A recessed cabinet, cupboard, or storage niche built into a wall; a type of architectural feature.
From Arabic 'al-khazana' (treasury/storage), reflecting Moorish and Spanish architectural terminology. The word entered English through Spanish texts describing medieval Spanish and North African architecture.
The 'alhacena' is a perfect example of how architecture and language are intertwined—this Arabic word for a built-in cabinet entered Spanish during centuries of Moorish rule, then entered English to describe the actual architectural features that medieval Moorish and Spanish buildings contained.
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