From Natsagdorj to the Arab World: Mongolia’s Literature Finds a New Voice

Cairo, Egypt — September 2026

Mongolia’s literary heritage is finding a new voice in the Arab world through the work of Egyptian writer, poet and journalist Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, whose recent translation of D. Natsagdorj’s celebrated poem My Native Land into Arabic has opened another bridge between Mongolian and Arab literary cultures.

The Embassy of Mongolia in Cairo recently welcomed Dr. Aboul-Yazid for a meeting focused on literature, poetry, translation, journalism and cultural exchange. The Embassy highlighted his continuing efforts to introduce Mongolian literature and cultural heritage to Arabic-speaking audiences.

Dr. Aboul-Yazid travelled to Mongolia in August to participate in the international “Motherland” Poetry Festival, organized in connection with the 120th anniversary of the birth of Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj, widely regarded as a founding figure of modern Mongolian literature.

During his journey, Aboul-Yazid visited Natsagdorj’s birthplace and important historical and cultural sites, met Mongolian writers and poets, and took part in literary and cultural exchange activities. His experience became the foundation for a series of travel essays under the title “Mongolia: A Homeland of Poetry, Music and Memory,” bringing Mongolia’s landscapes, cultural memory, literary traditions and contemporary identity to readers beyond Mongolia.

The essays have appeared in Arabic and English through influential Egyptian and regional media, including Ahram Online, as well as through The Silk Road Today, the international cultural and literary publication for which Aboul-Yazid serves as Editor-in-Chief.

The Embassy noted that these publications are making a meaningful contribution to presenting Mongolian literature, cultural heritage and contemporary life to the Arab-speaking world.

At the Cairo meeting, the two sides also discussed expanding cooperation through literature, poetry, translation and media, with the shared aim of promoting Mongolia in Africa and the Arab-speaking countries while creating opportunities to introduce the histories and cultures of African and Arab countries to Mongolian readers.

For Aboul-Yazid, the project goes beyond translation. It is part of a broader literary journey along the Silk Road—one in which poetry becomes a meeting place for peoples, memories and civilizations.

From the homeland celebrated by Natsagdorj to the Arabic-speaking world discovering his poetry today, the journey continues: a poem crosses a language, and a culture crosses a border.

Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid is Secretary-General of the Congress of African Journalists and Editor-in-Chief of The Silk Road Today, an international cultural and literary publication. His work has long focused on connecting writers, cultures and literary traditions across Asia, Africa and the wider Silk Road world.