ablution: The ritual self-cleansing that Muslims do before entering a mosque for the five daily prayer services
aigrette: Spray of gems used on a turban
alem: Bronze or brass minaret tops (see "minaret")
Allah: Muslim name for the one God
bedesten: Commercial building, also known as a ban
Bosphorus Strait: Waterway running through the middle of Istanbul, separating Europe from Asia; most of this book's sights are on the European side
burka: Full-body covering worn by some Muslim women
Byzantine Empire: Eastern branch of the Roman Empire (a.d. 330-1453), with its capital at Constantinople, now Istanbul
caddesi: Street
caftan: Man's traditional outer garment, made of silk, velvet, or wool
caliph: Muhammad's successors as head of Islam; during Ottoman times, the sultan also held this title
caliphate: Government based on Islamic law
cini: Quartz tile (see "tile")
concubine: Female slave kept in a harem
Constantinople: Capital city of the Eastern Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires; now called Istanbul
Dervish: Member of the Sufi religious order; the Mevlevi sect practices whirling to reach enlightenment
Divan: Chamber where the sultan's advisors (viziers) met during Ottoman times
Eastern Orthodox: Branch of Christianity established in the 11th century, after splitting from the Roman Catholic Church
emir: Ruler or leader in an Islamic country
eunuch: Castrated slave; often served in a harem
fasıl: Traditional Turkish tunes performed live by a trio of musicians
favorite: Favored concubine (see "haseki")
Golden Horn: Inlet separating Istanbul's Old Town from its New District
Grand Vizier: Prime minister to the sultan in Ottoman times
hadith: Recorded works and words of the Prophet Muhammad
hajj: Once-in-aTifetime pilgrimage to Mecca required of Muslim people (hac in Turkish)
hamam: Turkish bath
harem: Part of the home that was off-limits to male strangers; also refers collectively to the sultan's wives, favorites, and concubines
haseki: Favorite concubine of the sultan, who, if she bore his child, became known as a "haseki sultan" (and was treated more like a wife)
hat: Artistic calligraphy using Arabic script, often used to decorate a mosque
hattat: Calligrapher who creates hat (elaborate Arabic script)
henna: Green powder commonly sold in the Spice Market, used to dye hair and to decoratively stain the palms of young brides
imam: Muslim cleric or prayer leader, like a Christian priest or
Jewish rabbi Islam: The Muslim faith (see "Muslim")
İznik tiles: The most prized of all Turkish tiles, typically with a blue-and-white pattern, most famously produced in the 16th and 17th centuries in the city of Iznik
janissary: An elite professional soldier for the sultan; usually a non-Muslim who was taken from his family, converted to Islam, and raised and trained at the palace school
Kaaba: Black cube-like temple in Mecca and focal point for Islamic prayer services
kathisma: Grandstand for royals to watch chariot races
kese: Raw-silk mitten used by an attendant at a Turkish bath to scrub the skin of bathers
kilim: Reversible rug that differs from a carpet in that it features a flat weave, without a raised pile
kiosk: Turkish pavilion
kontör: Credit, as on a prepaid telephone card
Kufic script: Early form of Arabic script
kuruş: Currency sub-unit; l/100th of one Turkish Lira
Latin Empire: Brief Roman Catholic empire (1204-1261) formed when Crusaders sacked Constantinople in 1204
lokum: See "Turkish delight"
madrassa: School of theology, attached to a mosque
meydanı: City square or neighborhood
meyhane: Tavern-style restaurant
meze: Appetizer
mihrab: Prayer niche in a mosque, always oriented toward Mecca mimber: Small, symbolic staircase near the front of a mosque, used as a pulpit
minaret: Skinny tower adjacent to a mosque, used for call to prayer
mosque: Islamic house of worship
mother sultan: Ottoman sultan's mother, who directed the harem
muezzin: Person who announces call to prayer
muezzin mahfili: A mosque's elevated choir loge
mufti: Islamic lawyer
Muhammad: The central figure of Islam, a sixth- and seventh-century a.d. prophet who received revelations from God (Allah), which were recorded in the Quran
Muslim: A person who follows the Islamic faith
nargile: Water pipe
nazarlık: "Evil eye"; blue-and-white beads thought to ward off bad luck
Ottoman Empire: Powerful Turkish dynasty that ruled present-day Turkey and huge swaths of the Middle East, Africa, and Europe (lasted from 1299-1922; conquered Constantinople in 1453)
peştemal: Large cotton wrap used at Turkish bath
Quran: Islam's holy book, which collects God's revelations to the Prophet Muhammad
rahle: Holder for a Quran or other large book
Ramadan: One-month Islamic fasting observance
Ramadan bayrami: Breaking-of-fast celebration at end of Ramadan (see "Ramadan")
satrap: Persian governor, akin to a viceroy ruling in the emperor's name
Selçuk Empire: Pre-Ottoman Turkish dynasty that ruled much of today's Turkey, Middle East, and Iran (llth-14th centuries)
sıcaklık: Hot, steamy room at the center of a Turkish bath
stele: Carved stone pillar used to mark important events
sufi: Muslim mystic, including Whirling Dervishes
sultan: Sovereign Ottoman ruler, equivalent to an emperor; also known as Padişah or Han in Turkish
sultana: Ottoman emperor's wife, in Western languages
sultan's loge: A mosque's elevated prayer section for the sultan
sultan's paste: Herbal energy-booster and reported aphrodisiac, more recently known as "Turkish Viagra"
tile: The word that Turks use to describe high-quality decorative tiles and functional vessels (like bowls or vases) made with high quartz content; also known as çini
tuğra: Calligraphy representing the sultan's signature, often marking a building
tumulus: Ancient Phrygian burial mound
türban: Muslim women's head covering (hijab in Arabic)
türbe: Mausoleum for a sultan
Turkish delight: Sweet cube of gelatin dusted with powdered sugar and often embedded with nuts [lokum in Turkish)
vizier: High executive officer in Ottoman times Whirling
yalı: Expensive waterfront mansion along the Bosphorus