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An arched srtucture or a semi-circular end of a wall. In byzantine architecture it means the semicircular, usually barrel-vaulted, niche at the east end of a basilica. The side aisles of a basilica may also end in an apse, but it is always in the central apse where the altar is placed. It was separated from the main church by a barrier, the templon, or the iconostasis. Its ground plan on the external side could be semicircular, rectangular or polygonal.

chartoularios
Βyzantine officer (from the word charta meaning the official document) with various duties1. In the Early Byzantine period the chartoularii served the officia of high rank, like the prefecturae, being in charge of the archives. In the Middle Byzantine period chartoulari served almost everywhere, being in charge of the archives; the office of megas chartoularios administering the homonymous sekreton appears as well. From the 12 th c. some chartoularii appear to undertake military duty and during the 13th c. the megas chartoularios was an officer of high rank in the court. 2. Ecclesiastical officer, in charge of the archives (close to chartophylax).

chrysobull
(gold seal) Imperial document of the Byzantine state which was so named because it bore the gold seal of the emperor.

Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 553)
The Fifth Ecumenical Council assembled at Constanitnople in 553, in order to reformulise the chistian doctrine on the issue of the nature of Jesus Christ and to renounce the heretic convictions of nestorianism and monofysitsm.

kaza
The basic grade of the Ottoman provincial administration. It included the surrounding region of a city or a town. During the late Ottoman Period it is identified with the kaymakamlık.

sancak (liva)
Medium sized unit of provincial administration of the Ottoman state, throughout its history. A subdivision of the early Ottoman eyalet (or beylerbeylik) and the later Ottoman vilayet. In the late Ottoman Period it was known also as mutasarrıflık.

strategos ("general")
During the Roman period his duties were mainly political. Οffice of the Byzantine state´s provincial administration. At first the title was given to the military and political administrator of the themes, namely of the big geographic and administrative unities of the Byzantine empire. Gradually the title lost its power and, already in the 11th century, strategoi were turned to simple commanders of military units, responsible for the defence of a region.