Atrium

Petra Church

The atrium of Petra Church is a square courtyard, just west of the church proper (following pages; this photo looks west). The courtyard was surrounded by a roofed portico, whose supporting columns are seen here. A cistern is sunk into the middle of the atrium to catch water. The overall arrangement is somewhat like the impluvium of a typical Roman villa, except that here is just a cistern, rather than a formal pool.