rooms and things

blog dedicated to history, art, architecture, and culture. primarily interested in the middle east and north africa as well as eastern europe. this isn't my main.

[leroibobo]

currently on a hiatus from original posts for a while. this doesn't mean that i won't make original posts at all, but i won't make them as much as i used to. i don't have a consistent schedule and just post whenever i feel like it. this may mean weeks at a time with nothing and then sudden posts. feel free not to follow/to unfollow if you're not into that.

as my blog includes a lot of historical images and items from asia and africa, it's important to note that the context that many of these photos/artifacts come to us from is of colonialism, orientalism, and racism. you can learn more about this via the sources in this post by fellow bloger estera-shirin.

dnis are as effective as "are you 18" popups on porn sites - i'm well aware of how performative they are, let alone that i can't actually stop anyone from interacting with my posts. still, because of what i happen to post as well as some weird interactions i've had throughout this blog's history, i feel obligated to state the following:

🇵🇸🇺🇦 = 👍

i don't look kindly on identity tribalism/chauvanistm ("pan-[anything]", race/religion/nationality/language/etc supremacists/chauvanists, etc) or regime/institution worship (yes, even the one you really like).

if you want to talk about something i wrote in that regard, i'm up for it as long as you're respectful. if you just want to be angry at me, please block me and leave me alone instead. it's not my responsibility to cater my blog to you no matter how egregiously you think i captioned pictures of buildings.

that being said, if i do actually get anything in one of my posts factually wrong, feel free to correct me. (i tend to mute notifications on posts with lots of notes, so i may not always respond to reblogs/replies but my ask box is open.) this blog is informal, i’m not an academic or journalist, and i'm not immune to making mistakes on my posts (though i'll correct myself if i notice) - i'm just someone who likes to learn. feel free to ask any questions you may have too, but again, i'm not a professional.

you can find this blog's tag directory here. icon source here.

[evergreen-femme]

im just so happy i live in a time period where actual meaningful biological transition is possible. even if we lose rights or the ability to exist in public, nothing can turn back the clock on that, and just by having any sort of access to that our lives are made immensely better. millions of our sisters throughout history would never have dreamed of a day where they could have what HRT does for us.

please don't lose the plot of this. if you're a trans person on HRT you're a living miracle, the dream of hundreds of millions of your ancestors. your lives are all deeply meaningful no matter what anyone says.

[t4t4t]

תפילה להפך – מאבן בֹחן | Prayer for Transformation, from the poem "Even Boḥan" by Rabbi Ḳalonymus b. Ḳalonymus ben Meir (1322) • the Open Si

A prayer by Kalonymus b. Kalonymus ben Meir that appears in his poem ספר אבן בוחן, יג Sefer Even Boḥan (§13), describing the author's wish t

[unabashedllamamusic]

Cursed be the one who announced to my father: “It’s a boy!"... ...How could he twist the course of the stars so much? How could he have erred so in his astrology? A lying tongue, a fool’s mouth it had given him For he foolishly transformed justice to poison He altered the law and transposed the lines

Oh, but had the artisan who made me created me instead – a worthy woman... ...I would say "how lucky am I"

Father in heaven who did miracles for our ancestors with fire and water... ...Who would then transform me from a man to woman? Were I only to have merited this being so graced by goodness...

What shall I say? why cry or be bitter? If my father in heaven has decreed upon me and has maimed me with an immutable deformity then I do not wish to remove it. the sorrow of the impossible is a human pain that nothing will cure and for which no comfort can be found. So, I will bear and suffer until I die and wither in the ground. Since I have learned from our tradition that we bless both, the good and the bitter I will bless in a voice hushed and weak: blessed are you [HaShem] who has not made me a woman.

I think I'm gonna go lay down for a little while.

[dumbbitchhour]

Mamluk, Syria, Enamelled glass perfume sprinkler, 13th c. x

[tamamita]

[comorbid-curiosities]

Image description: three screenshots of text.

In 1938, Polish Zionists attempted to make a coordinating committee of Jewish groups to fight against the worsening situation in the country. The Bund refused to join. To explain the decision, their leader Henryk Erlich described how Zionism collaborated with the racist Polish government that sought to expel Jews from the country.

"Zionism, in point of fact, has always been a Siamese twin of antisemitism," Erlich wrote. "Zionism has always regarded the law of force, of nationalistic action, as the normal law of history, and on this law has based its perspectives on Jewish life. In the forty years of its existence, it has always appeared lost and helpless in the presence of any victorious freedom movement [...]. The Zionists regard themselves as second class citizens in Poland. Their aim is to be first class citizens in Palestine and make the Arabs second class citizens."

The establishment of Israel would lead to perpetual war with its neighbors and the people it had dispossessed, Erlich wrote. "If a Jewish state should arise in Palestine; its spiritual climate will be eternal fear of the external enemy (Arabs); eternal struggle fit every bit of ground with the internal enemy (Arabs); and an untiring struggle for the extermination of the language and culture of the non-Hebraized Jews of Palestine [...]. Is this a climate in which freedom, democracy and progress can grow?" Erlich asked. "Indeed, is it not the climate in which reaction and chauvinism ordinarily flourish?"

[reconstructwriter]

Reposting the source:

The War on Memory: Learning from the Jewish Labor Bund

At a time when many Jewish people of the Diaspora are organizing against the Israeli state and its settler colonial mass murders against Pal

[holespoles]

Nichosai (active from before 1751 [Hōreki 1] to around 1802-03 [Kyōwa 2-3]) was an Osaka-based ukiyo-e artist and caricaturist active during the Edo period. A disciple of Kōno school painter Koshiba Hayato, his surname remains unknown. His given name was Hanzaburō, and his common name was Matsuya Hanzaburō [2]. He used the caricature pen name Shuchūsen. He resided near Shin-Nambabashi Bridge in Kyōmachō 3-chome. Originally a sake brewer, he reportedly ran into financial difficulties and later worked as an antique dealer. It is believed he began painting only after transitioning to this business (Ōkubo Jōma, Matsuya Nichosai, Taisho 9 [1920]). His artistic career peaked during the An'ei to Tenmei periods (1772-1789) and continued into the Kansei era. Known for his distinctive Ōba-e style featuring slenderly drawn human limbs, Nichosai was particularly skilled at humor, employing extremely light and delicate brushwork to convey his ideas with remarkable economy. During the An'ei period, his folding fan paintings became extremely popular. He produced numerous works in brush-and-ink, and was also skilled at gidayū narrative chant.

耳鳥斎（にちょうさい、宝暦元年（1751年）以前 - 享和2-3年（1802-03年）頃）とは、江戸時代の大坂の浮世絵師、戯画作者。狩野派の小柴隼人の門人。姓は不明。名は半三郎。俗称松屋半三郎[2]。戯作号を酒中仙といった。京町三丁目新難波橋付近に住んでいた。元来は酒造家であったが、家産を使い果たして骨董商を営んだという。絵を描き始めたのは骨董商になってからと推測される（大久保常麿『松屋耳鳥斎』 大正9年（1920年））。安永から天明期を最盛期として寛政まで活躍した。略筆体で人間の手足を細く描いた個性的な鳥羽絵 で知られており、滑稽の才に富み、極めて軽妙な筆使いによって、粗画でその意を表すのに妙を得た。天明期には耳鳥斎の扇面が非常に流行したといい、肉筆画も多数あり、また、義太夫に巧みであった。

[estera-shirin]

Karaite Machzor for Shavuot, Egypt, 1875 CE

The museum notes: "The final leaves of this manuscript prayer book include a list of names of members of the Karaite (bene’ miqra) community in Egypt, dated Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5635 (April 6, 1875). The list divides the community members among kohanim (Priests), leviim (Levites) and yisraelim (Israelites), and includes 'householders who are married to two women.'"

[leroibobo]

adinkra symbols are a visual shorthand used in akan cultures to represent different concepts and proverbs. although originally used by kings, they went on to be used by everyone else on art, fabric, and architecture.

you can learn more about adinkra symbols and their meanings here:

Discover the rich heritage of African Adinkra symbols—explore their meanings, cultural context, proverbs, and downloadable guides on adinkra

[smsomah]

Earrings; Kurdish or Yezidi; from Armenia, before 1909

[leroibobo]

some photos from the alliance israélite universelle school in jerusalem and damascus taken circa 1903.

the alliance israélite universelle (universal jewish alliance) is a french organization which was founded in 1860 to safeguard jewish rights and promote jewish self-sufficiency around the world. to that end, in the late 19th century, they established french-language schools for jewish children throughout the mediterranean and persia regions. these schools provided jewish children with a good quality education that didn't compromise their cultures. at the same time, like other contemporary european foreign schools abroad, they were also a part of a broader "civilizing mission", in this case in the service of french imperialism. this most prominently came to a head with the crémieux decree in 1870.

these photos come from an article written for french magazine le monde illustré in 1903. the article talks about all of this in succinct detail as the author recounts the progress made in alliance schools in the former syria vilayet of the ottoman empire.

(unsurprisingly, the article contains orientalist, colonialist, and anti-orthodox jewish bias on the part of the author, a simplified view of middle eastern jewish history and identity, and now-outdated language (oriental, moslem, etc), so don't read this if you don't wanna hear any of that.)

[along-the-silkroad]

Han Xizai with three ladies, from "The Night Revels of Han Xizai", a 12th-century Song dynasty handscroll, copy of a 10th-century Southern Tang dynasty composition, by Gu Hongzhong. The Palace Museum, Beijing "The Night Revels of Han Xizai" is a painted handscroll portraying Han Xizai, a minister serving under Li Yu. The narrative unfolds across five successive scenes, showing Han listening to pipa music, watching dancers perform, taking a moment of rest, playing stringed instruments, and finally bidding farewell to his guests.

According to later tradition, Gu Hongzhong was instructed by Li Yu to observe Han Xizai’s private life. One explanation suggests that the emperor wished to understand why Han had declined an offer to serve as prime minister. Another proposes that Han’s frequent absences from early court audiences—caused by his fondness for drinking, banquets, and late-night entertainment—prompted Li Yu to expose his behavior and encourage more dignified conduct.

Beyond its portrayal of an individual, the painting offers a valuable glimpse into elite life during the period. Through careful observation and remarkable attention to detail, the artist captures more than forty figures, each rendered with distinctive expressions and gestures. In doing so, the work not only documents Han Xizai’s private world but also provides a subtle reflection on the social customs and lifestyle of the ruling class.

[parsabad]

Persian carpet/ WikiRug

(hey guys! sorry for low quality image, I couldn't upload this image with better quality)

All kinds of persian carpet designs and patterns

Persian Carpet - WikiRug

[pam3pr]

Decorated doorways, Zaria

Cliff Moughtin, Hausa Architecture, 1985.

[k0sher]

Well, in light of all the dumb decisions duolingo is making right now, here's a few free/accessible resources for learning Yiddish:

Ultimate Yiddish Resources Masterpost

Yiddish/Ladino Queer Vocab Glossary

And some free PDFs:

Basic Yiddish: A Grammar and Workbook, by Rebecca Margolis

A Manual and Grammar of the Yiddish Language, by J. Mazin

Colloquial Yiddish: The Complete Course for Beginners, by Lily Kahn

Idisch y Latinoamerica, by Eliahu Toker

English-Yiddish Dictionary, by Alexander Harkevy

Cursive Alef Beys Writing Practice, YIVO standard, from YBC

Digital Yiddish Library, over 12k titles for free, from YBC

[leroibobo]

a good resource for all jewish languages is jewishlanguages.org :)

[leroibobo]

jangchung cathedral in pyongyang, north korea. this church is one of three built in pyongyang in the late 1980s to showcase freedom of religion in the country. full services are offered only to those with a catholic family background, while other christians are persecuted.

as in the south, north korean christians are either protestant or roman catholic, a result of 18th-20th century european missionary work in the peninsula. pyongyang once housed a large christian population and was known as "korean jerusalem". however, all the old churches in the country were destroyed or appropriated by japanese/american carpet bombing campaigns during world war ii/the korean war respectively, and as the new atheist government took hold of the region afterwards.

rather than rome, this cathedral is under the jurisdiction of the korean catholic association, a governmental organization and catholic counterpart to the protestant korean christian administration. this means that it has no resident bishops or priests; masses are offered only by foreign clergy. the building also houses a noodle factory which is financially supported by the roman catholic archdiocese of seoul and catholic korean-americans.

[leroibobo]

chilgol church in pyongyang, north korea. the initial church was founded in 1899, and attended by kang pan-sok, a presbyterian deaconess and mother of north korean leader kim il-sung. it was destroyed during the korean war and rebuilt in 1989 in its original style. a museum dedicated to kang is located nearby.

as in the south, north korean christians are either protestant or roman catholic, a result of 18th-20th century european missionary work in the peninsula. pyongyang once housed a large christian population and was known as "korean jerusalem". however, all the old churches in the country were destroyed or appropriated by japanese/american carpet bombing campaigns during world war ii/the korean war respectively, and as the new atheist government took hold of the region afterwards.

the church today is non-denominational protestant. it's overseen by the korean christian administration, the protestant body in the country which was founded in 1946 by christians who joined the new government. it's one of three built in pyongyang in the late 1980s to showcase freedom of religion in the country. it's likely that services are offered only to pyongyangers with a christian family background, while other christians are persecuted.

[tinyuglyworld]

Christians at the Church of the Living Giving Trinity in Pyongyang, North Korea

[leroibobo]

north korea is not a friend of christianity, but there's a small number of worshippers in pyongyang who are able to attend church, likely due to good standing plus a family history of churchgoing. it's about showing up international criticism without towing the party line rather than genuine religious freedom. several former eastern bloc countries once did the same thing - state-sponsored, geopolitically appropriate, and watered-down religion is approved, and people otherwise worship in secret or else risk reprimand. the only differences with north korea are the family history aspect and the country's politics being consistently centered around a cult of personality throughout its history.

what surprises me about this is that orthodox christianity doesn't have any real historical presence in korea. peninsular korean christians were/are pretty much entirely protestant or roman catholic. the three other churches in pyongyang are catholic and protestant, corresponding with the historical pattern despite essentially being showpieces. it seems like kim jong-il had the church of the life-giving trinity built after being inspired by a trip to russia in the 2000s.

makes me wonder - assuming the worshippers are locals (they could be from an eastern european country) and genuine, how did they get there? my only guesses are that, with how watered down north korean christianity is, they don't care too much about denomination so long as they get to be in church, or they were asked to attend this church so it wouldn't just be diplomats. probably both at once.

for comparison, there's pretty much zero history of islam on the peninsula, and north korea's one mosque is in one of pyongyang's embassies (i think the iranian embassy). it's just for diplomats.

[smsomah]

looking at bedouin life from decades ago, or really any tribal / semi-nomadic communities, and noticing the same thing over and over:

the women are always working. carrying, building, tending, raising, sustaining everything.

[smsomah]

On The Move: Women of the Desert | حياة الترحال من منظور جديد: نساء الصحراء

i remember reading about it in bedouins of qatar; women still doing the hardest labor while pregnant, while fasting

there's this one scene where the camp is being moved: the men sit down, exhausted, and the women just keep going. building the tents and holding everything together