Torah
Jewish holy book
Menorah
a candelabrum with seven branches used in ceremonies to symbolize the seven days of creation
Cathedral
any large and important church
Catacombs
an underground cemetery with recesses dug out for burial
Syncretism
a blending of two or more religious traditions
Putti
plump, naked little boys, often winged; in classical art, called cupids, in Christian art, cherubs
Central Plan
any structure designed with a primary central space surrounded by symmetrical areas on each side
Longitudinal Plan
any structure designed with a rectangular shape; the nave is longer than the transept, and in which parts are symmetrical
against an axis
Basilica Plan
a large, rectangular building; often built with a clerestory, side aisles separated from the center nave by colonnades and an apse at one or both ends; Roman centers for church use; Constantine's architects added a transverse aisle at the end of the nave
Cruciform
a term describing anything that is cross-shaped, as in a plan of a church
Conches
semicircular domes that expand outward from a central dome, in Byzantine architecture to cover the narthex on one side and sanctuary apse on the othe
Orant
The representation of a standing figure praying with outstretched and upraised hands
Apse
a large semicircular or polygonal (and usually vaulted) niche protruding from the end wall of a building; in a Christian church, it contains the altar
Narthex
the vestibule or entrance porch of a church
Nave
the central space of a basilica, two or three stories high and usually flanked by aisles
Transcept
the arm of a cruciform church, perpendicular to the nave; the point where the nave and this cross is called the crossing; beyond the crossing lies the sanctuary, whether apse, choir, or chevet
Pendentives
the concave triangular sections of a vault that form the transition between a square or polygonal space and the circular base of a dome
Galleries
in church architecture, the stories found above the side aisles of a church, usually open to and overlooking the nave
Martyrium
in Christian architecture, a church, chapel, or shrine built over the grave of a martyr or the site of a great miracle
Relic
a venerated object associated with a saint or martyr
Pilgrimage
A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes
Mosaic
images formed by small colored stone or glass pieces (tesserae), affixed to a hard, stable surface
Codex
a book, or a group of manuscript pages (folios), held together by stitching or other binding on one side
Diptych
two panels of equal size (usually decorated with paintings of reliefs) hinged together
Triptych
an artwork made up of three panels; the panels may be hinged together so that the side segments (wings) fold over the central area
Illuminated Manuscript
a handwritten book decorated with bright colors and precious metals
Parchment
a writing surface made from treated skins of animals
Vellum
very fine parchment
Theotokos
Greek for "God-bearer;" In Byzantine art, the Virgin Mary as mother of God
Pantocrator
Byzantine depiction of Christ as universal ruler, represented holding a book and giving a blessing
Anastasis
In the Byzantine Church, Christ's descent into hell to release and resurrect the worthy dead
Icon
an image in any material representing a sacred figure or event in the Byzantine, and later the Orthodox, Church; were venerated by the faithful, who believed them to have miraculous powers to transmit messages to God
Iconoclasm
the banning or destruction of images, especially icons and religious art; in the eighth-and ninth-century Byzantium and sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Protestant territories arose from differing beliefs about the power, meaning, function, and purpose o
Iconostasis
the partition screen in a Byzantine or Orthodox church between the sanctuary (where the Mass is performed) and the body of the church (where the congregation assembles); displays icons
Aniconism
practice or belief in avoiding or shunning the graphic representation of divine beings or religious figures; no images of human figures, very often found in Islamic art
Abbadiss
the third of the Islamic caliphates
Umayyads
A dynasty that ruled the Muslim Empire from 661 to 750 and later established a kingdom in al-Andalus
Caliph
the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
Hejira
Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Medina
Iman
Faith in Allah; a leader of prayer in a mosque
Muhammad
the Arab prophet who founded Islam
Miradors
In Spanish an Islamic palace architecture, rooms with windows and sometimes balconies on three sides overlooking gardens and courtyards
Horsehoe Arches
An arch of more than a half-circle; typical of western Islamic architecture
Minaret
a tall slender tower on the exterior of a mosque from which believers are called to prayer
Minbar
a high platform or pulpit in a mosque
Iwan
a large, vaulted chamber in a mosque with a monumental arched opening on one side
Mirhab
a recess or niche that distinguishes the wall oriented toward Mecca (qibla) in a mosque
Quiblah Wall
a wall in a mosque which is usually beautifully decorated; It is also called a prayer wall; faces towards Mecca
Squinch
an arch or lintel built across the upper corners of a square space, allowing a circular or polygonal dome to be more securely set above the walls
Arabesque
a type of linear surface decoration based on foliage and calligraphic forms, usually characterized by flowing lines and swirling shapes
Ewer
an open vessel with a handle and a spout for pouring
Muquarnas
a small nichelike component based on the squinch and used in Islamic architecture to achieve and transition between flat and rounded surfaces
Madrasa
an Islamic institution of higher learning, where teaching is focused on theology and law
Mamluks
Under the Islamic system of military slavery, Turkic military slaves who formed an important part of the armed forces of the Abbasid Caliphate of the ninth and tenth centuries. Mamluks eventually founded their own state, ruling Egypt and Syria
Ottoman Turks
captured Constantinople in 1453 and rename it Istanbul; as a result the Byzantine people flee to Italian City-States which becomes a catalyst for the expansion of language and art
Sinan the Great
The great architect of the Ottoman empire; designed Selimiye Mosque
Suliyman the Magnificent
the tenth and longest-reigning Emperor, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire; personally led Ottoman armies to conquer the Christian strongholds of Belgrade, Rhodes, and most of Hungary before his conquests were checked at the Siege of Vienna in 1529. He annexed
Shahnama
epic poem written by Ferdowsi, talks about the epic of Iran and related society, talks about the adherents of Zoroastrianism