Last week, Osman Othman sold more than 100 loaves of Afghan bread in less than an hour after the mosque next to his new market finished Friday prayers. Oasis Food Market is the newest addition the cluster of Middle Eastern and Islamic shops on Telegraph Avenue between 29th and 32nd Streets. Othman isn't finished with his market, which already features two vertical grills for shawarmas, a salad bar, and a big oven for baking pitas and other breads of the Middle East.

The market's decor reflects Othman's origins. A skylight in the middle of the store is a small replica of the dome inside the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. A mural in the dining area depicts the Moroccans’ Gate, a passageway to the mosque's sanctuary. While that particular piece of Jerusalem is a major source of strife between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, the mural at Oasis is easygoing Oakland all the way. Othman said the artist he commissioned to paint the mural is a Moroccan Jew.

OakBook talked to Othman about what else he has planned.

Othman: We're going to put in a self-serve buffet. The shawarmas take a few minutes to prepare, and the people coming from the hospital across the street don't have a few minutes.

OakBook: Where are the cooks from?

Othman: We have two cooks. One is from Turkey, and the other is from Sudan. The guy from Sudan used to cook for one of the Saudi Arabian princes. Last week, I went to LA to convince a Syrian pastry chef to come make Middle Eastern desserts for us. He'll be here next week.

OakBook: How late are you staying open?

Othman: It's Ramadan and a lot of people are fasting, so we're staying open until midnight. After Ramadan we'll stay open at least until 10.

OakBook: You have produce, a butcher, groceries, a clothing section, and a restaurant. How many people work here?

Othman: We have 12 employees.

OakBook: Where are you from?

Othman: I'm from Jerusalem, a village outside of Jerusalem called el-Eizariya. Do you know Lazarus? That's where Jesus raised him from the dead.