A courtyard dug into the groundSourced
Rooms surround excavated pits in Matmata
Some traditional homes in Matmata, Tunisia, begin with a large pit. Rooms are excavated sideways around its perimeter, with some homes connecting multiple pits through passageways.
The courtyard is made by removing earth rather than building walls upward.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Matmata, Tunisia · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10