This lets residents admit guests into the majlis (, ), a salon or reception room, without seeing into the sahn. It is then a protected and proscribed place where the women of the house need not be covered in the hijab clothing traditionally necessary in public. In urban settings, the sahn is usually surrounded by a colonnaded riwaq, and has a howz, or pool of water, in the middle. The residence's iwan, a private family room veranda of three walls, usually overlooks the sahn and gives direct or stairway access to it. Upper floor rooms may also view it through mashrabiyas, wooden lattice covered windows. The Moorish patios of al-Andalus, in present-day Spain, include World Heritage Sites such as the Court of the Lions and Court of the Myrtles at the Alhambra palace. Urban design Private Traditional Islamic neighborhoods can have a dedicated central open space, a communally private sahn, called saha (, ), only for the neighbourhood's residents, usually consisting of members of the same tribe. Public The idea of public open space, central in the middle of a city, a town square or central plaza, is part of historical and contemporary urban design in many cultures around the world. Ancient examples are the Greek agora and Roman forum. They can provide a place for various civic uses such as public gatherings, celebrations, and protests, open air markets and festivals, and transportation links. See also durqāʿa: central space in a building Index: Islamic architectural elements References Sahn Mosque architecture Arabic architecture Architecture in Iran Islamic architecture Islamic architectural elements