Iwan
Appearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Jam%C3%A9_Mosque_Esfahan_courtyard.jpg/170px-Jam%C3%A9_Mosque_Esfahan_courtyard.jpg)
An iwan (Persian: إيوان eyvān) is defined as a vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides, with one end open. Iwans were a trademark of the Sassanid architecture of Persia. They then found their way into Islamic architecture.
Typically, iwans open on to a central courtyard, and have been used in both public and residential architecture.