Soraya Stanbul’s life, like the silent stones of Mowbray Cemetery, speaks to the complex intersections of identity, history, and belonging in South Africa.
Born in Cape Town in 1924, Soraya’s journey was shaped by a legacy that stretches across continents and centuries, tracing back to her grandmother Zainab, who was brought to Cape Town from Istanbul in the late 19th century. Zainab’s story itself is a tale of migration, resilience, and adaptation, a thread that would weave itself into the life of her granddaughter, Soraya.
Zainab’s journey to South Africa began long before Soraya was born. In 1883, Zainab, a young woman from Istanbul, was married to Sheikh Mohammed Modani, a learned professor from Medina. Their marriage was celebrated in Cape Town with traditional Muslim rites, an event that marked…
