The In the Great Khan's Tent podcast shares authentic folk tales. Host Saif Beg narrates stories from the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. Saif wants to ensure authenticity by rooting each one in its cultural background.
In the first podcast series, Saif narrates The Thousand and One Nights. The narrative compiles Middle-Eastern folk tales, first told in Arabic. Listeners may know it by its English name, the Arabian Nights. As with each story, Saif combines translations to create the most accurate version.
On this podcast, listeners can expect tales of tragedy, love, comedy, and history. Some feature jinn, or genies, which are part of Arabic mythology. Jinn may hide from humans or adopt a human or animal form. One famous jinn, known in Western culture, is the genie in Aladdin. There are also fables about magicians, sorcerers, and ghouls.
The main narrative of the podcast starts with the king of India and China. He had two sons, Shahryar and Shah Zaman. The eldest, Shahryar, inherited the kingdom, ruling for 20 years. He invited his brother to visit, offering him gifts of horses and jewels. It was his vizir, the head of government, who took the expedition to deliver his message and offerings. Shah Zaman accepted the invitation. When he realized he'd forgotten a meaningful gift, he returned home to fetch it. Upon returning, Shah Zaman discovered his wife in bed with an enslaved Black man. Fearful of what she might do with him gone, he decided to kill them both. Themes of betrayal and violence continue to play a part as Shah Zaman tells his brother what has happened.
The In the Great Khan's Tent podcast retells ancient myths and fables. Each installment reveals a new story with fascinating characters, creatures, and plotlines. New episodes arrive every other Thursday.
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