Kitāb Ṭayf al-Khayāl transports us to a magical world previously unknown to us: the secret Cairo in the Middle Ages. It presents an entirely different historical narrative from the conventional history dominated by sultans, princes, scholars, and elites. Instead, it brings the common people, the ordinary, to the forefront. Through the writings of Ibn Dāniyāl, we get a glimpse into the details of their lives, beliefs, how they perceived their rulers, and the boundless extravagances they indulged in, along with the secretive pleasures they passionately pursued.
Babat Ibn Daniyal has been published multiple times before, in incomplete and unexplained editions, with investigators hesitating to include complete sections, citing their explicit content and perceived impropriety