The Horde's Lost Faith: Nestorian Christians in Mongol Sarai

Long before Islam became the official religion of the Golden Horde, a different faith thrived in the steppe: Nestorian Christianity. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of the Horde's Christian communities—how they emerged from the Kerait tribe's conversion in the 11th century, flourished under Mongol tolerance, and built churches and monasteries in the heart of Sarai. Lucas reveals how Nestorian priests served as diplomats, how a Mongol prince named Sartaq was a Christian, and why a French king once dreamed of allying with the Horde against the Muslims. They also discuss the mysterious 'Tomb of Mar Yaballaha', a Syriac manuscript that recounts the journey of a Mongol monk who became Patriarch of the Church of the East. Luna asks probing questions about why Christianity faded, and Lucas traces its decline to the rise of Islam under Khan Uzbek, the plague, and the Horde's eventual fragmentation. This episode uncovers a forgotten chapter of medieval Eurasia—where the cross once flew over Sarai's minarets and the steppe echoed with Syriac hymns. #NestorianChristianity #GoldenHorde #Sarai #ChurchOfTheEast #SartaqKhan #KhanUzbek #KeraitTribe #MongolEmpire #MongolChristianity #MarYaballaha #Syriac #SteppeReligion #MedievalHistory #ReligiousTolerance #EurasianHistory #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo