2. The Arabian Nights aren’t just from Arabia.. Dating back as far as the 10th century A.D., these tales have origins in North African, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Indian, and East Asian cultures.

The Annotated Arabian Nights. Translated by Yasmine Seale. Edited by Paulo Lemos Horta. Liveright; 816 pages; $45 and £30 IT IS ONE of the world’s oldest fables, and among the most-travelled ...