board of schools
The board of schools (ephoreia) consisted of members either elected by the community or nominated by a commission. They were authorized to supervise the proper functioning of the educational institutions.

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.

monitorial system
Teaching method developed by Joseph Lancaster, under which the older students (in Greek: “protoscholoi”) taught the smaller children some skill or activity.

nahiye
A small administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire, subdivision of the kaza.

selachi
Large leather belt, where weapons were placed (from the Ottoman-Arabic word silah, gun).

vilayet (valilik)
The larger administrative unit in the Ottoman provincial administration system. The large provinces of the Ottoman Empire were previously called eyalet. The new regulation of 1864 introduced the vilayet as an equivalent of the French départment - albeit of smaller size. The governor of the vilayet was called vali and had extensive authority.