Key Terms for Byzantine and Islamic History Test

Byzantine Empire

The eastern part of the Roman Empire that lasted after the fall of Rome.

Nika Rebellion

A violent protest in Constantinople during Emperor Justinian's rule.

Patriarch

A high-ranking church leader in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Slavs

A group of people from Eastern Europe with their own languages and cultures.

Kiev

A historic city that is the capital of Ukraine today.

Bedouins

Nomads who live in deserts and move around for survival.

Ka'aba

Islam's most sacred site, located in Mecca.

Umma

The worldwide family of Muslims united by their faith.

Hajj

A special trip to Mecca that Muslims try to make at least once in their life.

Shari'a

A set of rules for living based on Islamic teachings.

Sunni

The biggest group of Muslims who follow Muhammad's teachings.

Abbasids (Baghdad)

A ruling dynasty famous for advancing knowledge and culture.

House of Wisdom

A center in Baghdad where scholars shared knowledge and ideas.

Justinian's Code

A collection of Roman laws organized by Emperor Justinian.

Iconoclasts

People who were against the use of religious pictures or statues.

Schism

A split within a religion or group due to disagreements.

Cyrillic

An alphabet used for many Slavic languages like Russian and Bulgarian.

Dome of the Rock

A sacred Islamic building in Jerusalem.

Mecca

The most important city in Islam where Muhammad was born.

Islam (Muslim)

A religion where followers worship one God and follow Muhammad's teachings.

Qu'ran

The holy book in Islam that teaches Muslims how to live.

Shahada

A declaration of belief in one God and Muhammad as his messenger.

Jihad

Effort or struggle for good in life or in religion.

Shi'a

A branch of Islam that believes Ali was the rightful leader after Muhammad.

Library of Cordoba

A famous collection of books and knowledge in Spain during Islamic rule.

Hagia Sophia

A grand church in Constantinople that became a mosque.

Icons

Religious pictures or symbols used for worship.

Excommunication

Being formally removed from a religious group or church.

Constantinople

The capital of the Byzantine Empire, now called Istanbul.

The Thousand and One Nights

A book of Middle Eastern stories like Aladdin and Sinbad.

Medina

The city Muhammad fled to when he left Mecca.

Hijrah

Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina, marking the start of the Islamic calendar.

Five Pillars of Islam

Five key practices that all Muslims follow.

Mosque

A building where Muslims worship God.

Caliph

A leader of Muslims after Muhammad.

Umayyads (Damascus)

A powerful Muslim dynasty that ruled from Damascus.

Calligraphy

Fancy and artistic handwriting.

Al-jabr

The Arabic word for algebra, a type of math.

Justinian

A famous Byzantine emperor known for his laws and buildings.

Muhammad

The founder of Islam, seen as God's prophet by Muslims.

Uthman

A leader of Islam who helped compile the Quran.

Ibn Rushd (Averroes)

A thinker who connected Islamic ideas with Western philosophy.

Theodora

A Byzantine empress known for her intelligence and power.

Ali

Muhammad's cousin and an important Muslim leader.

Harun al-Rashid

A famous Abbasid ruler featured in Middle Eastern tales.

Ibn Battuta

A traveler who wrote about his journeys across the Islamic world.

Cyril

A missionary who helped create the alphabet for Slavic languages.

Vladimir of Kiev

A ruler who made Christianity the main religion of Kievan Rus.

Abu Bakr

The first leader of Islam after Muhammad's death.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

A doctor and philosopher who made important scientific contributions.

Ivan III

A ruler who united Russia and ended Mongol control.

Al-Khwarizmi

A mathematician who invented algebra.