Aladdin

folk tale · magic · Middle East · classic story

Added by a Frenchman. The story of Aladdin wasn't originally part of One Thousand and One Nights. A French translator named Antoine Galland added it to the collection in the early 1700s after hearing it from a Syrian storyteller named Hanna Diyab.

Syrian origins. Hanna Diyab, a storyteller from Syria, shared the tale with Antoine Galland, who was so enchanted by it that he decided to include it in his famous book collection.

Famous magic lamp. The story features one of the most iconic magical objects in all of literature, a lamp with a genie that grants wishes to whoever rubs it.

Middle Eastern treasure. Aladdin comes from the rich tradition of Middle Eastern folklore and has become one of the most beloved tales worldwide, even though it arrived late to the One Thousand and One Nights collection.