| Allah |
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The Arabic word for God. |
| Byzantine Empire |
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The eastern division of the later Roman empire, dating from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 until its capture by the Ottomans in 1453. |
| caliph |
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From Arabic khalifa, meaning deputy or successor (to the Prophet Muhammad); the title used by early Islamic rulers. |
| cuerda seca |
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Literally, "dry cord," a technique of glazing ceramics in which a greasy substance mixed with manganese is used to separate the different colors to prevent them from running during the firing process. |
| fritware |
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A type of artificially created ceramic body combining silica, glass frit, and fine white clay. |
| hajj |
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The Arabic term for the pilgrimage to Mecca and the Kacba required of all Muslims. |
| hijra |
|
The emigration of the Prophet and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622; this event also marked the beginning of the Muslim calendar. |
| Islam |
|
Arabic word meaning submission (to God) and the name for the religion founded under the leadership of the prophet Muhammad; it also denotes the Muslim community. |
| Kacba |
|
Cube-shaped shrine in Mecca (within the central courtyard of the Great Mosque), which is the focal point of Muslim prayer and pilgrimage. |
| Lajvardina |
|
From the Persian lajvard (lapis lazuli), a type of overglaze-decorated ceramic ware characteristically glazed deep blue. |
| luster |
|
A decorative technique in ceramics in which compounds of silver and copper are applied over the glaze of a previously fired object, which is then refired, resulting in a glittery, metallic surface. |
| mihrab |
|
Prayer niche in a mosque or other religious structure, emphasizing the direction of prayer. |
| mina'i |
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From Persian, meaning "enameled"; polychrome overglaze-decorated ceramic ware. |
| Mongols |
|
A tribe originating in the eastern part of modern-day Mongolia, which in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his successors, controlled an area extending from Korea to Hungary. |
| mosque |
|
Any place of Muslim communal worship. |
| muqarnas |
|
Stalactite- or honeycomb-like units used as a decorative device in Islamic architecture. |
| Muslim |
|
Literally, "one who submits"; someone who adheres to the faith of Islam. |
| qibla |
|
Direction of prayer in Islam, toward Mecca and the Kacba. |
| Qur'an |
|
Literally, "recitation"; the holy book of Islam. |
| Sasanians |
|
Pre-Islamic dynasty that ruled greater Iran, 224-651. |
| Shahnama |
|
The Iranian national epic, completed in 1010 by Firdawsi; it tells the stories of the pre-Islamic kings and heroes. |
| shaykh |
|
Spiritual head of the Sufi order, or tribal leader. |
| Shicites |
|
Members of the heterodox sect of Islam, Shicism, who recognize cAli and his descendants as the rightful successors to the Prophet. |
| Sufis |
|
Islamic mystics, both Sunni and Shicite. |
| Sunnis |
|
Followers of the "tradition," who believe that the Prophet’s successor should be elected; approximately 85 percent of all Muslims are Sunni. |
| tugra |
|
Imperial monogram of the Ottoman sultans. |
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