Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Blood Debt Ep.13”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will learn what happened to King al-Nu’man and how he ultimately met his fate. But first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

 Our chit-chat tonight will focus on two things: what happened to the real historical inspiration behind our tale—Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir—and how his dramatic end marked the beginning of another ending: the fall of the Lakhmid kingdom and, not long after, the decline of the Sasanian Empire. 

It also helped inspire one of the most famous pre-Islamic Arabian epics.

 According to Arab historians, even though King al-Nu’man once gave refuge to the Sasanian King Khosrow II, son of Sasanian King Hormizd, during his flight from the usurper Bahram Chobin in 590, and even fought alongside him to help restore him to the throne, the two rulers eventually fell out.

According to legend, their falling-out happened after al-Nu’man rejected Khosrow’s proposal to marry his daughter, Princess Hind. Some historical accounts, however, suggest that the proposal may actually have come from one of Khosrow’s relatives rather than from the king himself.

But that was not the only reason for the rift. Al-Nu’man also fell out with his former tutor and the powerful Sasanian court official and Arab envoy Adi ibn Zayd. Accusing him of plotting against him, al-Nu’man ordered his execution. Adi’s son—who had the ear of Khosrow—then managed to turn the Persian ruler against al-Nu’man in what feels like a real-life Game of Thrones scenario.

No wonder that show was such a hit in the Middle East.
Several historical traditions describe what happened once al-Nu’man realized that Khosrow intended to remove him from power.
One famous Arabian account says that al-Nu’man fled his capital and sought refuge among the powerful Banu Bakr of Arabia. He was eventually forced to surrender and, according to the story, executed by being trampled by elephants.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “al-Nu’man Ep.12”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will know what is next for al-Nu’man siblings after years of separation—but first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

Our chit-chat tonight will be about our tale’s title hero, al-Nu’man.

By now, you know that our tale for this Ramadan was inspired by an original One Thousand and One Nights story: the saga of King Omar al-Nu’man. One of the main differences between the original tale and our radio adaptation, trimmed for Egyptian State Radio by Taher Abu Fasha, is that the king’s name became al-Nu’man instead of Omar al-Nu’man.

It is unclear why Abu Fasha changed the name; frankly, it is beyond me. My only interpretation is that, just as he pushed the story back into pre-Islamic times, rather than the Umayyad era, as in the original tale, he may have chosen to focus on the root inspiration of the protagonist: al-Nu’man.

Anyone familiar with the history of Arabia and ancient Iraq will immediately recognize that inspiration. The most famous historical figure bearing that name was Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, the last king of the Lakhmid kingdom of al-Hirah in ancient Iraq.

If you are familiar with Arabian myths and epics that predate The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, you will know that al-Nu’man and his family inspired some important legends and heroic tales.

The Lakhmid kingdom—commonly known in the Arab world as al-Manādhirah (المناذرة)—was an Arab kingdom that ruled parts of southern Mesopotamia and northeastern Arabia from the late 3rd century until 602 CE. It was governed by the Nasrid dynasty of the Banu Lakhm tribe, and its political center was the city of Al-Hirah.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Chamberlain Ep.11”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will discover what King Sharkan and Princess Nuzhat al-Zaman will do to mend the tragic events reminiscent of a Greek tragedy—but first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

Did you know that the name Sharrkan is not a classical Arabic name? 

It is believed to have Persian-inspired roots. The first part, “Sher”, means lion in Persian, while the second part, “Kan”, can suggest a den or place. 

Together, storytellers interpreted it as “Lion’s Den.” 

However, this is likely a literary invention rather than a historically attested Persian name. It was crafted to give the character a heroic and exotic flavor, fitting the world of One Thousand and One Nights.

That’s all for tonight’s chit-chat; I’ll keep it short.

Let us now see what will happen to al-Nu’man’s offspring in the 102nd episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “A Forbidden Love Ep.10”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, as we discover what happened to Princess Nuzhat al-Zaman and her fate as a slave girl—much like her mother, the Princess of Atrashan—it is time for our little chit-chat.

The original tale of King Umar al-Nu'man in One Thousand and One Nights, on which our story is based, is one of the most shocking narratives in the entire collection, particularly in the way it confronts taboos that resonate in both Eastern and Western storytelling traditions.

It is also one of the few tales in the original book that deals with incest, in a manner reminiscent of Greek tragedy, presenting the theme as a dark twist of fate and a moral warning about destiny and unintended consequences.

In the original story, King Umar al-Nu’man unknowingly fathers a child with his own daughter Nuzhat al-Zaman.

As a child, she had been kidnapped and separated from her family. Years later, she is purchased as a slave by her elder brother Sharkan.

Believing her to be a noble-born captive and not recognizing her true identity, he decides not to keep her but instead presents her as a gift to their father.

The tragic irony of the tale lies in the fact that Umar al-Nu’man dies without ever discovering the truth.

In his famous radio adaptation, however, Taher Abu Fasha chose not to present the story exactly as it appears in the original text.

Instead, he refined and reshaped it to suit a broader audience in Egypt and the Arab world, softening some of its most troubling elements.

And now, enough of our chit-chat. Let us return to our tale.

Let us now see what will happen to our lost prince in the 101st episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Reunion Ep.9”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, as we discover what happened to Daw’ al-Makan after the guards seized him from the caravan because of his sorrowful singing, it is time for our little chit-chat.

Tonight is a very special night in the history of the One Thousand and One Nights.
It is the 100th episode — a true milestone for one of the longest-running radio shows in the history of Egyptian and Arab broadcasting.

Despite this celebration, our chit-chat tonight is still tied to our tale.

The names of our twins, separated by slave traders, are Nuzhat al-Zaman and Daw’ al-Makan. Taher Abu Fasha kept these same names from the One Thousand and One Nights story of Umar al-Nu'man, without changing them in his radio adaptation.

The name Nuzhat al-Zaman means “Delight of the Age,” while her brother Daw’ al-Makan means “Light of the Place.” At first glance, they may sound like purely fictional names, but historically, they are not entirely unusual.

These names follow a well-known naming tradition from the medieval Islamic world. During the Abbasid Caliphate, it was common for royals, scholars, and prominent figures to use honorific names formed by a noun followed by elements such as al-Din (“of the Religion”), al-Dawla (“of the State”), or al-Zaman / al-Dahr (“of the Age” or “Time”).

For example, the famous medieval poet and man of letters Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani — whose real name was Ahmad ibn al-Husayn — used the title Badi’ al-Zaman, meaning “Wonder of the Age.” His surname al-Hamadhani simply means “from the city of Hamadan.”

Enough of our short chit-chat.

Let us now see what will happen to our lost prince in the 100th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Caravan Ep.8”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, as we await whether Daw’ al-Makan will find his twin sister, it is time for our little chitchat.

Unlike the original tale of the One Thousand and One Nights, Taher Abu Fasha chose to place the events of King Nu’man’s story in pre-Islamic times in his radio adaptation.

In the original Umar al-Nu’man saga from One Thousand and One Nights, the story is loosely set during the era of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE), particularly during the long series of wars between the Islamic Empire and the Byzantine Empire.

The narrative even mentions the famous general Hassan ibn al-Nu'man, a real historical figure who served as the Umayyad governor of North Africa under Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and his son Al-Walid I.

In the radio show, however, Abu Fasha preferred to keep the setting deliberately vague, placing the events in a more distant pre-Islamic past.

Enough of our short chit-chat.

Let us see what our lost prince will do in the 99th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ep.8 “The Caravan”

The Ninety-Ninth Night

When it was the Ninety-Ninth Night, and the following evening had come, King Shahryar took his seat as on the previous night. Then Scheherazade entered at the appointed hour and began to recount what had happened, joining the thread of the tale to what had come before.

And she said:

“O happy King, wise in judgment, it has reached me that Prince Daw’ al-Makan, when he heard from the garbage collector that he knew the place where the Bedouins had settled—the very Bedouins who had carried off his sister, Princess Nuzhat al-Zaman—his heart leapt with joy, and his breast opened with relief, until he was near to flying from the excess of his happiness.

Yet the garbage collector refused to reveal the name of the tribe unless the prince agreed that he should accompany him and serve as his guide. Finding no other choice, the prince consented. The garbage collector made ready for the journey, and with him went his wife Karkouba, after he had purchased a mount for the road.

Thus the three of them set out together, riding upon the beast and traveling day after day and night after night. They crossed barren plains and desolate wildernesses, passed through valleys and over deserts, until two months had gone by and Prince Daw’ al-Makan grew restless with longing.

Then suddenly Karkouba cried out, for she had sighted tents pitched in the distance. The three hastened toward them and soon arrived among them. It was a tribe dwelling upon the highlands. When they asked for the chief of the tribe, they were told it was the Bedouin Fahd—the very man who had carried off Nuzhat al-Zaman and cast Prince Daw’ al-Makan aside upon the road.

At once the prince hurried to him and entered his tent.

The Bedouin chief welcomed them warmly, saying:

‘Welcome, welcome indeed! Blessed be those who come to us and blessed be those who settle among our people.’

But the prince said to him:

‘It seems, O Sheikh of the Arabs, that you do not recognize me.’

The chief looked upon him yet did not recall him, and he called to his men to prepare hospitality for the guest, ordering that a camel be slaughtered in his honor.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “ The Garbage collector Ep.7”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, as we await what King Nu’man’s twin will do after turning from being royals to Slaves, it is time for our little chitchat.

As we may have guessed, tonight we will be introduced to a character that works as a garbage collector.

Historically, the garbage collector as a profession appeared in Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Persia but not as we know now.

In Ancient Mesopotamia, while there wasn't a specific job title for "Garbage Man" in 3000 BCE, texts mention "Sweepers" and "Porters."

Sweepers were typically employed by temples and palaces to keep sacred grounds clean, while Porters might be hired by wealthy families to haul heavy waste to "middens" (city-edge dumps).

In Ancient Egypt, as early as 2100 BCE in the city of Heracleopolis Magna, records suggest that elite and religious districts had designated laborers who swept the streets and collected refuse in baskets.

In Ancient Rome, street cleaners and slaves removed refuse, while the Cloaca Maxima helped carry waste away from the city.

We will stop here. We return back to the history of garbage collection professions again.

Let us see what the siblings will do in the 98th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.