ARH-314 Final

Sexpartite

Intersection of ribs from 2 bays creating 6 sections of webbing

Quadripartite

intersection of two ribs creating 4 sections of webbing

Flying Buttress

A supporting half arch from the spring point to distribute weight to buttress upright

Early Gothic

12th century innovations with ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and pointed arches to bring more light

High Gothic

13th century which pushed boundaries of height using vaulting and buttressing technology

Plate Tracery

geometric thick areas of stone that separate glass

Bar Tracery

thin areas of stone that separate and support glass

King Louis the IX of France

modernized the nave, transept and upper stories of St. Denis’s east end.

Twin Tower Facade

A typical gothic facade with two tall towers, usually accompanied by three portals aligned with the nave and side aisles

Ambulatory

passage radiating around apse

Radiating Chapels

chapels around the ambulatory, typically holding more relics

Tympanum

carving into the triangular/rounded wall above the door in a portal, depicts biblical scene

Rib/Rib Vault

vault created by placing the rib (the arches outline) first, then filling in the webbing.

Web/Webbing

the stone in-between the ribs on a vault

Statue Column

A column decorated as a statue

Rose Window

a circular window used in gothic architecture, usually in the center of a twin tower facade

Crenellation

alternating heights on walls for defenses

Stained Glass

pigmented glass typically in geometric patterns and/or depicting biblical scenes

pointed arch

an arch created by the intersection of two circles, distributes more weight downwards than a rounded arch

ogee arch

an arch created by two ogee curves, a concave and convex curve, or by 4 circles

mamluk

A military caste of great power in Islamic Egypt, slaves raised to be royal guard

madrasa

A secular or non-secular educational building in Islamic Egypt

iwan

a large typically arched niche, common in Islamic architecture, usually holds a rectangular room

Carolingian

Dynasty in western Europe under Charlemagne and his successors. 7th century

Monastery

Self-sustaining complex for monks practicing a religious life.

Rule of St. Benedict

Popular series of rules that monks/nuns must follow. Vow of poverty, chastity, and servitude to God.

Divine Office

Daily prayer in Monasteries where the rule is read

Cloister

Courtyard in monastery

Charlemagne

King of Franks who established the Carolingian dynasty, was crowned emperor by the Catholic Pope in 800. Nomadic until the later part of rule.

Facade

FACE

Pilgrimage Church

A church with a relic that is the object of pilgrimage. Typically has ambulatory, radiating chapels, and lacks clerestories.

Ambulatory

hallway around apse for circulation

Radiating Chapels

chapels radiating from the ambulatory to hold more relics

Chevet

Eastern end of church, the apse, ambulatory, radiating chapels

Tympanum

Decorative wall surface above door bounded by lintel and arch. Often depicts biblical story.

Nave arcade

arcade that lines nave

Tribune gallery

arcaded gallery on second floor above the side aisles

Triforium

An arcade inside the wall above the side aisles

Cluny

11th century powerful and wealthy monastery, elaborate chevet, resurgence of vaulting,

Cistercian

Style of Monasteries that call for simple decoration, strong acoustics, and strong materials.

St. Bernard

Critic of Cluny, believed lavish church’s should be for the literate public and not for the literate monks.

Abd al-Rahman I

Sole survivor from silly coup of Umayyad dynasty. Ran away to Cordoba to reestablish reign. Becomes amir of the emirate Al-Andalus. Created Great Mosque of Cordoba.

Abd al-Rahman III

Turned al-Andalus from emirate to caliphate. Added to great mosque of cordoba.

al-Hakim II

Abd al-Rahman III’s successor updates Mihrab and creates separate aisle in the great mosque of Cordoba

Cordoba Caliphate

Caliphate created by Abd al-Rahman III in Iberian peninsula. Fragmented by Christian pressure from north and rivals from south

taifa

a series of Islamic kingdoms that fractured from the cordoba caliphate

Nasrid

longest lasting taifa lasting til 15th century, based in Granada, built elaborate and isolated palace complex Alhambra

Alhambra

huge palace complex in Granada, isolated Nasrid rulers from majority Christian population

Muqarnas

decorative niches in structural surfaces, honeycomb domb

Islam/Islamic Empire

Abrahamic religion established after the Prophet Muhammad received a vision. Islamic empire are the territories in the Arabian peninsula, north Africa, and Persian empire that were ruled by Islamic monarch

Prophet Muhammad

Establishes Islam, is exiled from Mecca, goes to Medina, takes over Mecca

Mecca

Symbolic center of Muslim world, holds Kabba, object of pilgrimage

Medina

Where the prophet was exiled to, home to the first mosque

Damascus

Influential Umayyad city, holds Great Mosque of Damascus

Kaaba

Black cube, originally cult site, changed by prophet, object of Islamic pilgrimage

mosque

Place for muslim worship, means ‘place of prostration’

inscription/epigraphy

carving writing into stone, writing on a wall

arabesque

ornate surface decorations, using of interlacing foliage and patterns

qibla/qibla wall

the direction of prayer, a wall that faces mecca

mihrab

niche that indicates qibla

ablaq

construction/decoration alternating dark and light stones

Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount

Centrally planned building with dome in Jerusalem over mount Moriah, built by Umayyads when they didn’t control Mecca

Umayyad Dynasty

Dominant Islamic dynasty, believe that caliph has to be related to prophet, lowkey kicked out of eastern mediterranean in 9th century

Justinian I

Last Roman emperor to rule over entirety of empire. Establishes Christianity and main religion. Built Hagia Sophia

Theodora

Wife of Justinian, of low origin. Influential and depicted in religious mosaics alongside Justinian.

Ravenna

Captial of western Rome, taken over by Ostrogoths, then taken by the Byzantines under Justinian I

Pendentive

A circular triangular structural element that supports a dome from a square structure

Byzantium

Capital of the eastern Roman empire, then renamed Constantinople

Impost/Impost Block

The block between a capital and the voussoir of an arch

Theodoric

Ostrogoth king who controlled Ravenna. Used construction of his mausoleum to compare himself to roman forefathers.

Megalith

great stone

Menhir

a tall upright stone of a kind erected in prehistoric times in western Europe.

trilithon

two upright monoliths supporting a lintel stone, similar to a dolmen

Post and lintel

a structure consisting of vertical beams (posts) supporting a horizontal beam (lintel)

Dolmen

a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones

Tumulus Tomb

A dolmen tomb with a passageway, mound tomb

Stonehenge

Neolithic henge in England

Upper Egypt

the southern part of ancient Egypt

Lower Egypt

the northern part of ancient Egypt

mastaba

trapezoidal mud brick tomb with a false entrance and a tomb buried deep underground

Imhotep (3rd dynasty)

Architect who design Saqqara complex

Saqqara Complex

King Djoser’s funerary complex, first step pyramid, fake city for king to use in afterlife

engaged column

column attached to wall

rock-cut tomb

tomb cut into existing rock/cliff

Hypostyle Hall

a large interior room characterized by many closely spaced columns that support its roof

Hatshepsut

New kingdom Pharaoh, used architecture to solidify rule, was erased from history for challenging gender roles

Temple of Hatshepsut

3 tiered temple built by Senemut

Mentuhotep I

beloved middle kingdom pharaoh, reunited lower/upper egypt

Abu Simbel

Rock cut temple of Ramesses I as a show of colonial power

Bronze Age Aegean

Era in Aegean history from 2000-1100 BCE

Labyrinth of Knossos

Labyrinthian planned hypostyle temple complex, uses table leg columns, depicts bull mosiacs

table leg column

Column that is skinnier at base than it is top

fresco

watercolor method on plaster for decoration

Cyclopean Stones/Construction

Large rock construction with little to no morter

Corbel vault

A vaulted formed by cantilevered stones

relieving arch

an arch above a lintel that relieves stress

tholos (beehive tomb)

a circular plan tomb with domed roof

Doric order

masculine, shorter columns, simple capital, triglyphs and metopes

Ionic order

feminine, slender column, base, voluted capital, continuous frieze

entisis

curving columns to look like they're under pressure