Liwan (Arabic:ليوان,līwān, fromPersianeyvān) is a long narrow-frontedhall orvaultedportal in ancient and modernLevantine homes that is often open to the outside.[2][3] An Arabicloanword to English, it is ultimately derived from thePersianeyvān, which preceded by the articleal ("the"), came to be said aslīwān in Arabic, and later, English.[4]
In its simplest form, the history of the liwan dates back more than 2,000 years, when theliwan house was essentially a coveredterrace, supported byretaining walls, with acourtyard in front.[5]
In its more complex forms, the liwan house is composed of a large ceremonial entrance hall (liwan) at the front of the complex, divided into three sections, and flanked by two smaller liwans.[3] The back of the house opens onto a columnedperistyle courtyard from which the main room and the private apartments opposite can be accessed, withsymmetry on either side of the central axis.[3]
Mats and carpets are typically spread along the length of the floor of the liwan, and the mattresses and cushions along the length of the walls make up thediwan ordivan seating area.[6]
One type of liwan house is the three-arched house or "Central Hall House", as coined by Friedrich Ragette in 1974.[7] It is also known as the "traditional house" or "Late-OttomanArab House" inHaifa or the "Beiruti House" inMersin.[7]
The 19th-century Levantine model of the three-arched house with many regional variations is found in the coastal regions ofLebanon,Syria,Palestine, andTurkey.[7] A representative example of the liwan house commonly found in towns throughout theWest Bank andGaza is the Al Imam house inHebron.[8]
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