A riad (Arabic: ñÊçöââ¬Å½) is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, ryad. The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provides a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the rule of the Idrisid Dynasty. An important design concern was Islamic notions of privacy for women inside residential gardens.