| A | B |
|---|
| Justinian I | Emperor of the Byzantine Empire |
| Justinian Code | new set of laws that made them easier to understand |
| monopoly | complete control |
| mosaics | pictures made form bits of colored stone or glass |
| Constantinople | the capital city of the Byzantine Empire |
| Theodora | the wife of Justinian who made life better for women |
| orthodox | officially accepted Christianity |
| icons | holy pictures of Jesus and the saints |
| patriarchs | Church leaders |
| Catholic | means "all-embracing" |
| steppes | semi-dry plains in the desert |
| Mecca | the Muslims' Holy city |
| Muhammad | the founder of Islam |
| Islam | a religion based on Muhammad's visions |
| Qur'an | the holy book of Islam |
| Muslim | a follower of Islam |
| caliph | a successor or someone who rules after another |
| mosques | Islamic houses of worship |
| minarets | a tower on a mosque |
| astrolabe | an instrument that helps sailors navigate using positions of stars |
| Five Pillars of Islam | what the Qur'an is based on |
| Sunni and Shiite | two different groups of Muslims |
| Middle Ages | the years from about 500-1500 A.D. in Europe |
| Charlemagne | leader of the Franks called "Charles the Great" |
| pope | the leader of the Christian Church based in Rome |
| manor | large block of land that made up village and area around it |
| serfs | peasants who worked on the manor |
| tenant | pays rent to a landowner |
| vassals | nobles who perfomed military duties for the king |
| contract | written agreement |
| feudal system | trading protection for loyalty |
| Christendom | feeling that all Christians from all kingdoms formed a community |
| Jerusalem | holy city for Christians |
| crusaders | volunteers who fought for their holy city |
| The Crusades | series of holy wars fought between Christians and Muslims |
| bubonic plague | a deadly sickness in Europe that killed 20 million people |
| nation-state | had a single ruler and strong government |
| Magna Carta | a signed set of laws that protected everyone in Europe |
