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Glossary

 

Back to: Architecture

 

bab                   gate

burj                   fortified tower

caravanserai      building that provides shelter for travelers

diwan                main hall of a building or palace

hammam           public bath

haram               sanctuary of a mosque or private quarters of a house

khan                 a building that functions both as a hostel and a trading center, with stables,  store rooms, a mosque and

                        sleeping quarters

maqsura            screen which encloses the area of the mihrab and minbar

msharabiyya      wooden screen on windows or balconies

mihrab              niche in a mosque to indicate direction of prayer

minbar              pulpit of a mosque from which prayers or sermons are given

malqaf               wind catcher

muqarnas          system of projecting niches used as architectural decoration

qibla                 direction of prayer in a mosque toward Mecca

riwaq                 arcade open on at least one side

serdab              sunken courtyard opening on to underground rooms used to escape the   heat of the day

serai                 Turkish word for palace

squinch             small arch in the corner of a room that converts a square space into an  octagonal space and is often

                        covered with a dome

waqf                  charitable endowment for the upkeep of religious, educational institutions

zawiya              a corner, often a place where a holy man lived and was buried

ziyada               addition or extension to a mosque common to early congregational  mosques

hypostyle         any structure having a ceiling resting upon columns; a pillared hall

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