The
house with the alcove got its name due to the presence of the alcove
in the house - a recess or niche in the wall that created an
intimate or secluded atmosphere. It is possible that two families
lived here as one part of the house was beautifully decorated, and
the other part of the house was much more modest. It is possible
that after the earthquake, the owners of the house were shaken and
they began to hand over part of the house. Immediately north of the
Mosaic Atrium House on Cardo IV Street is the Alcove House. This
house is actually two buildings, interconnected, connected by a
stepped entrance between rooms (b) and (g), as shown in the plan of
the house. As a result, the alcove house is a mixture of simple and
simple rooms combined with some chicly decorated. Near entrance No.
4 there is a flight of stairs to the upper floor (No. 3).
From the entrance from Cardo IV Street, corridor (a) leads directly
to a small courtyard (b) with rooms. On either side there is a pair
of service rooms (c and d). The small entrance courtyard, which is
surrounded by columns on its eastern side, retains part of its
fourth-style frescoes, especially on its northern wall. Frescoes
depict architectural motifs, including a gable entrance, on a red
background. Continued along the axis of the entrance corridor - this
is the second, larger courtyard (e), which gives access to a set of
rooms, including bedrooms (f), which have preserved beautiful
decoration in the third style. The decoration consists of
architectural figures on a blue background over a lower red frieze.