Sultana (41 page)

Wadi-Ash                        Guadix

Glossary

-A-

·
        
Abu
: father of

·
        
Al-Andalus:
the southern half of Spain

·
        
Al-Ghuzat
: the Volunteers of the Faith, the Moroccan soldiers billeted in Granada

·
        
Al-Hisn
: fortress

·
        
Al-Jabal Faro
: Gibralfaro citadel, which protected Malaga

·
        
Al-Laylat al-henna
: traditional henna night for brides, where their guests gather to feast and decorate their bodies with henna

·
        
Al-Murabitun
: the Almoravid Empire, which ruled North Africa and southern Spain, AD 1062 - 1150

·
        
Al-Muwahhidun
: the Almohade Empire, which ruled North Africa and southern Spain, AD 1145-1269

·
        
Al-Qal’at al-Hamra
: the Alhambra, a complex of palaces, residences, shops, mosques, etc. that served as the royal residence in Granada. Captured in AD 1237 by Sultan Muhammad I, each of his successors made improvements, especially Muhammad III, Isma`il I, Yusuf I, Muhammad V and Yusuf III

·
        
Al-Quasaba
: the citadel within the royal residence in Granada

·
        
Al-Qur’an
: Muslim holy book

·
        
Al-Shaykh al-Ghuzat
: commander of the Volunteers of the Faith

·
        
Amin
: Amen

·
        
Ashqilula
: one time allies of the Nasrids until AD 1266, known as the Escayola among Christian states

-B-

·
        
Bint
: daughter of

-C-

·
        
Cortes
: the rudimentary Castilian parliament

-D-

·
        
Dinar
: coin bearing a religious verse, commonly made of gold or silver, or rarely, copper. They were minted in Granada with the Sultans’ motto, “none victorious but God” and could be round or square shaped. Gold dinars weighed 2 grams, contained 22 carats of gold and were widely used for internal and external trade. Their value fluctuated over the centuries. Silver dinars were square and had a fixed value. Copper dinars were used for internal trade in the Sultanate and had a fixed value

·
        
Dirham
: coin bearing a religious verse, commonly made of silver or other base metal. In Granada, they were minted with the Sultans’ motto, “none victorious but God” and weighed 2-3 grams

·
        
Diwan al-Insha
: the Sultan’s chancery of state

-E-

·
        
Eid mubarak
: traditional greeting celebrating the end of Ramadan

-H-

·
        
Hadarro
: modern-day river Darro that flows through Granada

·
        
Hajib
: Prime Minister

·
        
Hammam
: bath house

·
        
Harrira:
a Moroccan soup of mutton, couscous and spices

·
        
Hijab
: a veil

·
        
Houri
: virgins in Paradise

·
        
Hud
: enemies of the Nasrids

-I-

·
        
Ibn
: son of

-J-

·
        
Jahannam
: Hell

·
        
Jarya
: concubine, plural
jawari

·
        
Jihad
: the struggle; to personally maintain the Islamic faith, to improve Islamic society and to defend Islam and an Islamic way of life against its enemies

·
        
Jubba
: floor-length robe with wide sleeves, opening at the neck, worn by both sexes of the nobility

-K-

·
        
Kaaba
: the most sacred site of the Islamic religion in Mecca, which Muslims circumnavigate during pilgrimage
 

·
        
Kadin
: favored concubine, who has also had children for her master

·
        
Kasatan
: wooden, bowl-shaped percussion instruments

·
        
Khamsa
: the Hand of Fatima, an amulet in the shape of a hand, meant to convey patience, abundance, and faithfulness to the wearer, attributed to the daughter of Prophet Muhammad

·
        
Khanjar
: dagger

·
        
Khassa
: collective Moorish nobility

·
        
Khil’a
: ceremonial floor-length robe with wide sleeves, opening at the neck, decorated with
tiraz
bands, worn by courtiers on special occasions

·
        
Kohl
: black eyeliner

-M-

·
        
Madina
: a city

·
        
Madrasa
: school of higher education

·
        
Maravedies
: Castilian gold coinage, originating with the Islamic conquest. When the Castilians incorporated the coinage in their use, it eventually fell in value from silver to copper coinage. The Castilian government stopped issuing maravedies in the 1850’s when the Spanish currency changed to the decimal system

·
        
Marinids
: rulers of modern day Morocco AD 1248-1548

·
        
Mashwar
: the council chambers of the Sultan’s chancery

-N-

·
        
Nasrids
: rulers of Granada AD 1232-1492

·
        
Nauar
: a Gypsy

-P-

·
        
Purdah
: room divider or screen

-Q-

·
        
Qamis
: long shirt of white cotton or linen, worn as an undergarment by both sexes, in all social classes

·
        
Qaysariyya
: the central marketplace in Granada

·
        
Qiblah
: the wall of a mosque facing the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

-R-

·
        
Raïs:
provincial governor

·
        
Rawda
: cemetery

-S-

·
        
Sabika:
the hill where the Alhambra was built

·
        
Salat al-Asr
: third prayer time, obligatory at afternoon

·
        
Salat al-Fajr
: first prayer time, obligatory at sunrise

·
        
Salat al-Isha
: fifth prayer time, obligatory at nighttime

·
        
Salat al-Maghrib
: fourth prayer time, obligatory after sunset

·
        
Salat al-Zuhr
: second prayer time, obligatory at noon

·
        
Shashiya
: skullcap

-T-

·
        
‘Tharid
: dish of crumbled pieces of bread served in a meat or vegetable broth

·
        
Tiraz
: richly brocaded bands of cloth decorating the upper sleeves of a ceremonial garment, often bearing symbols, geometric motifs or script

-U-

·
        
Ummi
: my mother

-W-

·
        
Wadi al-Kabir
: modern-day Guadalquivir River that flows through Seville

·
        
Wadi Fes
: modern-day river that flows through Fez

·
        
Wudu
: partial ablution

-X-

·
        
Xenil
: modern-day Genil River

-Z-

·
        
Zaggats
: brass, finger cymbals

About the Author

Lisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by history. She is the author of
On Falcon's Wings
, a medieval novel chronicling the star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers. She has also written the medieval novels,
Sultana
and
Sultana’s Legacy,
both set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain. Born in Barbados, she currently lives in New York City.

Lisa is also an avid blogger and a regular contributor at Unusual Historicals and the Historical Novel Reviews. Her personal blog is The Brooklyn Scribbler.

You can find more information about Lisa and her writing on the website
www.lisajyarde.com
. Discover bonus content on the website, including maps, genealogy tables, and photos of the Alhambra.

Table of Contents

Start