A Manuscript of the Arabian Nights and Its Journey to Cambridge
Journal: Journal of Islamic Manuscripts
Year: 2024

Abstract Cambridge University Library holds an Arabic manuscript of The Thousand and One Nights (Ms Qq.106–109). The library records it as entering the collection in 1819 and codicological evidence shows that the manuscript was copied in Cairo in the early 19th century. This paper discusses the complex narrative of its acquisition, including the roles played by prominent travellers and collectors. The significance of the text of the ‘Nights’ and its popularity in England and Europe are also exam