In the Disney versions he's from the fictional country of Agrabah (Agrabian?) In Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1982) he's from an unnamed arabian country. In The Wonders of Aladdin (1961) like in most other retellings of the story he's from Baghdad.
In the both Galland's text and Richard Burton's popular 1885 English translation, Aladdin lives “in a city of the cities in China.” Illustrations of the tales from the Victorian era depict the story and its characters as Chinese.
In fact, records show that the folktale on which Disney's Aladdin is based is originally set in China, and later mixed with a story set in Persia as told by a Syrian woman, then translated and added to 1001 Arabian Nights by a French man, adding to the layers of cultural conflation and Orientalism at play.
The original story of 'Aladdin' is, maybe surprisingly, set in China. In the earliest versions of the story, Aladdin is Chinese. He's also not an orphaned street urchin but a lazy boy living at home with his mother.
While some claim Jasmine is Arab because the movie opens with a song called Arabian Nights, others believe that the architecture in Agrabah is clearly based on the Taj Mahal, making Jasmine Indian. It's a debate that has fueled speculation that in Hollywood, Indians and Arabs are interchangeable.
In the fictional city of Agrabah (based on Baghdad), an orphaned street urchin named Aladdin and his monkey, Abu, meet Princess Jasmine, who has snuck away from her sheltered life in the palace.
Jasmine is a secular creation by a wealthy company. It is incidental that she is Arabic, and practically irrelevant that she is Muslim, as she has zero connection with Islam or actual Muslim women.
So we can assume that the movie takes place after 632 when the Islamic faith was fully formed. After the “Whole New World” segment, Aladdin and Jasmine land on the roof of the Forbidden City in China. The building finished being constructed in 1420, meaning the movie cannot take place any sooner.
The three wishes Aladdin "asks" for in the film are to be a prince, be saved from drowning and free the Genie. However, the theory posits that the first two wishes are illegitimate, as the first never comes to pass, and the second didn't get made.
And despite the fact that some white extras had their skin darkened during filming, Disney did cast actors of Middle Eastern descent in most of the main roles.
Most species of jasmine grown today were originally native to tropical Asia and parts of China. The jasmines that can be grown as houseplants are tropical or subtropical vines or subshrubs grown for their fragrance.
If you mean American Indian, then that would be Pocahontas. The only other Disney character I know of close to India's Indian would be the Jasmine character but I believe she considered to be more a Middle eastern character. There is also Jungle Book which takes place in India, but there isn't really a princess in it.
Aladdin, a classic Disney film was not always just that; its origin is from the stories from the Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales.
He would be an Arabian in Disney. But he would be Chinese in the original story. How do you feel about Disney casting a half-Indian, half-white actress to play Jasmine in the live-action version of Aladdin?
If Ritchie's film was based on the original story, the entire cast would be Chinese - apart from the sorcerer, who would be North African - but as it's said to be a faithful remake of Disney's animation, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine should really be Middle Eastern or South Asian, despite the film not being an authentic ...
1. The original Aladdin was actually Chinese. While the true origins of the tale of Aladdin cannot be completely verified, the story is often attributed to French writer Antoine Galland, who claimed a Syrian told him about a boy and a genie in China.
What country is the movie "Aladdin" supposed to be set in? In the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (or The Arabian Nights), the story of Aladdin is set in China, of all places, although there's nothing particularly Chinese about anything in the story.
Now I know better. I am a professional entertainer, and I also have an anxiety disorder called panic disorder. Those with panic disorder deal with frequent panic attacks during which they experience a surge of adrenaline resulting in symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath and intense fear.
She comes from the South Asian-inspired Kingdom of Sherabad, which Jafar wanted to conquer to expand Agrabah. She also is mentioned to have been the victim of murder, which caused her husband to keep their daughter inside the palace for protection.
Finally, as it been revealed that Aladdin is not a prince, he can't marry Jasmine because of the law. He could use the last wish, but he already promised to use the third to release the genie free.
Agrabah is the central location of the 1992 Disney animated feature film, Aladdin. It is a glimmering, bustling Arabian desert kingdom, currently under the rule of a kind-hearted Sultan and his daughter, Princess Jasmine.
