Arezou Azad
@arezouazad.bsky.social
Prof & researcher, INALCO & Oxford, history, Middle East & Afghanistan, former UN staffer
Invisible East Digital Corpus 2.0 now live! Highlights of new features:
1️⃣: Live Corpus Explorer
✨Visualise 515 texts in multiple language
✨Select “types” & disaggregate btw administrative, legal & literary documents.
✨Toggle Sub-types
Check: bit.ly/4vGpbu5
1️⃣: Live Corpus Explorer
✨Visualise 515 texts in multiple language
✨Select “types” & disaggregate btw administrative, legal & literary documents.
✨Toggle Sub-types
Check: bit.ly/4vGpbu5
Invisible East Digital Corpus
Invisible East is a research programme on the 8th-13th century Islamicate world in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
bit.ly
July 1, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Invisible East Digital Corpus 2.0 now live! Highlights of new features:
1️⃣: Live Corpus Explorer
✨Visualise 515 texts in multiple language
✨Select “types” & disaggregate btw administrative, legal & literary documents.
✨Toggle Sub-types
Check: bit.ly/4vGpbu5
1️⃣: Live Corpus Explorer
✨Visualise 515 texts in multiple language
✨Select “types” & disaggregate btw administrative, legal & literary documents.
✨Toggle Sub-types
Check: bit.ly/4vGpbu5
And it's out today, after 10 years of work on the first interdisciplinary volume dedicated to pre-Mongol Balkh: one of the greatest medieval cities of all times ! Details here: bit.ly/3SsZEG8 @BloomsburyBooks
June 25, 2026 at 7:09 PM
And it's out today, after 10 years of work on the first interdisciplinary volume dedicated to pre-Mongol Balkh: one of the greatest medieval cities of all times ! Details here: bit.ly/3SsZEG8 @BloomsburyBooks
Delighted to be speaking at the fantastic Aix-Marseille University about Orientalism, the Silk Roads and Hidden Histories of Afghanistan and the Iranian world on Wednesday 3 June at the kind invitation of Prof Arietta Papaconstantinou and her @European Research Council project team !
June 2, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Delighted to be speaking at the fantastic Aix-Marseille University about Orientalism, the Silk Roads and Hidden Histories of Afghanistan and the Iranian world on Wednesday 3 June at the kind invitation of Prof Arietta Papaconstantinou and her @European Research Council project team !
Delighted Invisible East Digital Corpus has won 2025 Digital Humanities award in 1 category! Thanks to all who voted for us. We dedicate this to people of Bamiyan, Ghorband, Panjshir, Firuzkuh, Ghur, Qom area, & other places from which our texts stem @arezouazad.bsky.social @dhawards.bsky.social
May 29, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Delighted Invisible East Digital Corpus has won 2025 Digital Humanities award in 1 category! Thanks to all who voted for us. We dedicate this to people of Bamiyan, Ghorband, Panjshir, Firuzkuh, Ghur, Qom area, & other places from which our texts stem @arezouazad.bsky.social @dhawards.bsky.social
Looking forward to discussing my dear colleague and friend Yossi Rapoport's new book, Becoming Arab (Princeton, Oxford, 2025): Join us if you are in London on Wed 20 May at 5 pm at Queen Mary University of London: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yossef-rap... @invisibleeast.bsky.social
Yossef Rapoport Book Launch: Becoming Arab:
Yossef Rapoport, Becoming Arab: The formation of Arab Identity in the Medieval Middle East (Princeton UP, 2025)
www.eventbrite.co.uk
May 16, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Looking forward to discussing my dear colleague and friend Yossi Rapoport's new book, Becoming Arab (Princeton, Oxford, 2025): Join us if you are in London on Wed 20 May at 5 pm at Queen Mary University of London: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yossef-rap... @invisibleeast.bsky.social
Reposted by Arezou Azad
🎉The first 3 books have now published in The Islamicate East series, edited by @arezouazad.bsky.social, Hugh Kennedy and Teresa Bernheimer🎉 @invisibleeast.bsky.social
Find out more at edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-the-i...
Find out more at edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-the-i...
March 2, 2026 at 10:48 AM
🎉The first 3 books have now published in The Islamicate East series, edited by @arezouazad.bsky.social, Hugh Kennedy and Teresa Bernheimer🎉 @invisibleeast.bsky.social
Find out more at edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-the-i...
Find out more at edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-the-i...
Reposted by Arezou Azad
A great launch at the home of @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social for our Programme Director @arezouazad.bsky.social's latest volumes in @edinburghup.bsky.social's Islamicate East series. The assembled guests enjoyed an overview of 'The Warehouse of Bamiyan - Economic Life in Medieval Afghanistan' 1/2
March 5, 2026 at 4:56 PM
A great launch at the home of @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social for our Programme Director @arezouazad.bsky.social's latest volumes in @edinburghup.bsky.social's Islamicate East series. The assembled guests enjoyed an overview of 'The Warehouse of Bamiyan - Economic Life in Medieval Afghanistan' 1/2
Reposted by Arezou Azad
New on the blog - Pejman Firoozbakhsh and @arezouazad.bsky.social on the enduring fascination of the Barmakids, and on what this newly translated story cycle has to tell us.
#MedievalSky
euppublishingblog.com/2026/04/07/q...
#MedievalSky
euppublishingblog.com/2026/04/07/q...
Q&A: The Rise and Fall of the Barmakids - Edinburgh University Press Blog
Tales of courtly intrigue, moral testing, romance and reversals of fortune from a rare Persian manuscript…
euppublishingblog.com
April 7, 2026 at 5:47 PM
New on the blog - Pejman Firoozbakhsh and @arezouazad.bsky.social on the enduring fascination of the Barmakids, and on what this newly translated story cycle has to tell us.
#MedievalSky
euppublishingblog.com/2026/04/07/q...
#MedievalSky
euppublishingblog.com/2026/04/07/q...
Reposted by Arezou Azad
New on the @edinburghup.bsky.social blog: @arezouazad.bsky.social discusses her latest book with Pejman Firoozbakhsh.
Enjoy a fascinating taster of stories from this translation of the Akhbār-i Barmakiyān in @bodleian.ox.ac.uk's manuscript Ouseley 217: bit.ly/BarmakidsQandA
#Barmakids #Persian
Enjoy a fascinating taster of stories from this translation of the Akhbār-i Barmakiyān in @bodleian.ox.ac.uk's manuscript Ouseley 217: bit.ly/BarmakidsQandA
#Barmakids #Persian
April 9, 2026 at 12:43 PM
New on the @edinburghup.bsky.social blog: @arezouazad.bsky.social discusses her latest book with Pejman Firoozbakhsh.
Enjoy a fascinating taster of stories from this translation of the Akhbār-i Barmakiyān in @bodleian.ox.ac.uk's manuscript Ouseley 217: bit.ly/BarmakidsQandA
#Barmakids #Persian
Enjoy a fascinating taster of stories from this translation of the Akhbār-i Barmakiyān in @bodleian.ox.ac.uk's manuscript Ouseley 217: bit.ly/BarmakidsQandA
#Barmakids #Persian
Reposted by Arezou Azad
Our Programme Director, @arezouazad.bsky.social, was honoured to deliver the Heshmat Moayyad Lecture at the University of Chicago yesterday.
Arezou presented research from our team, as well as the latest books in The Islamicate East series with @edinburghup.bsky.social. 1/3
Arezou presented research from our team, as well as the latest books in The Islamicate East series with @edinburghup.bsky.social. 1/3
April 9, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Our Programme Director, @arezouazad.bsky.social, was honoured to deliver the Heshmat Moayyad Lecture at the University of Chicago yesterday.
Arezou presented research from our team, as well as the latest books in The Islamicate East series with @edinburghup.bsky.social. 1/3
Arezou presented research from our team, as well as the latest books in The Islamicate East series with @edinburghup.bsky.social. 1/3
Reposted by Arezou Azad
Register now for Monday's virtual launch of @arezouazad.bsky.social's latest titles with Pejman Firoozbakhsh 'The Warehouse of Bamiyan' & 'The Rise and Fall of the Barmakids': bit.ly/TorontoBookLaunch
New in The Islamicate East series for @edinburghup.bsky.social
#Bamiyan #Barmakids #Afghanistan
New in The Islamicate East series for @edinburghup.bsky.social
#Bamiyan #Barmakids #Afghanistan
April 21, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Register now for Monday's virtual launch of @arezouazad.bsky.social's latest titles with Pejman Firoozbakhsh 'The Warehouse of Bamiyan' & 'The Rise and Fall of the Barmakids': bit.ly/TorontoBookLaunch
New in The Islamicate East series for @edinburghup.bsky.social
#Bamiyan #Barmakids #Afghanistan
New in The Islamicate East series for @edinburghup.bsky.social
#Bamiyan #Barmakids #Afghanistan
A little preview of our forthcoming book!
📚 New on the blog!
@arezouazad.bsky.social rediscovers Bamiyan’s medieval archives, revealing a diverse, literate and interconnected Islamicate society in Afghanistan.
Have a read:
@arezouazad.bsky.social rediscovers Bamiyan’s medieval archives, revealing a diverse, literate and interconnected Islamicate society in Afghanistan.
Have a read:
The Warehouse of Bamiyan: Q&A with Arezou Azad - Edinburgh University Press Blog
Arezou Azad rediscovers Bamiyan’s medieval archives, revealing a diverse, literate and interconnected Islamicate society in Afghanistan.
edin.ac
November 26, 2025 at 10:59 AM
A little preview of our forthcoming book!
Reposted by Arezou Azad
This document features in the latest launch on our digital corpus - as well as in November's Document of the Month, 'A History of Two Iranian Festivals: Nawrūz and Sada' by Simone Cristoforetti: bit.ly/NawruzandSada.
#digitalhumanities #medievalsky #BamiyanPapers #NewPersian
#digitalhumanities #medievalsky #BamiyanPapers #NewPersian
November 18, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This document features in the latest launch on our digital corpus - as well as in November's Document of the Month, 'A History of Two Iranian Festivals: Nawrūz and Sada' by Simone Cristoforetti: bit.ly/NawruzandSada.
#digitalhumanities #medievalsky #BamiyanPapers #NewPersian
#digitalhumanities #medievalsky #BamiyanPapers #NewPersian
I am absolutely thrilled about this recognition and grateful to @OxLifelongLearn for being such an incredible supporter of our work to showcase the 'little people' with huge voices in medieval Islamicate lands. @invisibleeast.bsky.social @mideastmedieval.bsky.social
Our PI @arezouazad.bsky.social was shortlisted for 'Researcher of the Year' @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social's Inspiring Excellence People Awards last month. She was honoured to be nominated by colleagues for her work on the medieval Islamicate East.
#medievalsky #skystorian #oxforduniversity
#medievalsky #skystorian #oxforduniversity
July 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I am absolutely thrilled about this recognition and grateful to @OxLifelongLearn for being such an incredible supporter of our work to showcase the 'little people' with huge voices in medieval Islamicate lands. @invisibleeast.bsky.social @mideastmedieval.bsky.social
Reposted by Arezou Azad
#Teachers! We're developing a schools programme, based on our research, aimed at 11-18 year-olds, and would love your input! Do you teach #silkroads, the #middleeast, or want help adding more diverse topics to your #curriculum? Take & share our survey: forms.office.com/e/bV8bQW63wd
#history #edusky
#history #edusky
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
July 15, 2025 at 9:15 AM
#Teachers! We're developing a schools programme, based on our research, aimed at 11-18 year-olds, and would love your input! Do you teach #silkroads, the #middleeast, or want help adding more diverse topics to your #curriculum? Take & share our survey: forms.office.com/e/bV8bQW63wd
#history #edusky
#history #edusky
Hugely proud of invisibleeast.bsky.social and grateful to @oxfordlifelonglearning.bsky.social for nominating us for Academic Excellence OLLIE award! Each team member made a unique contribution but today I single out programme manager Hayley Smith (in pic) for her enthusiasm & professionalism !
July 14, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Hugely proud of invisibleeast.bsky.social and grateful to @oxfordlifelonglearning.bsky.social for nominating us for Academic Excellence OLLIE award! Each team member made a unique contribution but today I single out programme manager Hayley Smith (in pic) for her enthusiasm & professionalism !
So true @rachelbridgewater.bsky.social ! Do pick one up at the EUP stand if you haven't already, @imc-leeds.bsky.social goers!
Great to catch up with @arezouazad.bsky.social at #IMC2025 and get inordinately excited about flyers for the new Islamicate East series. Who doesn't love a flyer??
Our PI @arezouazad.bsky.social was delighted to connect with @rachelbridgewater.bsky.social, the Commissioning Editor of our series with @edinburghup.bsky.social, @imc-leeds.bsky.social this week.
Read all about it! bit.ly/TheIslamicateEast
#imcleeds2025 #medievalsky #skystorian #theislamicateeast
Read all about it! bit.ly/TheIslamicateEast
#imcleeds2025 #medievalsky #skystorian #theislamicateeast
July 9, 2025 at 7:02 PM
So true @rachelbridgewater.bsky.social ! Do pick one up at the EUP stand if you haven't already, @imc-leeds.bsky.social goers!
Fantastic event at sides of 'Treasured' exhibition on heritage challenges for scholars, hosted @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social under stewardship of @richove.bsky.social, @wetpaint63.bsky.social with panel: Xa Sturgis, Silke Ackermann, Maja Kominko, Ahmad Mohammed, Nabi Saqee. Photo: Matthew Weait
July 3, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Fantastic event at sides of 'Treasured' exhibition on heritage challenges for scholars, hosted @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social under stewardship of @richove.bsky.social, @wetpaint63.bsky.social with panel: Xa Sturgis, Silke Ackermann, Maja Kominko, Ahmad Mohammed, Nabi Saqee. Photo: Matthew Weait
Reposted by Arezou Azad
It's a beautiful Spring day in #Oxford & we wish our followers a happy Naw Rūz/Nowruz!
Nabi Saqee writes on references to #Nowruz in the #Bamiyan Papers, as well as special Nowruz traditions in #Afghanistan, in our blog: bit.ly/IENowruz
#persiannewyear #digitalcorpus #documents #medievalsky
Nabi Saqee writes on references to #Nowruz in the #Bamiyan Papers, as well as special Nowruz traditions in #Afghanistan, in our blog: bit.ly/IENowruz
#persiannewyear #digitalcorpus #documents #medievalsky
March 20, 2025 at 4:51 PM
It's a beautiful Spring day in #Oxford & we wish our followers a happy Naw Rūz/Nowruz!
Nabi Saqee writes on references to #Nowruz in the #Bamiyan Papers, as well as special Nowruz traditions in #Afghanistan, in our blog: bit.ly/IENowruz
#persiannewyear #digitalcorpus #documents #medievalsky
Nabi Saqee writes on references to #Nowruz in the #Bamiyan Papers, as well as special Nowruz traditions in #Afghanistan, in our blog: bit.ly/IENowruz
#persiannewyear #digitalcorpus #documents #medievalsky
Happy Persian new year, happy nowruz, happy Spring equinox! 🍀🌷🍀🌷
March 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Happy Persian new year, happy nowruz, happy Spring equinox! 🍀🌷🍀🌷
Our very own Mateen Arghandehpour on BBC 4's In Our Time this Thursday 13 March at 9 am UK time to talk about Cyrus the Great! Tune in here: buff.ly/jsH4kRd
March 11, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Our very own Mateen Arghandehpour on BBC 4's In Our Time this Thursday 13 March at 9 am UK time to talk about Cyrus the Great! Tune in here: buff.ly/jsH4kRd
I enjoyed writing about Maryam ... 🌷
Our 'Document of the Month' by @arezouazad.bsky.social, celebrates 🎉 the agency, confidence & hard work of medieval women, through the lens of a 12-century petition 📜 by a tenant farmer in #Afghanistan seeking to defend her livelihood 💪.
bit.ly/afemalefarmersstand
#iwd #iwd2025 #medievalsky
bit.ly/afemalefarmersstand
#iwd #iwd2025 #medievalsky
March 6, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I enjoyed writing about Maryam ... 🌷
New jobs out:
a postdoc & PhD on Persianate manuscripts and Afghanistan studies . Check them out! @invisibleeast.bsky.social
a postdoc & PhD on Persianate manuscripts and Afghanistan studies . Check them out! @invisibleeast.bsky.social
🔎 L’Inalco recrute un(e) candidat(e) pour un contrat doctoral à temps plein sur 3 ans en histoire du monde islamique au prisme des manuscrits persans de l'époque prémoderne.
- Date limite de candidature : 31 mars
- Entrée en fonction : 1er octobre 2025
Plus d'infos : www.inalco.fr/institut/con...
- Date limite de candidature : 31 mars
- Entrée en fonction : 1er octobre 2025
Plus d'infos : www.inalco.fr/institut/con...
February 27, 2025 at 9:10 AM
New jobs out:
a postdoc & PhD on Persianate manuscripts and Afghanistan studies . Check them out! @invisibleeast.bsky.social
a postdoc & PhD on Persianate manuscripts and Afghanistan studies . Check them out! @invisibleeast.bsky.social
Nearly 300 new documents uploaded on our IEDC portal today - check them out! invisible-east.org
February 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Nearly 300 new documents uploaded on our IEDC portal today - check them out! invisible-east.org
Reposted by Arezou Azad
🎉 #meettheteam who have been reading, transcribing and translating documents written in #Persian! We took a moment today to celebrate their incredible achievements 💪
📅 Tomorrow sees the third release of 270 more #documents on our #digitalcorpus.
🔍 Explore now at www.invisible-east.org
#skystorians
📅 Tomorrow sees the third release of 270 more #documents on our #digitalcorpus.
🔍 Explore now at www.invisible-east.org
#skystorians
February 24, 2025 at 4:40 PM
🎉 #meettheteam who have been reading, transcribing and translating documents written in #Persian! We took a moment today to celebrate their incredible achievements 💪
📅 Tomorrow sees the third release of 270 more #documents on our #digitalcorpus.
🔍 Explore now at www.invisible-east.org
#skystorians
📅 Tomorrow sees the third release of 270 more #documents on our #digitalcorpus.
🔍 Explore now at www.invisible-east.org
#skystorians