iwans

Iwans are a hallmark of Islamic and Persianate architecture. An iwan is a rectangular vaulted hall that is walled on three sides and open to a courtyard on the fourth side. It is typically defined by a large, often pointed or horseshoe arch and is frequently clad in brick with tilework, plaster relief, or calligraphy. Iwans may function as grand entrances, audience halls, or ceremonial spaces within mosques, madrasas, palaces, and caravanserais. In many complexes, especially in Iran and Central Asia, a four-iwan plan places four monumental iwans around a central courtyard, creating a symmetrical, enclosed space.

The term iwan derives from Persian and Arabic traditions, with the concept widely elaborated in Islamic architecture after the 9th–10th centuries. The form likely developed from earlier vaulted halls in Sasanian and early Islamic architecture and achieved a distinctive Persianate expression during the Seljuq and Ilkhanid periods (roughly 11th–14th centuries).

Across the region, iwans appear in masonry and brickwork, with decorative tile mosaics, carved stucco, and inscriptions. They are central to the four-iwan plan used in many madrasas, giving the courtyard a formal, axial arrangement. In caravanserais, a long iwan would frame the entry and protect merchandise within the courtyard.

Influence spread to neighboring regions, affecting Ottoman and Mughal architecture, where iwan-inspired forms appear in mosques and palaces and contribute to large-scale public architecture. Today, iwans are studied as a defining feature of medieval Iranian architecture and as a versatile, enduring solution for creating large, lit interior spaces in arid climates.