Happy Eid and Happy Nowruz

Happy Eid and Happy Nowruz to everyone celebrating this Friday and Saturday around the globe.

I know it is not the best time in the Middle East to celebrate anything, or even to be optimistic from a logical and realistic standpoint. But even in the darkest of moments, Eid and Nowruz bring happiness and solace to the believers.

On the occasion of Eid and Nowruz, I am sharing with you this sincere illustration by the famous Egyptian illustrator and painter Hussein Biccar.

Originally of Turkish Cypriot descent, Biccar was a Bahá'í and thus celebrated Nowruz as well.

Now, a word about greetings — "Eid Saeed," or Happy Eid, is what we say in Egypt. "Eid Mubarak" is a newer term imported from the Gulf. And yes, here in Egypt, "Mubarak" will always be Hosni Mubarak first!

Recently, I have noticed many non-Egyptians using "Eid Saeed," and it genuinely makes me happy.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “King Karkoub Ep.22”

And Happy Eid 😁 

Happy Eid to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we reached the end of our tale, the tale of King al-Nu’man.

I hope it was a nice break away from politics.

I hope you enjoyed.

Now, before we find out what King Karkoub will do next, let’s have one more quick chat.

First of all, the ending of the original Omar al-Nu’man was nothing like Taher Abu Fasha’s radio adaptation. In the original text, there is no kind-hearted Karkoub and no sweet wife; they were purely Abu Fasha’s additions, created to lighten the mood of the tale.

In the original version, Sharkan is killed by Shawahy, and Daw’ al-Makan eventually becomes King after a long, grueling journey. The original story of Omar al-Nu’man was not fun, easy, or light—it was a dark epic.

Scheherazade began the tale of Omar al-Nu’man on the 44th night of the One Thousand and One Nights and didn't finish it until the 145th. It took her 101 nights in total to tell the story, which means this single epic accounts for about 10% of the entire book.

You can find the original tale in the One Thousand and One Nights, available in both Arabic and English. “Vol.1 , Vol.2, Vol.3 and Vol.4”

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 113th 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 “Where Is Karkoub? Ep.21”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out the fate of the humble garbage man Karkoub after saving the day several times for al-Nu’man’s brothers—but first, it’s time for our usual chit-chat.

It is short, very short, as we are near the very end of our tale this year.

The actor voicing Karkoub, the kind-hearted garbage man, is the late Egyptian actor Kamel Anwar.

Although he is not widely known, lovers of black-and-white films like me recognise him well for his distinctive voice.

Kamel Anwar was born on 8 March 1912. He graduated from Al-Sa‘idiya School in 1925, where he was a classmate of Anwar Wagdi.

He began his career as an employee in the General Affairs Department of the Armed Forces before turning to acting, where he participated in military theatre and later worked with several theatrical troupes, including the famous Tholathy Adwaa El Masrah.

He also appeared in numerous films in supporting roles, including Cairo 30, Angel and Devil, and The Soft Hands.

Over the course of his career, he took part in nearly 100 artistic works across cinema, theatre, and radio series. He passed away on 20 September 1973.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 112th 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 “Behind the enemy lines Ep.20”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out what Karkoub will do behind enemy lines—but first, it’s time for our usual chit-chat.

We have previously discussed how Taher Abu Fasha set his version of the al-Nu’man saga in the pre-Islamic era. However, in the original tale from The Thousand and One Nights, the story is placed within the time of the Umayyad Caliphate.

The narrative is associated with the period before the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

Here, however, The Thousand and One Nights falls into a major literary issue: anachronism.

One striking inconsistency is that Omar al-Nu’man is portrayed as a king ruling from Baghdad—a city that was not founded until the Abbasid period, decades later. The saga effectively places him in Baghdad roughly 80 to 100 years before the city even existed.

When looking into the reason behind this, historians suggest that medieval compilers of the Nights in Egypt and Syria viewed Baghdad as the quintessential “City of Kings.” They simply could not imagine a great ruler without Baghdad as his capital, and so they projected the city backwards in time.

Another inconsistency is that Sharkan is depicted as the governor of Damascus, which was itself the capital of the Umayyads.

That said, in a vast and imaginative work of fiction like The Thousand and One Nights, such anachronisms remain relatively minor.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Message Ep.19”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out what al-Nu’man’s brothers will do after discovering Stormbreaker in their war camp.

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

In the original tale of Omar al-Nu’man in The Thousand and One Nights, several real cities are explicitly mentioned.

Omar al-Nu’man is portrayed as the king of Baghdad and Khorasan. He appoints his eldest son, Sharkan, as governor of Damascus.

King Hardoub is the ruler of Caesarea, as in Taher Abu Fasha’s radio adaptation. However, Constantinople—the capital of the Byzantine Empire—is mentioned in the original text but omitted in Abu Fasha’s version.

Jerusalem and Mecca also appear multiple times. Shawahy travels to these places to learn more about Muslims. In addition, in the original tale, al-Nu’man’s twin sons journey to the Holy Land and Mecca on pilgrimage, passing first through Jerusalem—rather than going on a hunting trip, as depicted in the radio adaptation.

Aside from Caesarea, Abu Fasha largely replaces real locations with fictional cities in his version of the story.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 110th 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 “With Many Schemes Ep.18”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will know what the Dervish in the chest will bring to the al-Nu'man brothers' camp, but first, it is time for our chit-chat.

Last night, we spoke about how Storm Breaker in the original One Thousand and One Nights was called Shawahy zat al-Dawahy—Shawahy of many schemes.

Tonight, we explore her because she stands as one of the most powerful and wicked female figures in the Nights, to the point that she becomes a symbol of evil itself.

Shawahy is not your typical Queen Mother. In the version of the Nights I read, she is a sorceress among sorcerers—skilled in magic and deception. She is cunning, immoral, and deeply treacherous. She studies Islamic texts and travels widely, even journeying to Mecca and residing in Jerusalem in disguise, observing different religions and learning their inner workings.

She was also a bisexual woman who slept with men and women and sexually abused her granddaughter. It was among the main reasons why Abriza escaped with Sharkan.

Yes, this is one of the earliest encounters in the text with sexual abuse, incest, and same-sex relations. It is not presented erotically, but rather in a way that makes the reader despise the character.

After the tragic death of Abriza, King Hardoub—her father—seeks revenge. However, his elderly mother, Shawahy, takes it upon herself to exact vengeance without significant loss.

Her son agrees, and thus her scheme begins. She tells him, “Do not grieve. By God, I will not turn back until I kill King al-Nu’man and his sons. I will accomplish a deed that will leave even the cunning in awe, and people will speak of it across all lands.”

With cold precision, Shawahy defines her objective: to kill al-Nu’man and his sons.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Chest Ep.17”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will see who will win the next round of battles: Hardoub or al-Nu’man’s brothers.

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

This time, I promise it will be a short chit-chat.

One of the differences between the original Omar al-Nu’man in The Thousand and One Nights and al-Nu’man in Taher Abu Fasha’s adaptation is the character of Stormbreaker.

In the original text, she is called Shawahy zat al-Dawahy—which can be rendered as Shawahy of many schemes.

I am not sure why Abu Fasha changed her name, though he still used the phrase “of many schemes” in the radio version.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 108th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.