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 |