| Alfiz |
rectangular wall-framing of a vault. The opening below the vault stays unframed. |
| Alabaster |
Natural fine-grained pure white plaster emulsion. Alabaster is easy to shape and is therefore used for architectural decoration since Ancient times for covering and sculpting. |
| Ädikula |
framing of portals, windows and niches by the means of two columns, pillars or pilasters, carrying beams and a triangular or segment vault gable. |
| Arcade |
vault covering columns and pillars. |
| Berber |
Common description for ethnic heterogeneous tribes in Northern Africa, which are most possibly of europid-mediterranean origin, speaking Berberian dialects. |
| Vault |
Rounded opening of a wall distiributing the load onto pillars or columns. This construction allows bigger distances between the walls. |
| Email |
Liquid masses of glass in different colours melted onto metal or glass. |
| Fresco |
Wall painting on a chalk surface worked on while still in moist condition. |
| Gerich |
A Gerich ornament often consists of multipe crossed lines of the abstract geometrical patterns of Islamic Arts. |
| Hammam |
Ancient construction method of a thermal bath. Today the bath is still an important part of Islamic lifestyle. |
| Incrustation |
Surface covering of walls and floors using coloured, polished stone slabs, mostly marble. The deriving patterns structurise the surfaces and liven them up. |
| Intarsie |
Ornaments made out of coloured woods, ivory, tortoiseshell, metal or perlmutt laid in wood. |
| Calligraphy |
In the Islamic World arabic writing is of specific importance since it is the writing of the Koran. The design of the different forms of writing is almost seen as a religious act. |
| Lantern |
Round or polygonal construction consisting of little windows on top of a vault or a domed roof. |
| Medina |
Medina stands for whole cities as well as parts of a city. It is a part of the name of a castle, since castles as a complete construction represent the character of a city. |
| Mosaic |
Images consisting of coloured pieces of stone, glass, glazed or burned marble put together on a surface of moist mortier. |
| Ornament |
Surface decoration using non-figurative, figurative, botanical or calligraphical motives. Of all the variuos ornaments in Islamic Art, the calligraphical are the most popular. |
| Stucco |
Mixture of plaster, chalk, sand and water which still in moist condition is sculpted to architectural decoration. Stucco dries fast in the sun but it is not waterproof. |
| Suk |
Arabian Market (Bazar). |
| Tadelakt |
Morroccan chalk plastering which is also used in Central Europe. "Tadelakt" means "to rub in". It is shock-resistant and waterproof and is manufactured in different colours. |
| Tempura- painting |
Colours mixed with water, which because of the added bonding agents (oil, egg, honey, glue) remain no longer water-soluble. |
| chase |
Metal treatment where the decoration is hammered into the metal using differently shaped hammers. |