al-Salaam Aleikum
and Welcome to

Dar Urtatim

the domicile of
Urtatim bint 'abd al-Karim al-hakim al-Fasi

(that's urr-tah-TEEM!)
formerly known as Anahita

Entrance to pink stucco Maghribi home


Here you'll find some of my personal interests related to my involvement in The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). Gradually I am adding information about developing a Near/Middle Eastern persona, including art, food, clothing, etc. But, now, let my persona introduce herself...

Welcome to my home in Fez in the 10th century. I am Urtatim bint 'abd al-Karim al-hakim al-Fasi (formerly known as Anahita). My mother is a Persian Zoroastrian, while my father is a Maghribi Muslim. We are a family of traders, especially in textiles and spices. My father married my mother to create a union with her family of traders in Persia and India.

I am fortunate that at this time in the Maghrib, I can be educated and have a life of responsibilities outside the confines of my family home. I am involved in my family's trading activities, but also am a scholar in my own right, consulted by important families in this city and others. Yes, I am allowed to travel, although it is sometimes a bit difficult when I leave the Maghrib, except when I visit al-Andalus, with which the Maghrib is closely allied. Here women can be doctors or lawyers or managers of great libraries. Women don't seem to have the same rights in other parts of Al-Islam.

Perhaps you are familiar with the Maghrib in your time period as the countries of Mauratania (the old Rumi, errr, I mean Roman, name for the region), Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. And al-Andalus is to you southern Spain.

Step through the doorway to enter my home.

beautiful doorway in Fez


I'd like to correspond with other SCA members who have Andalusian, North African, Near or Middle Eastern, or Central Asian personae.
You can write to me