GLOSSARY
Akhal-Teke—a breed of horse noted for its metallic sheen; Rahim’s horse
al-Khamsa—a desert-bred bloodline of Arabian horse, translated as “the five”; Tariq’s horse; Khalid’s horse, Ardeshir
Amardha—the biggest city in Parthia; the city in which Salim Ali el-Sharif resides
astragali dice—bone dice of quadruped knucklebones, originally used in astragalomancy, a form of divination
Badawi tribe—nomadic desert tribe, controlled by a sheikh
caliph—the ruler of Khorasan, a term synonymous with “king”; Khalid Ibn al-Rashid
calipha—the wife of the caliph; a term synonymous with “queen”; Shahrzad al-Khayzuran
caliphate—the region ruled by the caliph; Khorasan
Chagatai—a dead language of Central Asian origin
cuirass—upper-body armor consisting of a breastplate and a backplate fastened together
delam—a term of endearment meaning “my heart”
dinar—a form of currency made from gold bullion
effendi—a suffix attached to a name to denote respect
emir—a nobleman of Khorasan, akin to a duke; one of the caliph’s bannermen; Nasir al-Ziyad
faqir—a scholar of magic and mysticism
Fida’i—a mercenary marked by the brand of a scarab on the inner forearm
ghalyan—a hookah or water pipe
jahkesh—an insult meaning “whoremonger” or “master pimp”
jan—a term of endearment, a suffix attached to a name to mean “my dear”
joonam—a term of endearment meaning “my everything”
kamancheh—a stringed instrument resembling a violin
Khorasan—a wealthy kingdom, currently ruled by an eighteen-year-old caliph with a murderous past
kohl—an eye cosmetic, traditionally made from ground galena
lavash bread—a type of very thin flatbread
magus—a sorcerer; Musa Zaragoza
malik—the ruler of Assyria, a term synonymous with “king”
mankalah—a leather cuff that spans from wrist to elbow, associated with falconry
mantle—a loose-fitting robe, usually made of an elaborate material such as damask, typically worn by royalty
marg-bahr—a wish of ill will, specifically death or destruction to someone or something
ney—a wind instrument resembling a flute
Parthia—the smaller kingdom adjacent to Khorasan, ruled by Salim Ali el-Sharif
qamis—a loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt, worn by men and women alike, typically made of linen
Rajput—member of a warrior class; Vikram
Rey—the greatest city of Khorasan; the city of Shahrzad’s birth
rida’—a cloak worn over a man’s shoulder, covering his shirt; can also include a hood to conceal his face
sahib—a title used in deference, often to denote rank
sama—a practice associated with whirling dervishes
santur—a stringed instrument also known as a hammered dulcimer, struck with a small mallet to produce sound
sayyidi—a term of respect used when addressing the caliph; translated as “my liege” or “my lord”
scimitar—a single-edged, curved sword; Tariq’s sword; Jalal’s sword
Shahrban of Rey—the highest-ranking general in Khorasan, second only to the caliph; General Aref al- Khoury
shamla—an embroidered dressing gown or robe
shamshir—a slender saber with a rather sharp curve to it; Khalid’s sword
sheikh—the leader of a Badawi tribe; Omar al-Sadiq
sirwal trowsers—voluminous pants worn by men and women alike, typically gathered at the ankle and secured at the waist by a sash
souk—outdoor market
sultan—the ruler of Parthia, a term synonymous with “king”; Salim Ali el-Sharif
tabarzin—a battle-axe
Taleqan—the fortress of Emir Nasir al-Ziyad; the fourth-richest stronghold in Khorasan; Tariq’s home
talwar—a type of curved sword or saber originating from Hindustan; the Rajput’s sword
Thebes—a large city in central Greece
tikka sash—a long sash tied about the hips, largely decorative, worn by men and women alike
Tirazis—a city in Khorasan famous for its stone quarries
tombak—a drum resting on the hip
vizier—an advisor to the caliph
