A vizier (/vɪˈzɪər/, rarely /ˈvɪzjər/; Arabic:وزير‎; Wazeer, Persian:vazīr‎‎, Turkish:vezir, Urdu:وزیر‎, Vazeer; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title wazir to a minister formerly called katib (secretary) who was at first merely a helper, but afterwards became the representative and successor of the dapir (official scribe or secretary) of the Sassanian kings.