The White Mosque

In this intriguing exploration, Sofia Samatar traces the history of a small Mennonite Christian village, Ak Metchet, established in Central Asia after a group of German-speaking Mennonites migrated from Russia in the late nineteenth century. Moving beyond the hardships of their journey, she uncovers the village’s fifty-year existence and interconnected stories along the ancient Silk Road, including figures from history, cinema, and photography, while also reflecting on her own multifaceted identity as the daughter of a Swiss-Mennonite and a Somali-Muslim. This compelling narrative probes the boundaries of identity, memory, and history, inviting listeners to consider how we weave others’ stories into our understanding of ourselves.