In the Great Khan’s Tent

Which episode should someone start with?

I would recommend that people start with the first episode as it sets the stage for all subsequent stories told in the Arabian Nights or commonly called One Thousand and One Nights.

What is your vision for your show?

To continue highlighting folk literature, literature, and history of the regions of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East and to help introduce people to what could be the first step in their own literature journey in this region.

How did you come up with the name for your podcast?

As a Historian of Central Asia, I have always imagined that gatherings took place either outside the yurt when the weather permitted it or inside in one tent where people could talk, discuss, and tell stories to the gathered audience and in return they would apply what they had heard in the course of their day or their life. As such, the name reflects the gathering where my audience has come to listen to the storyteller (me) and take away life's lessons.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a Historian with a masters in Library Science who focuses on librarianship in what could be termed the "Global South" while also engaging in the hagiographic literature (religious folktales) regarding the conversions of the Chagatai Khanate to Islam in the regions known as Marwarannahr (Central Asia) and Moghulistan (now commonly known as East Turkestan). I also focus on the subsequent influence on Sufi tariqahs (paths) and how they played a quite prominent role.