HOUSE WITH CENTRAL HALL (LIWAN) AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE PALESTINIAN CITYS’ HOUSES

The Palestinian (Liwan) House is distinguished by a set of elements that are characterized by artistic taste and architectural sense, represented by the structural and decorative elements and the distinctive architectural style to take into account the environmental aspects to help adapt to the environment surrounding it. As a result of the material prosperity and the distinguished economic situation that Palestine was experiencing, this type of building was cleansed in the eighteenth century and became the home of the rich class in Palestinian society. This type of building appeared in several Palestinian cities such as Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and others, as most of these houses were covered with a sloping tiled roof and were greatly affected by Western architecture. The central hall is associated with two Iwans. Palestinian architecture has been subjected to a lot of loss and lack of documentation due to the continuous wars on Palestine, and this research is a starting point for researchers to research and document this type of buildings in the Palestinian city for fear of loss and extinction. This research consists of several main elements, the most important of which are: the historical and geographical context of the Palestinian (Liwan) House, classifications of the (Liwan) House, the architectural character of the Palestinian (Liwan) House, and different models of the (Liwan) House in different regions of Palestine.