The Foyer

This is our foyer, a very important feature in traditional Islamic architecture. This is where your shoes are taken off. The floor in a Muslim home is a place where prayers are made and meals are taken. It wouldn't do to have people tracking crud all over.

The foyer is also a place for guests to wait while the womenfolk prepare themselves. Women are not to be seen without their head coverings except by immediate family. When people drop by, the ladies of the house may need some time to veil themselves. The doors to the rest of the home are kept closed to give the ladies privacy and the foyer allows the guest a comfortable place to wait.

This angle is what you'd see as you first walk in. Those are big, brown accordion doors leading to the first of two sitting rooms. The door to the right leads to the other sitting room. Again, the Islamic emphasis on separation of the sexes necessitates having distinct quarters for men and women.

What you can't see in this picture is the door to the guest bathroom (to the right of the white door) and the shoe rack (to the left of me as I took the picture).