Cloister

A cloister is like a big outdoor hallway that is usually located in a church or monastery. Imagine you’re playing a game of hide-and-seek and you run into a building to hide. Once you’re inside, you realize there is an area that connects all the rooms together and has a roof overhead. That area is the cloister.

In the olden days, monks and nuns would walk in the cloister to pray and have some quiet time away from other people. The cloister was often decorated with beautiful gardens, fountains, or artwork to help the people feel calm and focused.

So if you go to a church or monastery and see a long outdoor path with arches and a pretty garden inside, that is the cloister. It’s a peaceful spot where people go to be alone with their thoughts and talk to God.