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cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
@cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
460 followers 230 following 30 posts
MPhil Islamic Art and Architecture, Oxford.

Ottoman architecture and the lands of Mâverâünnehir. Ertegun Graduate Scholar in the Humanities, Khalili Research Centre+St Cross College. Also translator, Hindi and Urdu to English. very 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
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cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
A small announcement: I'm happy to share that this October, I start my DPhil at New College, Oxford! My research will be supported by the Oxford-Nizami Ganjavi Graduate Scholarship for studies of Central Asia, Azerbaijan and the Caucasus 🧿🧿 @newcollegeoxf.bsky.social
blue and white tiles from the shrine of ahmad yasavi, kazakhstan
April 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
premthakker.bsky.social
New from Rumeysa Ozturk's lawyer:

Rumeysa hasn't been accused of any crime & "DHS has not produced any evidence" that she did anything unlawful.

Rumeysa wasn't able to speak to her lawyer for 24+ hours & not until after she was in Louisiana — despite a court order that she not be moved from Mass.
"Statement from Mahsa Khanbabai of Khanbabai Immigration Law, representing Rumeysa Ozturk March 27, 2025 Masked DHS agents unlawfully arrested my client Rumeysa Ozturk, a Fulbright scholar and graduate student residing in Massachusetts on a valid student visa. It was only late Wednesday evening that I learned that she was sent to Louisiana, despite a federal court order that she not be removed from Massachusetts. Roughly 24 hours after her arrest, Rumeysa was processed at her final detention facility after being driven to multiple government offices in New England and flown to Louisiana on early Wednesday morning. Throughout that period of time, my client was not charged or given the opportunity to speak with a lawyer. I had the opportunity to speak with Rumeysa late Wednesday night and she was grateful to finally get an explanation of what was happening to her and to learn of all the community support she has. By now the public has seen video of the terrifying moments of when a group of DHS agents — wearing plain clothes and masks — surrounded Rumeysa on the street while she was on her way to meet friends to break her fast for Ramadan. This appears to be a pattern: ICE stalking Muslim students as they are heading to or from iftar to break their fast. As you can see in the video, DHS agents grabbed at her clothes, her hands, and her backpack before detaining her and taking her to an unknown location, in an unmarked car. Nothing in this video indicates that these are law enforcement agents and from which agency. This video should shake everyone to their core. Rumeysa is a Fulbright scholar and a gifted PhD student studying Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, a stark contrast to the Trump administration’s baseless claims about Rumeysa." "Rumeysa, like all of us in America, is entitled to express her opinions freely. Now, she is being unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration simply because she co-authored an op-ed calling for Palestinians to have basic human rights. Rumeysa has not been accused of committing any crime and DHS has not produced any evidence that she was engaged in any unlawful activities. Meanwhile, there is plenty of evidence of U.S. supplied bombs being dropped on Gaza killing over 1,000 people, including over 250 children in the last week. It appears the only thing Rumeysa is being targeted for is her right to free speech. This case is just one piece of the puzzle in the Trump administration’s broader campaign to attack any student, green card holder, or human rights defender associated with the peaceful movement against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We should all be horrified at the way DHS abducted Rumeysa in broad daylight. No person, regardless of their citizenship status, should be targeted over their views, especially in support of human rights. The federal government’s blatant disregard for the court decision sets a dangerous precedent for us as a country and worldwide. If the U.S. president doesn’t have to listen to a federal court order, what does that mean for the rest of the world? Over 2,000 people attended a rally in Somerville on Wednesday in support of Rumeysa, demonstrating the American people will not accept the dismantling of our Constitution. We are working urgently to secure Rumeysa’s immediate release and her safe return home."
March 28, 2025 at 2:07 AM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
yeni yılınız hayırlı olsun oomflar
meme template of "that one friend that's..." from TikTok with a figure wearing a red-pointed Safavid turban
January 1, 2025 at 11:58 AM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
The classic policing of cultural institutions and spaces in India is quite surprising to say the least. Even spaces such as the vaunted Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi refuse to allow people to take pictures of an architectural marvel designed by Joseph Allen Stein.
December 28, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
ertegunhouse.bsky.social
Our first post is dedicated to Mica Ertegun, our benefactor, who passed away a year ago today. The Ertegun Alumni Society organised a memorial event at the end of October, with the help of @ox.ac.uk to celebrate Mica's life.
December 2, 2024 at 6:35 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
I 'speak' 9 languages:

-English
-Panjabi
-Urdu
-Hindi
-Spanish
-French
-Persian
-Turkish (and Ottoman Turkish)
-Hungarian (a tiny bit)
yutyranus.bsky.social naboovian emissary @yutyranus.bsky.social · Nov 27
I speak 3 languages:

Telugu
English
Hindi/Dakhni
sebongcloud.bsky.social ree ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ 🍉 @sebongcloud.bsky.social · Nov 25
I speak 4 languages:

- English
- Telugu
- Tamil
- Hindi

What about yall? 🤠
November 27, 2024 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
barnabyphillips.bsky.social
One small story of return. 1974 Christie's auctioned this Asante hat decorated with gold leaf. 'The Property of a Lady...Taken by Lt Cowan...from the dressingroom of Asantehene Kofi Karikari, 1874'
November 20, 2024 at 9:33 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
taulby.bsky.social
An era of universities crippling the future of the humanities and social sciences for digital slop is an incredible thing to watch unfold as a humanist.
November 19, 2024 at 6:55 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
Arkadaşlar, arkadaşlar: working on a list for scholars working in Ottoman Studies. Please ask to be added!
November 19, 2024 at 12:53 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
ʿĀşıḳpaşazāde being an icon.

"Savâl: Bu Bektaşiler iderler kim «yeñiçerilerün başındaki tac Hâci Bektâşiñdür» dirler"
"Cevap: yalândür."
Ottoman printed text from ʿĀşıḳpaşazāde's history.
November 18, 2024 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
stephenniem.bsky.social
It's here! A very incipient starter pack for the art, architecture, and archaeology of the Islamic world. This is just a first quick effort, please let me know if I can add you or others so we can build up this community!
November 16, 2024 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
themedievaldrk.bsky.social
Just described the hiring freeze in UKHE as "so hard you could drive a truck on it" and now I'm imagining nice little ice-fishing huts, each sheltering its own job-seeker watching their bright flag in the dark water, someone out with a cart selling coffee and donuts. Really make it festive.
November 18, 2024 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
hetanshah.bsky.social
Shocking news. 36% of UK children are living in poverty according to the latest Social Metrics Commission research (I am one of the Commissioners)
www.theguardian.com/society/2024...
Graph showing poverty levels including child poverty reaching 36%
November 18, 2024 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
brexitblocklist.bsky.social
The description for our public "Anti-LGBTQ+ Bigotry" blocklist has been updated to include accounts which amplify hateful content posted by others.

bsky.app/profile/brex...
November 18, 2024 at 2:22 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
autumn and oxford; yet another love letter.
a dark photograph at twilight with two glowing lamps inside a gothic arch silhouttes of architecture including one of the towers of the bodleian libraries in oxford, with an orange lamp in focus the skyline of oxford's spires at sunset the bridge of sighs in oxford over an alley, with autumn foliage in the foreground
November 18, 2024 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
ryancordell.org
Y’all @grantls.bsky.social brought over his old iBook to donate to @skeuomorph.bsky.social - not only is it in beautiful working order, it has some og digital humanities projects on it, like this interactive edition of the Bayeux Tapestry
A closed Apple iBook laptop, being held by its built-in handle An Apple iBook laptop open with the Mac OS 9.2 boot screen displayed An Apple iBook laptop open with with os 9.2 desktop running An Apple iBook laptop open with a digital edition of the Bayeux Tapestry displayed
November 17, 2024 at 10:57 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
Ikincîsî, selâtîn ve egnîyânlaruñ merkad-ı purnürleri üzerine bîna mâmur ile kubbâb sürîye(?)den olan türbe-i purnürler binâ itmîşlerdir.

"Second, sultans and rich men built illuminated mausolea consisting of splendid buildings and remarkable domes over their light filled graves." trans. Z. Yürekli
A printed version of an Ottoman text in Nesih.
November 18, 2024 at 9:52 AM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
yutyranus.bsky.social
#Intro:

Hello, I'm yutyrannus! (i dont like my real name up here, but iykyk)

I am a queer man from India, living in London these days for my postgraduate degree. I do tech policy and regulation irl, but on here I want to mainly talk about pop music, books, telugu culture, dinosaurs and birding!
November 16, 2024 at 3:49 PM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
RT — looking for fellow Ottomanists, Islamic art historians and Central Asianists. Eyvallâh!
November 17, 2024 at 11:07 AM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
aleschreiber.me
I'm trying to build a feed that highlights the diverse voices in the literary world, particularly those involved in literary translation (all language combinations).
So, #literarytranslators out there, help me complete this #starterpack and let me know if you'd like to be added.

go.bsky.app/SurjbAj
November 17, 2024 at 10:26 AM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
Mughal historians – please stop saying 'Turkish' when you mean Chaghatai instead of Ottoman, or one amongst a myriad from an entire language family.
November 16, 2024 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by ਅਕਸ਼ਜ Akshaj, (they/he/elle/él)
dandavidprize.org
Nominations for the 2024 Dan David Prize are open 📢

Nominate exceptional early or midcareer scholars & practitioners - in any discipline - whose work illuminates the human past in bold and creative ways.

Winners will be awarded $300K each Deadline: Oct 11, 2023 dandavidprize.org/nominate/
An hourglass shape with an 18th century print of an Indian man in one corner, and the logo of the Dan David Prize, also shaped like an hourglass, on the bottom. Text reads: Call for Nominations: the 2024 Dan David Prize, $300,000 to celebrate and support outstanding research in all historical disciplines. Winners: are early and midcareer researchers, both within and outside academia, produce creative and original work that illuminates the human past, impact their fields and have strong potential for future contributions.
September 11, 2023 at 8:35 AM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
The wholesale destruction of centuries-old funerary complex – awful news.

www.worldofinteriors.com/story/city-o...
August 27, 2023 at 8:47 AM
cevahirulebrar.bsky.social
what's wild is not seeing promoted tweets and ads; I'd gotten so used to filtering them out after a point.
August 19, 2023 at 5:07 PM