Azu | Medieval + Early Modern

The anxiety I have been feeling over the past few weeks is crippling my ability to create content, to focus on my dreams and my future—and I can’t help but ask, why does it feel like no one is doing anything?

Are border towns and cities meant to become ghost towns? People are being told not to leave their houses unless they have to. Individuals are being unjustly detained outside of bakeries and grocery stores, is this what life is now?

I’ve seen fellow academics stop attending lectures all together, dropping from planned seminars and excursions. Independent of the topic of “immigration” I live in an area where people cross the border legally on a daily basis for work and studies. Traffic is SIGNIFICANTLY lower.

Often I remain silent to avoid drawing attention to myself. But if this administration has taught me anything so far is that my future became uncertain overnight. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared shitless.

A thread of concern:

Trump May Wish to Abolish the Past. We Historians Will Not. Commentary from the heads of two prominent historical associations on Trump’s recent executive order on “radical indoctrination” in schools.

“Historians differ in our understandings of the past. We do not differ in our commitment to evidence or the integrity of our discipline… Our society has never needed us quite as much as now.”

newrepublic.com/article/1912...

My academic trauma is a professor telling me that the Ottoman imperial harem is a poor excuse of power, when I argued that the SOW had to have some effect in the way “progressive” ideals infiltrated the empire.

I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless the way I was that day.

I just lost my job, along with most of my coworkers, due to the illegal grant freeze.
I worked at an organization that
-helped veterans who have lost a limb
-Assisted elderly and disabled people
-Helped hospitals better treat people who have lost limbs

NVM there’s no department of education

And it’s always some random face mask or eye cream, too! Lol

What Things Were Worth in the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net Discover how medieval societies defined worth—not just in gold and wages, but through symbolic treasures, priceless gifts, and the stories objects carried.

What Things Were Worth in the Middle Ages https://www.medievalists.net/2025/01/what-things-were-worth-in-the-middle-ages/ #medievalsky

Do I even have to say anything? 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

a man in a suit is playing a violin while another man plays a double bass ALT: a man in a suit is playing a violin while another man plays a double bass

The vibes today/tonight

That’s exactly why, lol! He’s a husky/german mix so winter is his favorite season. We’ve had the neighbors call the cops on us in the past and the cops end up apologizing for bothering us. 😂

This little guy refuses to come inside despite it being freaking cold outside 🥶😭

Don’t we all? 😭

1-As a result of the great Mongol invasion in the 13th century, the vast Abbasid library and archival records in Baghdad, as well as the archives of the Seljuk Empire in the 13th century and those of the Ottoman State in the 14th century in Anatolia, were largely destroyed.

When I tell you I never get tired of reading this? I mean it. 😩 #history #medievalhistory @rmkarras.bsky.social

YouTube makes me feel really stressed for our future.

The level of listening comprehension is truly stunning.

I would suggest these! Happy shopping!

#history #medievalhistory

Of course! After the initial letter, they did keep correspondence over the years. Mainly involving trade, but Murad’s consort, Haseki Safiye Sultan, also kept more casual correspondence with Elizabeth. Happy to help!

March of 1579 if I’m not mistake—the first letter to Elizabeth from Sultan Murad III. Or rather, written on his behalf.

*Sultan Murad III addresses Elizabeth I in a series of many letters, originally written in Ottoman Turkish, as per the odd translation of England and Elizabeth, which was later translated into Latin for the Queen. Since the comments under this post seem to have their panties in a twist over it.

A brief intro since we have a word limit, lol.

Hello! My name is Azucena and I’m a history academic, focusing on the research of women and prostitution in the middle/later medieval era. Occasionally my studies lead me to dabble into early modern history and the slave trade of the Ottoman harem.

In case you didn't know, librarians are educated professionals with a master's degree and don't just willy nilly buy any old books for their libraries.

On today’s episode of Azu’s hyper-focus of the day:

Cyrus is killed and Queen Tomyris defiles his body by cutting off his head and thrusting it in a skin full of human blood as revenge for the death of her son.

#history #ancienthistory #queentomyris #cyrusthegreat

This needs to be said, loud, and often.

When I tell you I haven’t been able to put this book down 😩

#history #medici #lorenzodemedici #clariceorsini #therenaissance