Module overview
The disparate body of literature collected together under the title 1001 Nights, more popularly known as the Arabian Nights, is set primarily in the cities of the medieval Middle East, including Baghdad and Basra in Iraq, Cairo in Egypt and Damascus in Syria. The narratives include characters from all levels of society, from caliphs, princes, princesses and viziers, to poor men and women, as well as magical beings of various sorts. They recount great adventures and supernatural happenings; but among the more marvellous events appear many details of daily life, social activity and urban landscape. This module uses the 1001 Nights as a starting point for a thematic investigation of medieval Arab (largely urban) society.