There has been a surge in the number of people searching for their family ancestry, enabled by access to digitised records, DNA testing and genome mapping. While ancestry platforms are currently focused on Western societies, where migration data, birth and death registers have been maintained for centuries, other societies have long established written or oral traditions to honour family ancestry.

Why does family history matter to so many? A Canadian university asked the question “Why do we derive satisfaction from knowing who our ancestors were?” The responses mostly focused on a search for identity and being part of larger histories.

We can find things down to the nano level, but we can’t find ourselves today. Some just want to make connections with someone famous, others want to recognise the sacrifices and struggles of ancestors. Heritage tourism is a new phenomenon, with visits to towns and villages of ancestors.

The present 79th descendant of Confucius, Kung Tsui-chang, holds the post of Sacrificial Official, tasked with keeping his ancestor’s teachings alive. Esin Çelebi Bayru is vice president of the International Mevlana Foundation. She is the 22nd generation of Maulana Rumi. The mini-series Roots and the film Black Panther........

© Dawn (Magazines)