Oriental books: Ottolenghi cookbooks, Naguib Mahfouz novels, ancient Egyptian history, Islam and Arabic learning. Travel through reading.
Understand the religion, its festivals and its texts.
Alphabet, writing and first words, to get started step by step.
The recipes of the Maghreb and the Levant, from Ottolenghi to the classics.
The simplest way to bring the Orient home, from the very first meal.
A story that lets you discover a city, an era, a way of life.
A few minutes a day are enough to read your first words.
Our oriental books cover cooking, literature, history, religion and the language of the Maghreb and the Middle East. Each theme has its own section, so you can quickly find the right book. It brings together books for all ages, from the illustrated coffee-table book to the language method.
The oriental cookbooks section brings together recipes from Morocco, Lebanon or Turkey, including those of Yotam Ottolenghi. The oriental novels and poetry section gathers authors such as Naguib Mahfouz, Khalil Gibran or Amin Maalouf. The recipes range from couscous to hummus, by way of honey pastries. You will also find the quatrains of Omar Khayyam and the poems of Rumi.
The books on the history of the East run from ancient Egypt to the Ottoman Empire. They explain the pyramids, the pharaohs and hieroglyphic writing. The books on Islam present the Quran, the life of the Prophet and religious practices, with translations and introductory works. These books are chosen for their respectful approach and their clarity.
For the language, the learn Arabic section offers methods for beginners, writing workbooks and dictionaries. Some methods come with audio recordings to work on pronunciation.
Start from what you feel like doing: cooking, travelling through reading, understanding history or learning a language. For a cookbook, check that the ingredients are easy to find where you live and that the recipes are illustrated with photos. Books organised by country or by type of dish, such as tagines or mezze, make it easier to find your way. For a beginner, prefer short steps and stated preparation times.
For a novel, choose a well-regarded translation. Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988, is the author of the Cairo Trilogy. Amin Maalouf received the Prix Goncourt in 1993 for Le Rocher de Tanios. Tahar Ben Jelloun received the same prize in 1987 for La Nuit sacrée.
For history, check that the author is a historian or archaeologist and that the book cites its sources. Illustrated works with maps and photos help to place locations, from the Nile to Baghdad. A recent book includes the archaeological discoveries of recent years.
To learn Arabic, specify your goal: standard Arabic is used to read the press and books, while a Moroccan or Egyptian dialect is used to speak in everyday life. The alphabet has 28 letters and is written from right to left: a method for beginners starts with it. Choose a method with audio if you want to speak, and a writing workbook if you want to read first. Bilingual editions, with Arabic and French facing each other, help you progress by reading.
A beautiful cookbook pleases anyone who loves entertaining. Jerusalem, written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, mixes recipes and stories from the city where the two chefs grew up. Ottolenghi’s books put vegetables, herbs and spices such as sumac or za’atar in the spotlight.
For a reader, The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, published in 1923, is a short collection of poetic texts that is often reread. The One Thousand and One Nights exist in illustrated editions, lovely to give to adults and children alike. For a teenager, an adventure novel set in Egypt or in the desert is a good way in.
For someone curious about history, a book on ancient Egypt takes you on a journey: Champollion deciphered the hieroglyphs in 1822 thanks to the Rosetta Stone. For a future traveller, an Arabic method with audio prepares you for your first conversations.
Pair a recipe book with a harissa or a za’atar from our oriental grocery, or a book of poetry with a fragrance from our oriental care range.
