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Capital
Read more...Crown of a column, pillar or pilaster, especially in classical architecture. Derived from the Latin caput, meaning “head.”
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Cartouche
Read more...Ornamental oval tablet with an ornate scroll frame, usually bearing a coat of arms, date or inscription. Derived from the Italian cartoccio, meaning “paper cornet.”
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Coffer
Read more...Sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle or octagon, mostly found on a flat ceiling or on the interior surface of a dome. Employed as a form of decoration and to lighten the weight of the str...
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Cenobitic
Read more...Monastic tradition that stresses community life. The monks live, eat and pray together, and there is no private property. Derived from the Greek words koinos (“common”) and bios (“life”).
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Catholicon
Read more...The main church in an Orthodox monastery, where the major feast days in the liturgical calendar are celebrated. Often has a smaller church in the basement, which can be more easily heated in winter.
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Archivolt
Read more...Decorative moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. Derived from the Italian archivolto, formed from arco (“arch”) and volta (“vault”).
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Archimandrite
Read more...Honorary title for the abbot of an especially great and important monastery.
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Archieros
Read more...High priest, bishop or father of the church. The highest rank after metropolitan and archbishop in the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Apse
Read more...Vaulted extension or projection, generally semicircular or polygonal in shape. Usually located behind the altar in the eastern end of a Christian church. Derived from the Greek apsis, meaning “arch” ...
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Akathist
Read more...The Akathist was a Byzantine hymn of praise to the Mother of God for saving Constantinople from the Persians and Avars in 626. The word is derived from the Greek akathistos, meaning “unseated,” becau...
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