About me

“Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate." - Edward Said

Hi! I’m Jas

Hi! I’m Jasmine - or Jas - whichever you prefer, I’m 20 years old and in my third year of History at Loughborough University, hoping to one day complete a PhD! I'm particularly interested in 19th and 20th century history, and I enjoy both facts based ‘textbook history’ as well as the more interpretive and personal approach of social histories. I have a great fascination with culture- music, film, television, fashion etc- and what it can reveal about the societies and people that produce it. 

Beyond the boring stuff however, I am a HUGE Star Wars fan, I love reading, travelling, building Lego, and I'm quite the connoisseur of bad movies! I’m also a social media manager which is pretty fun seeing as I have full creative reign.

Anywho, I want this to be a space for me to discuss both my academic interests - some in depth explorations, and some simple storytellings of something that I've learned of and feel others too, should know - and (in true homage to my love for video essays) other thinkpieces on social and cultural trends. I hope you enjoy your time here, and share your thoughts with me, whether you’re in agreement or not - I'd love to hear! 

P.s: Thank you to Rahim for giving me the courage to put my ideas out there, and to Lizzy and Alice for being the best proofreaders and for letting me pick your brains for inspiration.


  • The New Mosque, Istanbul: An Ottoman imperial mosque located at the end of the iconic Galata Bridge. Construction began in 1597, and was completed in 1665. Istanbul has over 3000 mosques, but this one in particular is a notable example of the Sultanate of Women period, which saw the women around the Sultans (wives, mothers etc) exert significant political influence. Construction was ordered by Safiye Sultan, while she served as Valide Sultan (Queen Mother), hence the original name "Valide Sultan Mosque".

  • Schwerbelastungskörper, 'Heavy load-bearing body', Berlin: This picture may not look like much, but this giant concrete cylinder was constructed between 1941-42 under the orders of Hitler and his architect, Albert Speer. It was used to test the suitability of the ground for holding the huge megastructures Hitler and Speer were planning to build as part of the 'Germania' project (the renewal of Berlin into the capital of the 'new world'). Quite fittingly, the ground was indeed too soft, and the structure was found to have sunk nearly 20cm in just 2.5 years.

  • Royal Palace of La Almudaina, Palma: Located opposite the Palma Cathedral, and now one of the official residences of the Spanish Royal Family, this imposing fortress has a fascinating history. It's name, "Almudaina" is a word of Arabic origin, the diminutive of medina, which means city. Originally, it was constructed as a fortress in the 10th century during the era of Muslim rule in Spain, and it remained the centre of Islamic rule on the Island until 1229, when James I of Aragon invaded, and it was rebuilt into a Royal palace to reflect the ushering in of European Christianity.

  • 'The Last Tiger', Berlin: Above: An image taken around May 1st 1945, depicts what has been referred to by some WWII fanatics as 'The Last Tiger' - the last fighting Tiger tank in Berlin. It was abandoned by its crew around 100 metres from the Brandenburg gate, rumours around the fate of the crew have circulated - some say that the crew began fighting as infantry and were killed, however there is speculation that all but 1 of the crew members were killed by an attack which left the tank inoperable, and that the final member fled, possibly escaping.I’m not sure exactly why, but of all the harrowing images from WWII, this one strikes me most: a lone tank, once a symbol of Nazi military might and ambition, standing just metres from the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and the Charlottenburger Chaussee, the very heart of Hitler and Speer’s ‘Germania’ project.It lies in failure, a reminder that all tyrants eventually collapse yet the image feels uneasy, a stark reminder of how narrowly the world avoided an entirely different story. Below: The same spot in October of 2024. It’s a very niche, speculative piece of history, but nevertheless fascinating, and if you’re interested in reading more about it you can find quite a few discussions on various forums and subreddits.