Hypostyle Hall
Basilica
Minarets
Stupa
Atrium
Mihrab
Catacomb
Coffer
tympanum
Pediment
Mullions
Oculus
Pilaster
Curtain Wall
Rib Vault
Post & Lintel
(Latin: “eye”). In ancient Roman and later architecture, a circular window in the center of a dome.
The semicircular area enclosed by the arch above an entryway. This area is often decorated with sculpture in the Romanesque and Gothic periods.
A triangular shape atop the facade of a building, usually supported by columns above an entrance. Often encases a sculptural relief.
The interior vaulting caused by the use of pointed arches. Diagnostic of gothic architectural styles.
The entrance hall of an ancient Roman house, open to the sky at the center and usually featuring a pool for the collection of rainwater (impluvium).
A type of building used by the ancient Romans for diverse functions (such as law courts) - adapted to serve as the basis for the new churches.
Tall thin towers that often frame the structure of a Mosque from which the muezzin calls people to prayer.
A niche in the Qibla wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca, toward which the congregation faces to pray
A large interior space filled by rows of columns. Seen at the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak and the Great Mosque of Cordoba.
A rectangular column that is attached to a wall as seen on the Palazzo Rucellai.
Semicircular mound used as a burial/reliquary. Meant to represent the body of the Buddha and act as an axis mundi.
The vertical bar that separates window panes. Notably ornamented with small bronze I-beams on the facade of the Seagram Building.
Simplest form of construction in which two vertical posts support a horizontal beam.
A square or polygonal ornamental sunken panel used in a series as decoration for a ceiling or vault. Seen in the Pantheon.
Underground hallways and small rooms where both Christians and pagans were buried.
A lightweight wall that is not load bearing (carries no weight of the building). Most often made of glass windows, emulating a thin, sheer curtain.
