Vizier, << vih ZIHR or VIHZ yuhr, >> is the title some Muslim countries give to certain high officials, such as ministers of state. The word vizier comes from the Arabic word wazir, which means a bearer of burdens. In the Ottoman Empire, viziers were the chief advisers and deputies of the Ottoman sultan (ruler). In the 1800’s, heads of Ottoman government departments were called viziers. The government’s top administrator was often called the Grand Vizier.
