Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"A great patron of the arts and learning, Harun had little interest in government. He left the running of the caliphate almost entirely in his vizier's hands while he cultivated a sumptuous court at Baghdad, legendary for its luxury and sophistication. In late times, the court inspired many of the stories of the Thousand and One Nights, and King Shayrar, whose wife, Scheherazade, is the narrator, is thought to be based on Harun himself." [1001 Days]