# Courtyard > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Courtyard > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Courtyard.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard > Source revision: 1344477336 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Enclosed area, often by a building, that is open to the sky For other uses, see [Courtyard (disambiguation)](/source/Courtyard_(disambiguation)). Monumental courtyards from Damascus, Munich, Paris, and Vienna A **courtyard** or **court** is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a [building](/source/Building) or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary architects as a typical and traditional building feature.[1] Such spaces in [inns](/source/Inn) and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of [court](/source/Court_(disambiguation)). Both of the words *court* and *yard* derive from the same root, meaning an enclosed space. See [yard](/source/Yard_(land)) and [garden](/source/Garden) for the relation of this set of words. In [universities](/source/Universities) courtyards are often known as [quadrangles](/source/Quadrangle_(architecture)). ## Historic use Courtyard in the [Lidzbark Castle](/source/Lidzbark_Castle), Poland Courtyards—private open spaces surrounded by walls or buildings—have been in use in residential [architecture](/source/Architecture) for almost as long as people have lived in constructed dwellings. The [courtyard house](/source/Courtyard_house) makes its first appearance c. 6400–6000 BC (calibrated), in the [Neolithic](/source/Neolithic) [Yarmukian site](/source/Yarmukian_Culture) at Sha'ar HaGolan, in the central [Jordan Valley](/source/Jordan_Valley_(Middle_East)), on the northern bank of the Yarmouk River, giving the site a special significance in architectural history.[2] Courtyards have historically been used for many purposes including cooking, sleeping, working, playing, gardening, and even places to keep animals. Before courtyards, open [fires](/source/Fire) were kept burning in a central place within a home, with only a small hole in the [ceiling](/source/Ceiling) overhead to allow [smoke](/source/Smoke) to escape. Over time, these small openings were enlarged and eventually led to the development of the centralized open courtyard we know today. Courtyard homes have been designed and built throughout the world with many variations. Courtyard homes are more prevalent in temperate climates, as an open central court can be an important aid to cooling house in warm weather.[3] However, courtyard houses have been found in harsher climates as well for centuries. The comforts offered by a courtyard—air, light,[4] [privacy](/source/Privacy), security, and tranquility—are properties nearly universally desired in human housing. Almost all courtyards use natural elements.[5] ## Comparison throughout the world Courtyard in the [Quetzalpapálotl](/source/Quetzalpap%C3%A1lotl) ruin complex at [Teotihuacan](/source/Teotihuacan), 5th century AD. The Court of the Lions, [Alhambra](/source/Alhambra), Granada, [Spain](/source/Spain) ### Middle East Courtyards were widely used in the ancient [Middle East](/source/Middle_East).[6] Middle Eastern courtyard houses reflect the nomadic influences of the region. Instead of officially designating rooms for cooking, sleeping, etc., these activities were relocated throughout the year as appropriate to accommodate the changes in temperature and the position of the sun. Often the flat rooftops of these structures were used for sleeping in warm weather. In some Islamic cultures, private courtyards provided the only outdoor space for women to relax unobserved. Convective cooling through transition spaces between multiple-courtyard buildings in the Middle East has also been observed.[3][7] In c. 2000 BC [Ur](/source/Ur), two-storey houses were constructed around an open square were built of fired brick. [Kitchen](/source/Kitchen), working, and public spaces were located on the ground floor, with private rooms located upstairs.[8] ### Europe The central uncovered area in a Roman [domus](/source/Domus) was referred to as an *[atrium](/source/Atrium_(architecture))*. Today, we generally use the term *courtyard* to refer to such an area, reserving the word *atrium* to describe a glass-covered courtyard. Roman atrium houses were built side by side along the street. They were one-storey homes without windows that took in light from the entrance and from the central atrium. The hearth, which used to inhabit the centre of the home, was relocated, and the Roman atrium most often contained a central pool used to collect rainwater, called an *[impluvium](/source/Impluvium)*. These homes frequently incorporated a second open-air area, the garden, which would be surrounded by Greek-style [colonnades](/source/Colonnade), forming a [peristyle](/source/Peristyle). This created a colonnaded walkway around the perimeter of the courtyard, which influenced monastic structures centuries later. The medieval European farmhouse embodies what we think of today as one of the most archetypal examples of a courtyard house—four buildings arranged around a square courtyard with a steep roof covered by thatch. The central courtyard was used for working, gathering, and sometimes keeping small livestock. An elevated walkway frequently ran around two or three sides of the courtyards in the houses. Such structures afforded protection, and could even be made defensible. ### China Sunken courtyard complex, Henan, 2009 The traditional Chinese courtyard house, (e.g. [siheyuan](/source/Siheyuan)), is an arrangement of several individual houses around a square. Each house belongs to a different family member, and additional houses are created behind this arrangement to accommodate additional family members as needed. The Chinese courtyard is a place of privacy and tranquility, almost always incorporating a garden and water feature. In some cases, houses are constructed with multiple courtyards that increase in privacy as they recede from the street. Strangers would be received in the outermost courtyard, with the innermost ones being reserved for close friends and family members. In a more contemporary version of the Chinese model, a courtyard can also be used to separate a home into [wings](/source/Wing_(building)); for example, one wing of the house may be for entertaining/dining, and the other wing may be for sleeping/family/privacy. This is exemplified by the [Hooper House](/source/Hooper_House_(Baltimore%2C_Maryland)) in Baltimore, Maryland. ### United States [Oak Ridge Apartments](/source/Oak_Ridge_Apartments) in [Evanston, Illinois](/source/Evanston%2C_Illinois) from 1914 A courtyard apartment building type appeared in [Chicago](/source/Chicago) in the early 1890s and flourished into the 1920s. They are characterized primarily by a low height, a structure along three sides of a rectangular or square lot, and an open court extending perpendicular to the street. The courtyards are generally deeper than they are wide, but many finer ones are wider than they are deep. Influenced by the privacy and domesticity of a [standalone house](/source/Single-family_detached_home) as much as by strict [health codes](/source/Building_code), the architectural style provided outdoor access and ventilation unseen in earlier multi-unit housing in the United States. ## Relevance today This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (March 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message) [Fort Hall](/source/Fort_Hall) replica, the courtyard, Pocatello, Idaho The courtyard of [Kaapelitehdas](/source/Kaapelitehdas) in [Helsinki](/source/Helsinki), Finland More and more, architects are investigating ways that courtyards can play a role in the development of today's homes and cities. In densely populated areas, a courtyard in a home can provide privacy for a family, a break from the frantic pace of everyday life, and a safe place for children to play. With space at a premium, architects are experimenting with courtyards as a way to provide outdoor space for small communities of people at a time. A courtyard surrounded by 12 houses, for example, would provide a shared park-like space for those families, who could take pride in ownership of the space. Though this might sound like a modern-day solution to an inner city problem, the grouping of houses around a shared courtyard was common practice among the [Incas](/source/Inca_Empire) as far back as the 13th century[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. In [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco), the floor plans of "marina style" houses often include a central [patio](/source/Patio), a miniature version of an open courtyard, sometimes covered with glass or a translucent material. Central patios provide natural light to common areas and space for potted outdoor plants. In Gilgit/Baltistan, Pakistan, courtyards were traditionally used for public gatherings where village related issues were discussed. These were different from jirgahs, which are a tradition of the tribal regions of Pakistan. ## Gallery - [Binnenhof](/source/Binnenhof), the Hague, Netherlands. It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, - Bahia Palace, Marrakesh, Morocco - [Daisen-in](/source/Daisen-in), a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, one of the five most important Zen temples of Kyoto - A courtyard in [Rome](/source/Rome), Italy - [Saint-Émilion](/source/Saint-%C3%89milion)'s [Romanesque](/source/Romanesque_architecture) ruins - [City Palace, Udaipur](/source/City_Palace%2C_Udaipur), India - Tripoli, the Karamanli House - Interior of the [ING Building](/source/ING_Building), Edmonton, Canada - The courtyard and the pool in Rakib-khaaneh mansion in Isfahan, Iran - Central patio in [Buenos Aires](/source/Buenos_Aires), Antonio Ballvé Penitentiary Museum - Courtyard in Essaouira, Morocco - Beit Ghazaleh, Aleppo, Syria ## See also - [Hakka walled village](/source/Hakka_walled_village) - [Yaodong](/source/Yaodong) - [Tsubo-niwa](/source/Tsubo-niwa) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Caves, R. W. (2004). *Encyclopedia of the City*. Routledge. p. 149. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Garfinkel Y. 1993. "The Yarmukian Culture in Israel". *Paléorient*, **19**.1:115 – 134. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) Ernest, Raha (2011-12-16). ["The role of multiple courtyards in the promotion of convective cooling"](http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12990/). *eprints.nottingham.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2020-01-12. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Reynolds, John S. (2002). *Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight*. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 26. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-471-39884-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-471-39884-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [46422024](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/46422024). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Reynolds, John S. (2002). *Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight*. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 27. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-471-39884-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-471-39884-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [46422024](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/46422024). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Reynolds, John S. (2002). *Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight*. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. IX. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-471-39884-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-471-39884-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [46422024](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/46422024). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Abdulkareem, Haval A. (2016-01-06). ["Thermal Comfort through the Microclimates of the Courtyard. A Critical Review of the Middle-eastern Courtyard House as a Climatic Response"](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.sbspro.2015.12.054). *Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences*. Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD). **216**: 662–674. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.12.054](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.sbspro.2015.12.054). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1877-0428](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1877-0428). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Tim McNeese (1999), *History of Civilization - The Ancient World*, Lorenz Educational Press, p. 10](https://books.google.com/books?id=YvpfndOKwGgC&dq=false&pg=PA10) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780787703875](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780787703875) - *Atrium: Five Thousand Years of Open Courtyards*, by [Werner Blaser](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Werner_Blaser&action=edit&redlink=1) 1985, Wepf & Co. - *Atrium Buildings: Development and Design*, by [Richard Saxon](/source/Richard_Saxon) 1983, The Architectural Press, London - *A History of Architecture*, by [Spiro Kostof](/source/Spiro_Kostof) 1995, The Oxford Press. ## External links Media related to [Courtyards](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Courtyards) at Wikimedia Commons v t e Rooms and spaces of a house Shared rooms Bonus room Common room Den Dining room Family room Garret Great room Home cinema Keeping room Kitchen dirty kitchen kitchenette Living room Gynaeceum harem Andron man cave Quiet room Recording studio Recreation room billiard room Shrine Study Sunroom Private rooms Bathroom toilet Bedroom closet Bedsit Boudoir Cabinet Nursery Spaces Atrium Balcony Gallery Breezeway Conversation pit Cubby-hole Deck Elevator dumbwaiter Entryway/Genkan Fireplace hearth Foyer Hall Hallway Inglenook Lanai Loft Loggia Baldresca Overhang Patio Porch screened sleeping Ramp Secret passage Stairs/Staircase Terrace Veranda Vestibule Technical, utility and storage Attic Basement Carport Cloakroom Closet Crawl space Electrical room Equipment room Furnace room / Boiler room Garage Janitorial closet Larder Laundry room / Utility room / Storage room Mechanical room / floor Pantry Root cellar Semi-basement Storm cellar / Safe room Studio Wardrobe Wine cellar Wiring closet Workshop Great house areas Antechamber Ballroom Kitchen-related butler's pantry buttery saucery scullery spicery still room Conservatory / Orangery Courtyard Peristyle Quadrangle Drawing room Great chamber Great hall Library Long gallery Lumber room Parlour Sauna Servants' hall Servants' quarters Smoking room Solar State room Swimming pool Turret Undercroft Other Furniture Hidden room House house plan styles types Multi-family residential Secondary suite Duplex Terraced Detached Semi-detached Townhouse Studio apartment Architectural elements Arch Arcade Balconet Baluster Belt course Bressummer Ceiling Chimney Colonnade / Portico Column Cornice / Eaves Dais Dome Door Ell Floor Foundation Gable Gate Portal Lighting Molding Ornament Podium Plumbing Quoins Roof shingles Roof lantern Sill plate Style list Skylight Threshold Transom Tribune Vault Wall Window Related Backyard Driveway Fence Front yard Garden roof garden Home Home improvement Home repair Shed Tree house Category: Rooms Authority control databases International GND National United States France BnF data Israel Other NARA İslâm Ansiklopedisi Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Courtyard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard?action=history)). 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