Byzantine Empire

3. A vast, dry, treeless grassland region stretching across southeastern Europe and Central Asia
5. (czar) The title used by the emperors of Russia, derived from the Roman title "Caesar"
8. alphabet A writing system derived from Greek letters, created by Saints Cyril and Methodius to translate the Bible into Slavic languages
10. Sophia A massive, world-famous cathedral in Constantinople (now Istanbul) built by Justinian I
11. The capital of the Byzantine Empire
12. Sacred religious images (like paintings of Jesus) used by Eastern Christians to aid in worship and devotion.

1. Code a collection and revision of Roman laws organized by Emperor Justinian I around 534 AD; legal foundation for the Byzantine Empire and influenced later European law.
2. The highest-ranking bishop or official in the Eastern Orthodox Church
4. Horde The Mongol army that invaded and ruled over Russia and parts of Eastern Europe for over 200 years after the fall of Kiev.
6. Schism The formal split in 1054 AD between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church
7. Artworks created by assembling small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials to form an image or pattern; often used to decorate Byzantine churches.
9. Orthodox branch of Christianity that developed in the Byzantine Empire and split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 11th century.