Courtyard home design Courtyards make desert a home Courtyards are a popular southwest design feature.
Many people think they are Mexican or Spanish in origin, but they actually date back much further.
The courtyard can be traced back to 2000 B.C. in Mesopotamia, according to Tucson architect Marlene Touchan. The design spread throughout what is modern day Syria. When the Moslems conquered the Middle East in the third century, they carried the courtyard concept throughout the Mediterranean region. That's how the architectural style reached Spain, which then centuries later took the idea to Mexico. The courtyard served three purposes.