العرب والمسرح من الجاهلية حتى القرن التاسع عشر

Abstract

This research shows that the term khayal was used since the rise of Islam to mean live play, such as plays on a hobby horse and mockery of other personalities. When the shadow theater arrived during the middle ages from the Far East, Arab scholars added the term shadow (Ûill) to the existing term of live play and khayal and coined the new term khayal al-Ûill (shadow play). Missing the original meaning of the classical term Khayal, cause the general confusion between khayal and khayal al- Ûill.