Moroccan riad Moroccan riad A riad () is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad originates from the Arabian term for garden, , ryad. The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provided a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the Idrisid Dynasty. When the Almoravids conquered Spain in the 11th century they sent Muslim, Christian and Jewish artisans from Spain to Morocco to work on monuments. The Riad is the Moroccan traditional house, normally with two or more stories around an Andalusian-style courtyard that contained a fountain. Riads were the stately
James A. Burden House an Italian Renaissance-style townhouse, embellished by French-inspired detailing around the windows and balcony. In 1907, the New York Times wrote: "so perfectly is the French idea carried out at the Burden residence ... the only way one can enter is through a courtyard ... [the central stairway has] a tread so low and wide that one ascends ... without being conscious of any effort." In 1938, the contents of the house were auctioned by Parke-Bernet. The Convent of the Sacred Heart purchased the mansion in 1940. It now serves as the location of the Convent of the Sacred Heart's lower