Sahn

Large sahn of the Mosque of Uqba, surrounded by riwaq (arcades), in Tunisia.

A sahn (Arabic: صَحْن, ṣaḥn), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque.[1][2][3] Most traditional mosques have a large central sahn, which is surrounded by a riwaq or arcade on all sides. In traditional Islamic design, residences and neighborhoods can have private sahn courtyards.[citation needed]

The sahn is a common element in religious buildings and residences throughout the Muslim world, used in urban and rural settings. The cloister is its equivalent in European medieval architecture and its religious buildings.

  1. ^ M. Bloom, Jonathan; S. Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). "Mosque". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195309911.
  2. ^ Petersen, Andrew (1996). Dictionary of Islamic architecture. Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 9781134613663.
  3. ^ "The Mosque". metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-11-23.