Egypt Glossary

C

calèches a traditional horse drawn carriage common in the East Bank of Luxor, Egypt.

F

fellaheen peasant farmers or simply called agricultural laborer in an Arab country, like Syria and Egypt.

feluccas a traditional wooden sailing boat used in protected waters of the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and particularly along the Nile in Egypt.

H

hypostyle hall a kind of architecture used by the Egyptians having a flat ceiling which is supported by columns like the ones in Kom Ombo and Karnak.

M

manafis a system of aqueducts used by the Egyptians in the ancient time.

mashrabiyyas - a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework often lined with stained glass.

mastaba is a type of Ancient Egyptian tomb built out of mud-bricks or stone.

P

pronaos an entrance hall to the temple leading to the cella.

S

saqiya a water raising system used by the Egyptian in the ancient times.

stelae a stone or wooden slab erected for funerals and/or commemorative purposes. They are usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — either inscribed, carved in bas, sunken or high relief or simply painted to the slab.

T

ta’amiyya an Egyptian version of falafel.