The World of Djinn and its Symbolism in the Book of One Thousand and One Nights

This thesis examines the phenomenon of the jinn in the classical Arabic story collection One Thousand and One Nights (Alf layla wa-layla). The aim is to identify, classify, and interpret the narrative and symbolic functions of these supernatural beings - a central element of both Islamic cosmology and folk belief - through semiotic analysis. The theoretical part is based on Islamic sources (the Qur'an, hadith, medieval encyclopaedias) and secondary literature, while also introducing the context of the story collection itself. The analytical part combines a semiotic approach inspired by Umberto Eco with folkloristic methodology, specifically the classification of tales according to the ATU system and its revised Arabic version by Hasan M. El-Shamy, and the analysis of motifs using relevant motif indices. The thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how the category of the invisible world (al- ghayb) is constructed and reflected in folk narrative. The research is grounded in the critical edition by work of Muhsin Mahdi, which contains the core of this mid-15th-century collection. Keywords: jinn, One Thousand and One Nights (Alf layla wa layla), Islamic cosmology, semiotic analysis, invisible world (al-ghayb), medieval Arabic literature, Arabic folk literature