Name

Antoine Galland

Original name

Antoine Galland

Main activity

Scholar

Secondary activity

Translator

Title

Name variations

Antoine Galand"

Education place

Paris, Istanbul

Education institution

Collège Royal

Activity place

Paris, Caen, Istanbul

Activity institution

Collège Royal

Activity start date

1670

Activity end date

1715

Place of birth

Rollot

Date of birth

1646

Place of death

Paris

Date of death

1715

Bibliographical references

Descriptive card

Originally from a simple provincial background, Antoine Galland became a respected scholar of Oriental languages, manuscript collector and antiquarian. He lived in Istanbul, collaborating with the French embassy and collecting Oriental manuscripts for Colbert for about 18 years (1670-1688). He is known to have translated the Qur'an in its entirety at the end of his life (see F. Bauden) but the translation itself is now lost. Another partial translation has been found among his papers after his death (see BnF Fr25280). He is most famously known for his translation of the Arabian Nights (Les Mille et Une Nuit; 12 volumes, 1704-1717) which was hugely successful and ushered the fashion of the Oriental tale in Europe.

Entry author

Emmanuelle Stefanidis