Name of Monument:

The Iwan House

Name in original language:

Bayt iwan

Location:

Rmeil, Lebanon

Date of Monument:

1850

History:

The architecture of the iwan was well suited to both its domestic and economic functions. When opened, it allowed the family to work and sit outside whilst remaining protected from the worst of the winter winds and summer sun. It also facilitated the movement of domestic animals, and the storage of produce and agricultural equipment. The house is built with ramleh of stone and limestone-marl from Ashrafiyyeh. Although mud was traditionally used, the walls nowadays are usually covered with reinforced concrete.

Description:

The house is built around a vestibule, which is flanked on two sides by symmetrical living spaces and open on one end with a tall archway called an iwan, or an 'aqd in the local dialect. It is after this archway that the vestibule is named. The iwan archway is usually north facing, for climactic reasons, and built in a broken or curved shape. The vestibule is sometimes T-shaped, with arms at the back leading to two adjacent rooms, or can simply be a wider room, thus becoming more of a central hall.

Citation of this web page:

Jeff El-Msanne, David Andos "The Iwan House" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monuments;AWE;lb;6;en

Prepared by: Jeff El-Msanne, David Andos
Copyedited by: Flaminia Baldwin

MWNF Working Number: LB 006