peristyle

noun3

1. •
   A colonnade surrounding a courtyard, temple, etc., or the yard enclosed by such columns.
2. •
   A porch surrounded by columns.
3. •
   A sacred roofed courtyard with a central pillar (the potomitan), used as a space for voodoo ceremonies, either alone or as an adjunct to an enclosed temple or altar-room.

   • The peristyle is a roofed structure, open at the sides, in which most of the ceremonials and dances take place. — 1953