Content Warning: This section references child murder. It also discusses outdated terms for racial and religious groups of the Arabian Peninsula and India and the misogynistic depiction of women.

Vathek, Caliph of the Abassides (i.e., Abbasids, a dynasty that ruled from the 8th to 13th century CE), appears at first to be a good ruler to his empire. Though he has a terrible temper, and his eye in particular is frightening when he is upset, he rarely becomes angry, preferring to focus on the pleasures of life. Instead of engaging in religious self-denial like many of his predecessors, he indulges his appetites.

To this end, Vathek has built five wings of his palace, each designed to please one of the five senses. The first is called “The Eternal or unsatiating Banquet” (3), where food of the best quality is constantly served and hundreds of fountains provide the finest drinks. The next is “The Temple of Melody, or The Nectar of the Soul” (3), where musicians and poets perform in rooms designed to echo their performances. The third wing, “The Delight of Eyes, or The Support of Memory” (4), contains oddities and wonders from around the world, from art to plants, all to satisfy the curious.