Studied by 8 people
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Aniconic
Decoration with no human figures or animals.
Arabesque
A flowing, intricate, and symmetrical pattern deriving from floral motifs.
Calligraphy
Decorative and beautiful handwriting.
Caravanserai
Roadside inns and towns along trade routes; often sites of cultural diffusion and exchange.
Gandharan
Diverse culture that emerged in Afghanistan, influenced by Alexander the Great’s Greek empire and Buddhism from the Silk Roads and Indian kingdoms.
Hajj
Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that is required according to the Five Pillars of Islam.
Iwan
In Islamic architecture, a vaulted room opening to a courtyard.
Kiswa
Black cloth that covers the Kaaba.
Koran/Qur’an
The Islamic sacred text, dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel.
Kufic
Highly ornamental and geometric Islamic script.
Mihrab
A niche in a mosque on the qiblah wall; indicates the direction to Mecca.
Minaret
A tall, slender tower used to call people to prayer.
Minbar
Short flight of steps used as a platform by a preacher in a mosque.
Mosque
A Muslim house of worship.
Muezzin
The person at a mosque who calls people to prayer on the minarets.
Muqarnas
Decoration inside a vault; 3D shapes resembling intricate stalactites layered in a complex pattern.
Ogival arch
Islamic pointed arch.
Parchment
Sheep or goat hide that has been soaked in lime, dried and scraped until it can be cut into pages.
Pishtaq
A rectangular frame around an arched opening, usually associated with an iwan.
Qiblah
The direction toward Mecca which Muslims face in prayer, indicated by a wall.
Sura
Verse or section of the Koran.
Tessellation
Decoration using polygonal shapes with no gaps.
Urna
Red dot on the forehead of Buddhist figures.
Ushnisha
Top-knot on the top of Buddha’s head, referencing a humble crown.
Vairocana
The universal Buddha, a source of enlightenment.
