The Beekeeper of Aleppo Character Analysis

Nuri

Nuri, the novel’s protagonist, is a beekeeper from Aleppo who flees Syria’s civil war and makes his way to England. Nuri is married to Afra and is the father of Sami. In Aleppo, Nuri… read analysis of Nuri

Afra

Afra is Nuri’s wife and Sami’s mother. She goes blind after witnessing a bomb kill her son, though it is not clear whether the bomb or the trauma caused her blindness. Before fleeing Aleppo, Afra… read analysis of Afra

Mustafa

Mustafa is Nuri’s cousin who teaches him how to care for bees and invites him into a business partnership. After Mustafa’s mother died, the cousins lost touch for many years until fate—as Nuri’s mother claimed—brought… read analysis of Mustafa

Sami

Sami is Nuri and Afra’s seven-year-old son who dies in Syria. Although the narrative doesn’t make this clear for quite a while, a bomb kills Sami while he is playing in the garden as Afra… read analysis of Sami

Mohammed

Mohammed is a seven-year-old boy who Nuri first meets in Istanbul, waiting in a smuggler’s apartment with numerous other refugees. Mohammed is wearing all black and has black hair and black eyes. Although he does… read analysis of Mohammed

Hazim (The Moroccan Man)

Hazim, often referred to as “the Moroccan man,” is another refugee living in the English bed and breakfast with Nuri and Afra. Hazim is an elderly man from Morocco who is often reading a… read analysis of Hazim (The Moroccan Man)

Diomande

Diomande is a young man from Côte D’Ivoire who arrives at the bed and breakfast after Nuri and Afra. He is tall and lanky with sharp shoulder blades that look like wings beneath his… read analysis of Diomande

Angeliki

Angeliki is a Somalian refugee who Nuri and Afra meet in Athens. Angeliki lives in a refugee camp at Pedion tou Areos, and her breasts are often leaking milk though she has no child. When… read analysis of Angeliki

Lucy Fisher

Lucy Fisher is the social worker assigned to Nuri and Afra once they make it to the UK. Practical, efficient, and compassionate, Lucy Fisher handles the couple’s paperwork and coaches them on their upcoming asylum… read analysis of Lucy Fisher

Nadim

Nadim is a man from Afghanistan living in Pedion tou Areos when Nuri and Afra are there. He plays an instrument called a rebab with great skill and beauty, and it brings Nuri some peace… read analysis of Nadim

Mr. Fotakis

Mr. Fotakis is a smuggler living in Athens who helps Nuri and Afra escape to England. He agrees to let Nuri make deliveries for him for three weeks in exchange for a lower price for… read analysis of Mr. Fotakis

The Landlady

The landlady runs the English bed and breakfast where Nuri and Afra are staying in the present timeline. She is a kind and thoughtful woman who learns all the refugees’ names and routinely cooks for… read analysis of The Landlady

Dahab

Dahab is Mustafa’s wife and the mother of Firas and Aya. She is tall and impatient with her husband’s meticulous nature when it comes to cooking. Dahab and Aya are sent to England… read analysis of Dahab

Firas

Firas is the son of Dahab and Mustafa, the brother of Aya, and the cousin of Nuri, Afra, and Sami. In Syria, he is a typical teenage boy, preoccupied with… read analysis of Firas

Aya

Aya is the daughter of Dahab and Mustafa, the sister of Firas, and the cousin of Nuri, Afra, and Sami. Aya is a bright and caring girl who loves to… read analysis of Aya

Nuri’s Father

Nuri’s father owns a fabric shop in Aleppo. He intends for Nuri to take over, but Nuri decides to become a beekeeper with Mustafa instead. His father’s disappointment is a source of guilt for Nuri… read analysis of Nuri’s Father

Minor Characters

Nuri’s Mother

Nuri’s mother supports his decision to become a beekeeper, probably because she believes fate brought him and Mustafa back together. In Nuri’s memories, she tells stories of fantastical worlds.

Dr. Faruk

Dr. Faruk is the doctor who sees Afra and Nuri while they are in England. He hypothesizes that Afra’s blindness is a reaction to the trauma of watching Sami die.

Registration Volunteer

The registration volunteer is a man registering refugees when Nuri and Afra arrive on the island of Leros. He views Afra’s blindness with a morbid curiosity and tells them it is unrealistic to try traveling to England.