In architecture, an alcove is a small recessed section of a room or an arched opening (as in a wall).[1] The section is partially enclosed by such vertical elements as walls, pillars and balustrades.[2]
The word alcove originates from Arabic: القبة [ʔalqubːa] (), al-, 'the', and qubbah, 'vault' (through the Spanish, alcoba).[citation needed]