Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Reconciliations Ep.15”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will learn how al-Nu’man’s children come to their senses and stop fighting over their father’s throne.

But first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

Tonight’s chit-chat will not be about how history turns into myth, but rather about one of Egypt’s legendary actors who plays a role in our tale.

Tonight, I will speak about the late Egyptian legendary director and actor Nour El-Demerdash, who voiced Daw’ al-Makan.

Nour El-Demerdash was one of Egypt's most versatile figures in the world of performing arts, leaving a lasting mark on theatre, cinema, radio, and television over nearly five decades of creative work.

Born on November 12, 1925, in Tanta, in the Gharbia Governorate of Egypt, El-Demerdash first earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce in 1955, followed by a bachelor’s degree from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in 1956.

He began his theatrical career working under the renowned Egyptian theater pioneer Zaki Tulaimat, an experience that shaped his disciplined approach to acting and storytelling.

On screen, Nour El-Demerdash became well known for portraying the charming young romantic lead — the charismatic playboy — in the 1950s

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Battle of Brothers Ep.14”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will learn what happened to al-Nu’man’s offspring after learning of their father’s death.

But first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

After the arrest and subsequent execution of Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir by order of the Sasanian emperor Khosrow II, the Lakhmid rule over Al-Hirah in southern Iraq and parts of Arabia came to an end.

Khosrow II made sure of that by appointing Iyas ibn Qabisah al-Ta'i to govern Al-Hirah in place of the Lakhmids. But the story did not end there.

As we learned last night, al-Nu’man’s daughter Hind, a famous poetess and a Lakhmid Nestorian Christian princess, played a role in the falling-out between her father and the Sasanian Empire.

According to popular legend, Khosrow himself wished to marry Hind, but both she and her father rejected the proposal. The story goes that the Sasanian ruler then demanded that the Arabian tribes hand over Hind, along with the rest of her family and her father’s royal armor, as a sign of submission. The tribes, however, refused.

Historical sources suggest a slightly different version of the story. Some accounts say that it was not Khosrow himself but rather one of his relatives who sought Hind’s hand in marriage—and she rejected him. This rejection was among the factors that eventually led Khosrow to turn against al-Nu’man.

Events escalated quickly. The Lakhmid king fled his capital, Al-Hirah, and sought refuge among the powerful Banu Bakr. He was not alone—Hind was with him.

According to later traditions, Hind did not remain passive. She is said to have worked to encourage alliances among Arabian tribes to avenge the fall of her dynasty. Still, she was not the only reason for what would soon unfold.

The Banu Bakr confederation—an emerging political force stretching from southern Iraq deep into Arabia—was already unhappy with the rule of Iyas ibn Qabisah and the growing influence of the Sasanians in the region.

Eventually, the Banu Bakr tribes decided they had had enough. Against all odds, they confronted the powerful Sasanian Empire in battle —and won.

Muslim traditions place the battle anywhere between 602 and 624 CE, but according to modern scholarship cited in the Encyclopaedia Iranica, most historians now narrow the likely date to sometime between 604 and 611 CE.

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.