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A Cloister is a term in architecture. It describes a structure which is usually found in monasteries, churches and old colleges. It is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries. It has open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Columns_of_the_coloister_at_Quwwat_ul-Islam_Mosque%2C_Qutb_complex.jpg/230px-Columns_of_the_coloister_at_Quwwat_ul-Islam_Mosque%2C_Qutb_complex.jpg)