The Merchant Houses of Mocha: Trade and Architecture in an Indian Ocean Port

Glossary

239 glossary alphandigo. The customs house, a term used by the Dutch, from a Portuguese corruption of the Arabic term al-funduq. amı̄r al-bah ˙ r. The overseer of the port, an official who served under the city governor. Baniyan, also Banyan, Banian, Vanya. A Hindu or Jain merchant from western India who operated in Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea cities. In Mocha, the Baniyans served primarily as land-based brokers. birka (pl. birak). A pool or a cistern used to collect rainwater. funduq (pl. fanādiq). A wholesale trade structure with lodging and storage facilities ; in the Mediterranean region sometimes used to specify a European trading establishment. furd ˙ a. The port, also used to refer to the customs house. ghurāb, also grab. A two- or three-masted ship, literally “raven” or the “edge of a sword’s blade.” h ˙ āra. A residential district within a city (in construction, h ˙ ārat). h ˙ arf. See komassi. jalba (pl. jilāb). A small local ship of the Red Sea. khān. A wholesale trade structure with lodging and storage facilities. komassi. A local silver coin minted by the imam in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the term was used primarily in the Tihāma and H ˙ ad ˙ ramawt, probably derived from the Arabic khumsiyya; called h ˙ arf in the highlands. Lotia, also Lūtiyya (pl. Liwātiyya). A Muslim merchant from western India who lived in the ports of Yemen and Oman as well as Sanaa. maydān. City square. 240 Glossary miqhāya. A coffee house that also served as a modest rest house, often found on roads in the Tihāma. Mocha dollar. A local currency fixed at a value under that of the Spanish riyal, in which values were calculated but never tendered; called qirsh dhahab locally. nākhūdha, also nakhūdha, nākhudhā, nākhudha, nachoda (pl. nawākhid). The captain of a ship who does not fulfill the technical role of seafarer but rather serves as the main authority on the ship and the agent of the shipowner at the port. Nayrūz (calendar). A solar calendar of 365 days beginning in October that was calculated according to the maritime seasons of travel and used to schedule the dates for reckoning accounts in Mocha. tranke. A local vessel of the Persian Gulf. qād ˙ ı̄. A Muslim judge. qays ˙ ariyya. A freestanding retail structure used to sell specialized merchandise. qubba. A dome, cupola, or tomb. rawshan (pl. rawāshin). A projecting window found on the coasts of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf; referred to as mashrabiyya in Egypt and the Levant. riyal, Spanish. The dominant silver coin used for international trade in Yemen, also known as the Spanish real of eight, the Spanish peso, and the Spanish dollar; called qirsh h ˙ ajar in Mocha. samsara. A khān or qays ˙ ariyya. s ˙ arrāf. A money exchanger. sayyid (pl. sāda). A title for a male direct descendant of the Prophet. sūq. A retail marketplace. tājir (pl. tujjār). A wholesale merchant. ushsha (pl. ushshash). Mud and thatch house found in the Tihāma region of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. wakı̄l. A representative or proxy. wazir, also vizier. An advisor or councilor to the imam. wikāla. Generally, a wholesale trading establishment with lodging and storage facilities. Zaydism. One of the subsects of Shı̄ı̄ Islam. ...