Glossary
Chapter 12
choir
The space reserved for the clergy and singers in the church, usually east of the transept but, in
some instances, extending into the nave.
cloisonné
A process of enameling employing cloisons; also, decorative brickwork in later Byzantine
architecture.
Deësis
Greek, "supplication." An image of Christ flanked by the figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint John
the Baptist, who intercede on behalf of humankind.
doge
Duke; a ruler of the Republic of Venice, Italy.
drum
One of the stacked cylindrical stones that form the shaft of a column; the cylindrical wall that
supports a dome.
Greek cross
A cross with four arms of equal length.
icon
A portrait or image; especially in Byzantine churches, a panel with a painting of sacred personages
that are objects of veneration. In the visual arts, a painting, a piece of sculpture, or even a building
regarded as an object of veneration.
iconoclasm
The destruction of images. In Byzantium, the period from 726 to 843 when there was an imperial
ban on images. The destroyers of images were known as iconoclasts. Those who opposed such a
ban were known as iconophiles.
iconoclast
The destruction of images. In Byzantium, the period from 726 to 843 when there was an imperial
ban on images. The destroyers of images were known as iconoclasts. Those who opposed such a
ban were known as iconophiles.
iconophile
The destruction of images. In Byzantium, the period from 726 to 843 when there was an imperial
ban on images. The destroyers of images were known as iconoclasts. Those who opposed such a
ban were known as iconophiles.
iconostasis
In Byzantine churches, a screen or a partition, with doors and many tiers of icons, separating the
sanctuary from the main body of the church.
illumination
Decoration (usually in gold, silver, and bright colors), especially of medieval manuscript pages.
mandorla
An almond-shaped nimbus surrounding the figure of Christ or other sacred figure.
martyrium
Martyr's shrine.
monastery
A group of buildings in which monks live together, set apart from the secular community of a town.
monastic
Relating to life in a monastery.
muqarnas
Stucco decorations of Islamic buildings in which stalactite-like forms break a structure's solidity.
oratory
The church of a Christian monastery.
Pantokrator
Greek, "ruler of all." Christ as ruler and judge of heaven and earth.
parekklesion
The side chapel in a Byzantine church.
paten
A large shallow bowl or plate for the bread used in the Eucharist.
pendentive
A concave, triangular section of a hemisphere, four of which provide the transition from a square
area to the circular base of a covering dome. Although pendentives appear to be hanging (pendant)
from the dome, they in fact support it.
refectory
The dining hall of a Christian monastery.
solidus, pl.
solidi
A Byzantine gold coin.
squinch
An architectural device used as a transition from a square to a polygonal or circular base for a
dome. It may be composed of lintels, corbels, or arches.
templon
The columnar screen separating the sanctuary from the main body of a Byzantine church.
Theotokos
Greek, "she who bore God." The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
triptych
A three-paneled painting, ivory plaque, or altarpiece. Also, a small, portable shrine with hinged
wings used for private devotion.