peristyle

1. (voodoo) 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.Examples: "The peristyle is a roofed structure, open at the sides, in which most of the ceremonials and dances take place."; "Most peristyles in Haiti have hard-packed dirt floors that can soak up libations when they're poured on the ground in honor of the spirits."