Glossary
Mughals
The word Mughal derives from the Arabic-Persian
word, Mongol. The word Mughal, in Arabic and Persian,
means Mongol. The Empire acquired its name due to
the fact that Babur, a Timurid prince who invaded India
and unified control of the Delhi area, was descended
from Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire.
Although the Timurids were of Turkish- Mongol origin,
they embraced Persian cultural traditions.
Dome
A dome is a vaulted roof having a circular, polygonal,
or elliptical base and a generally hemispherical or
semispherical shape.
Double Dome
A double dome is built of two layers. There is one layer
inside which provides ceiling to the interior of the
building. The other layer is the outer one which crowns
the buildings. The devices of double dome enable the
ceiling inside to be placed lower and In better relation
to the Interior space it covers. This is done without
disturbing the proportions and the effect of elevation of
the exterior.
Squinches
A squinch is an architectural device by which a square
or polygonal room has its upper corners filled in to
form a support for a dome. It can be done in several
ways –
a. By corbelling out the courses of masonry, each
course projecting slightly beyond the one below.
b. By building one or more arches diagonally across
the corner.
c. By building in the corner a niche with a
half dome at its head.
d. By filling the corner with a little conical vault that
has an arch on its outer diagonal face and its apex
in the corner.
Pendentive
A pendentive is a triangular segment of a spherical
surface, filling in the upper corners of a room, in order
to form, at the top, a circular support for a dome.
Minaret
A minaret or ‘Minar’ is an architectural feature that is
generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical
crown, either free standing or taller than any
associated support structure. The basic form of a
minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery.
Cupola
A cupola is a small, dome-like structure on top of a
building. It is used to provide a lookout or to admit
light and air and usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
Turret
A turret is a small tower that projects vertically from
the wall of a building. It can have a circular top
with crenellations, a pointed roof or other kind of apex.
Chattri or Kiosk
A Chhatri is an elevated, dome-shaped pavilion used
in Indian architecture. The term "chhatri" literally
means umbrella or canopy. They are widely used, in
palaces, in forts, or to demarcate funerary sites.
Chhajja
A chhajja is a projecting or overhanging eave or cover
of a roof, usually supported on large carved brackets.
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by
covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on
the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and
forming a quadrangle.
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected
in honour of a person or group of people whose
remains are elsewhere. It can also be the
initial tomb for a person who has since been interred
elsewhere.
Corbel
A corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal
jutting from a wall to carry the weight of an
overhanging eave. It is a type of bracket.
Mihrab
A Mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of
a mosque that indicates the qibla or the direction of
the Kaaba in Mecca and hence, the direction that a
Muslim should face when praying.
Maqbara
The Arabic word Maqbara is derived from the
word Qabr, which means grave. It refers to the graves
of all Muslims, especially to the graves of religious
figures who dedicated their life to Islam.
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building
constructed as a monument enclosing the funeral space
or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A
monument without the burial chamber is a cenotaph.
Pietra Dura
Term used for the inlay technique of using cut and
fitted, highly-polished semi-precious stones to create
images.
Qarina Symmetry
Bilateral symmetry along a central axis of the main
features of a structure/ building complex.
Bas Relief
Also called low-relief is where the plane or surface is
scarcely more than scratched in order to remove
background material.
Fluting
Shallow concave grooves running vertically on the shaft
of a column, pilaster or other surface. Such a structure
is referred to as being fluted.
Moat
A deep wide trench or ditch filled with water generally
artificial, around the fortification, to make access
difficult.
Shahjahani Gaz
The Shahjahani Gaz a unit of measurement which
roughly approximates a meter. This unit was
established by the emperor ShahJahan himself and is a
modification of an earlier measurement known as
the Ilahi gaz.
Bracket
Projecting member from a wall or column to support
weight; it is triangular or serpentine and is richly
ornamented with scrolls or volutes
Finial
Finial or the Pinnacle is the Crowning member of dome.
Ablution tank
An ablution tank in a mosque is usually meant for the
purpose of performing Wudu or the procedure of
washing parts of the body using water, typically in
preparation for formal prayers. Muslims are also
required to be clean when handling and reading the
Qur'an.
