Alf Leila W Leila TV Adaptations Throughout the Years

‘Alf Leila w Leila’, or ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ as the West knows it, has enchanted the world for centuries. Scheherazade, with the voice of spun moonlight, weaves tales that conquer the night, filled with love, betrayal, adventure and wisdom. These stories have been reinterpreted over and over again, especially on the Egyptian screen, and we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite variations that have aired during Ramadan in years long past…

ALF LEILA W LEILA  (1984)

Naglaa Fathi mystifies as Scheherazade in this 1984 classic, where her on-screen chemistry with Hussein Fahmy takes centre stage, building on a synergy they’ve developed in previous works such as ‘Madness of Love’ (1977).

EL THALATH BANAT (1987)

Because one Sherihan isn’t enough, there’s three of her! Here, the actress was tasked with playing three characters at once: Fatima, Karima and Halima. Just goes to show you how much work Sherihan is entrusted with during the holy month when she’s not doing Ramadan Fawazeer… 

AL-ASHKEEF W SET AL-MALLAH (1989)

This television show stars Layla Elwy as a gorgeous princess who is kidnapped by Al-Ashkeef and is trapped in a metal cage far, far away. With gorgeous costume design and set design, this show was ahead of its time in terms of production. 

BADR BASSEM AND JAWHARA BINT AL-SAMANDAL (1990)

In this emotional TV show, Medhat Saleh plays a distraught prince dealing with the death of his father, the king. Just as he makes plans to wed, fate plays a cruel trick on him. The stellar cast includes Raghda and Mona Abdel Ghany. 

AL-SHATER HASSAN (1994)

Athar Al-Hakim and Farouk Al-Fishawy recreate the classic dynamic between Scheherazade and Shahryar. In addition to playing as Scheherazade, Al-Hakim takes on several roles within her own stories including Sefrota and Ain Al-Hayah. 

FADLALLAH W WARDANOH (1996)

Another amazing actress in the role of Scheherazade, Dalal Abdelaziz, weaves the tale of Fadlallah and Wardanoh, and how their quest to reunite after an untimely separation forces them through a series of misadventures. 

ZAT MAL (1999)

The story revolves around the story of a prince on the island of Al-Nubhar, which Scheherazade, played by Poussy, tells to Mohamed Reyad’s Shahryar in an atmosphere full of imagination, adventures and excitement.