The Thousand and One Nights (Alf Layla wa-Layla)
- Date of account
- Manuscript tradition attested by the 9th–10th centuries; major Arabic compilations before 1800
- Location
- Egypt, Syria, Iraq and wider Arabic-speaking literary networks
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
The Thousand and One Nights is a layered Arabic story collection framed by Shahrazad’s nightly narration to King Shahriyar. Its tales include jinn, enchanted objects, monstrous beings, transformed humans and legendary rulers, but the collection is not a single ancient text with a fixed canon. Manuscripts, oral circulation, and later editorial reshaping complicate attempts to identify an original version. Comparison is useful for studying how Persian, Arabic, Indian and Mediterranean motifs were combined and transmitted. The famous European title reflects early modern translation and adaptation history rather than a simple indigenous label.
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