Navajo Hogan Architecture

The hogan, from the Navajo word hooghan, is the primary traditional dwelling of the Navajo people of the American Southwest. Its walls and roof are built of timber, with or without internal support posts, and covered with varying amounts of packed earth and stone; hogans are built round, cone-shaped, multi-sided or square, and the doorway traditionally faces east to greet the rising sun. Some older hogans remain in use as dwellings and others are maintained for ceremonial purposes, though hogans built today are rarely intended as family homes.