Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
Ka’ba
the holiest shrine in Islam, built about a century before the birth of the prophet
Haram
a holy area, forbidden to all except certain people
Masjid
a place for prostration and prayer (root word for “mosque”)
Qur’an (English “Koran”)
the Revelations given to Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel; the Islamic scriptures
Sura
an individual revelation (there are 114) in the Qur’an
Imam
the leader of prayer (there are no priests in Islam)
Qibla
The direction of Mecca
Shar’ia
the canonical law of Islam
Shi’a
(literally “party”) one of the two principle branches of Islam; Shi’ites recognize only the fourth caliph Ali and his descendants as the rightful successors of the Prophet
Sunni
(literally “tradition” or “the sayings”) Orthodox Islam, which accepts the sayings of the Prophet as legally binding
Caliph
“representative,” the chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Muhammad
Aniconism
the absence of material representations of the natural and supernatural world
Arcade
a series of adjoining arches
Ambulatory
a place for walking, especially an aisle around the interior of a church, or around the courtyard of a mosque
Spolia
the reuse of materials from earlier buildings - such as columns, carvings, statues, metalwork, or jewels
Martyrium
the tomb of a Christian martyr
Hypostyle
a type of hall in which the roof is supported by many rows of interior columns
Mihrab
the ceremonial niche on the qibla wall of a mosque
Minbar
the pulpit in a mosque
Minaret
the tall tower attached to or near a mosque, used for the call to prayer
Muezzin
the man who calls the faithful to prayer five times a day
Maqsura
the enclosed area reserved for a ruler/royalty in a mosque
Stucco
lime plaster that can be carved, tinted, or painted, used for architectural decoration
Iwan
a vaulted hall opening onto a courtyard
Ziyada
a walled enclosure (usually around a mosque)
Lusterware
a form of pottery glaze using silver and gold oxides to paint a design on the unfired clay; once fired, the oxygen was drawn out of the oxides, leaving the precious metals on the surface of the pottery
Kerbschnitt
(chip-carving) a type of pottery decoration where the clay is both carved and incised before glazing and firing
Fritware
a type of ceramic developed in the Middle East in which ground glass is added to the clay used to make the ceramic vessel
Min’ai
a type of ceramic in which a design is painted in enamel and/or gold on a white ground
Underglaze
painted decoration on ceramics that is applied before the object is glazed
Spandrel
the curved triangular area between two arches
Canopy Tomb
a tomb in which a round dome is set on a cube shaped space
Squinch
an architectural element in the shape of a ¼ dome, built in the corners of a square room to make the necessary transition to a circular shape in order to fit a round dome onto the space
Articulated Squinch
a squinch that has been subdivided into more complicated forms; precursor of the muqarnas
Cupola
the interior surface of a dome
Horror Vacui
Latin: “fear of emptiness”
Pishtaq
an iwan that forms a monumental entryway
Cenotaph
a marker or sarcophagus that notes the location of a grave but does not contain a body (Muslims must be buried underground)
Kufic
oldest Islamic script
Codex
book with pages
Arabesque
vining, floral, and leafy ornamental scroll work in Islamic art
Strapwork
flat, bar-like strips used to delineate geometric designs
Interlace
strapwork or arabesques that are woven under and over each other, like weaving
Horseshoe Arch
a ¾ arch (continuing the semi-circular arch) on a rectangular opening
Polylobed Arch
an arch composed of several circular segments
Taifa
an independent kingdom in Muslim Spain; they formed after the fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031
Pyxis
a round jar, used to hold ointments
Muqarnas
the most important decoration in Islamic architecture, based on complicated 3D geometry
Roof Cresting
decorative elements attached to a roof, used especially in Fatimid architecture
Bacino
the Italian word used to describe Fatimid ceramic bowls incorporated into Romanesque architecture in Italy - especially in the area around Pisa
Cameo glass
two different colors of glass are layered together, then the artist cuts through the first layer to reveal the color beneath; based on cameo carving
Tiraz
the fiber workshop under control of the ruler, providing magnificent textiles to the royal court
