harun al-rashid (also: haroon al-rasheed), was a caliph in what is now iran, reigned from 786 to 809. he has become an icon of the islamic golden age. he appears in many stories as a wise ruler, who often disguised himself as a peasant in order to walk amongst the people in baghdad to find out how they lived and how he could improve their situation. his legacy has been cemented through his representation in the arabian nights.