A&C Black, 1943)
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Piracy, Slavery, and Redemption
(New York, Columbia University Press, 2001)
Pierre Mignard's portrait of Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth (painted in 1682 during the Moroccan embassy visit), is held at the National Portrait Gallery, as are the two anonymous, but very handsome, portraits of Mohammed ben Hadou. The latter two are not on general view, but arrangements can be made with the curators to see them.