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”

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.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “A storm brewing Ep.16”

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.

It won’t be about how history becomes myth, but rather about one of Egypt’s legendary supporting actors who plays a role in our tale. Tonight, I will speak about the late Egyptian actor.

Tonight’s chit-chat will not be about how history turns into myth, but rather about one of Egypt’s legendary supporting actors who plays a role in our tale. Tonight, I will speak about the late Egyptian actress Naima Wasfi.

Naima Wasfi plays the role of the wicked Stormbreaker, the scheming woman who got rid of al-Nu’man and was on the verge of sparking a civil war among his sons.

Wasfi was among the queens of supporting actors in Egypt and the Arab world during the 20th century.

Born in February 1923 to a middle-class family in Upper Egypt’s Assiut, Naima Wasfi’s theatrical talent began to emerge while she was still in primary school. She started her creative journey by writing short stories, poetry, and zajal (colloquial verse). Later, she worked as a teacher before eventually settling in Cairo.

In Cairo, she began frequenting theatres and gradually became acquainted with people in the artistic community. There, she met the actress Nagla Ibrahim, who encouraged her to pursue acting.

As a result, Naima Wasfi enrolled at the Institute of Dramatic Arts, founded by Zaki Tulaimat in the mid-1940s, and obtained her diploma in 1947. She was then appointed to the Modern Theatre Troupe, which Tulaimat had established for the institute’s graduates.

Wasfi later moved to the National Theatre Troupe. In 1952, she began her career in cinema, making her first appearances in Egyptian films. Over the course of her career, she appeared in more than 30 films.

In addition to acting, she also wrote several television series and worked on numerous radio shows.

Aside from her artistic work, Naima Wasfi wrote a weekly column in Rose al-Youssef magazine. A longtime socialist, she served as Secretary for Women’s Affairs in the Arab Socialist Union for the Greater Cairo area. She contributed to literacy campaigns that helped educate many young women.

She was married to the journalist Abdel Hamid Saraya after what was described as a great love story. The couple had three children.

Out of deep love for her husband, she later wrote a moving elegy after his death—a poem so painful that she rarely wished to speak about it.

Naima Wasfi passed away on 7 August 1983 at the age of 60.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 107th 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 “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