what country is aladdin based on

The story of Aladdin is often attributed to French writer Antoine Galland, who claimed a Syrian told him about a boy and a genie in China. While the true origins of the tale of Aladdin cannot be completely verified, it is believed that the story is set in China, not in the Middle East. However, the 1992 Disney animated film placed the story in the Middle East, but the change in scenery was not necessarily based on historic or contemporary accuracy. The movie is set in a city based on Baghdad, Iraq, but it contains aspects of multiple Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Therefore, while the original story is set in China, the Disney adaptation is set in a fictional Middle Eastern city.