Beijing courtyardThe earliest known courtyards were found
in China, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Archeological remains date back
to 4000 BC.
CHINESE courtyards provided an inner sanctuary in the crowded cities. The courtyard is called a siheyuan, meaning a yard surrounded by four buildings. Always respectful of natural elements and their effects on humans, the positioning of residences, palaces, temples, monasteries, family businesses and government offices, followed a basic pattern. The courtyard was built according to the principles maximizing sun exposure while providing protection from cold north winds, according to the ancient Chinese rules for house placement. Buildings surrounding the courtyard lined up to the cardinal directions. In residences, the main house was located in the North to utilize the light and warmth of the sun. A notable feature of the courtyard house is that the complex is fully enclosed by buildings and walls. There are no windows on the outside walls, and usually the only opening to the outside is through the front gate. The walls around the house not only give privacy and some protection from burglary, but also create a sharp distinction between “inner” and “outer.”
“In my courtyard I can ‘retreat from the web of the world’s
dust back to nature’. I can only see the distant mountaintops, the
clouds, the sun, the moon above the tiled roof of my courtyard buildings.
My courtyard is my own small space. It is here to my own small space that
I bring my dear heart friends to sit and smile at life.”
-Chinese gentleman decribing his courtyard
Beijing courtyard
Three-sided courtyard
Four-sided courtyard
Double courtyard
Sources for all images:
Adapted From: Liu Dunzhun, ed. Zhongguo gudai jianzhu shi. (Beijing: Zhongguo
gongyue chubanshe, 1984), p. 12.
PERSIANS built courtyards to represent “Paradise”. Since water was scarce, a well, fountain or pool was the central element. Not only was this a way to preserve water, it also provided a visual contrast to the dry land and would evoke the sense of life and lushness found in “Paradise”. The Persian word for “enclosed space” is pairi-daeza. The pairi-daeza provided a space for spiritual renewal and leisurely meetings with friends.
Conversation
in Persian courtyard.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gardens
The courtyard below is an example from a Ndebele community. The Ndebele people live in the northern region of South Africa and in Zimbabwe.
Source: http://encarta.msn.com/
Everyday tasks are done in the protection of the courtyard.
Source: http://www.arm.arc.co.uk/
Remains of Mohenjodaro, an ancient Indus Valley city, show a courtyard, surrounded by smaller buildings above and below the grade of the courtyard.
Source: http://www.mohenjodaro.net/
The image below is of the old section of the Pakistani city, Sehwan, Sindh. Note the courtyard behind the wooden door, shaded by a date palm tree.
Source: http://www.mohenjodaro.net/