Art 266 Islam Terms Gardners

Terms	Definitions
Hijra	Emigration of flight of Muhammad in 622 from Mecca to Medina. (Muslim calendar is oriented to this year. Their year is also shorter)
Kaaba	Literally "cube," It is a former polytheistic temple in Mecca that Muslims circumambulate during the Haj
Haj	The once-in-a-lifetime holy pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken by faithful Muslims
Holy Qur'an or Koran	The Sacred book of Muslims, meaning "recitations"
Surah	Chapters of the Qur'an, 114 in all, further subdivided by verse.
The 5 Pillars of Islam	Professing faith in Allah, the one god. Worshipping Allah 5 times daily, facing the direction of Mecca Almsgiving to the poor Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan If possible, making a pilgrimage to Mecca one in one's lifetime (Haj)
Sunnah	Meaning "path" or "surface road" A collection of holy guidance for living daily life, its customs and ethical practices for Muslims
Imam	"The holy one who stands or walks in front" Applied to the man who guides or leads prayers in a mosque
Caliph	Chief civil and religious Muslim leader and proper successor to Muhammad, in Arabic, "deputy of God"
Caliphate	The dominion of a caliph
Aniconic	Imagery that does not depict figural images
Voussoirs	Wedge-shaped stones that form a round or pointed arch
Masjid	"Place of prostration" in Arabic, another word for mosque
Mosque	Muslim place of worship
Minaret	Tower on a mosque from which a muezzin calls Muslim faithful to prayer 5 times daily
Muezzin	A man who calls the Muslim faithful to prayer 5 times daily from a minaret
Qibla	The direction of Mecca; one wall of a mosque will be the quibla wall and the architecture and furnishing will be oriented to it and worshippers will face it while at prayer.
Minbar	A stepped pulpit installed in front of the qibla wall; its purpose is unclear.
Mihrab	A narrow semicircular niche usually set in the qibla wall; its purpose is unclear.
Maqsura	Arabic for "closed off space" It is an enclosure near the qibla wall designed to be occupied by the local ruler and provide for their safety while emphasizing their elevated social status.
Hypostyle hall	A forest of columns that hold up a roof, creating an interior space.
Iwan	A vaulted hall walled on only 3 sides with one side completely open.
Arabesque	A motif of surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patters of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils or plain lines.
Engaged column	A column that is sunken into a wall; it is not a true load bearing column.
Squinch	A straight or arched structure across an interior angle of a square tower to carry a dome.
Fenestration	The program of windows in a building
Kufic	An early form of Arabic calligraphic script, named for its city of origin, Kufa.
Alameda	Spanish for "mall" A promenade shaded by trees
Muqarnas	Stalactite-like stucco forms that drape down from a dome.
Madrasa	Arabic for "Place of study" It denotes a school for the study of Islamic law.
Muhaqqaq	A late cursive style of calligraphic script.