Awnings have a long history of use around the world, with evidence of their use first encountered in ancient Egyptian and Syrian civilisations. During ancient times, awnings (Markisen) were most likely used as simple shade coverings above homes and market stalls, and were described as “woven mats”.
The awnings in use today may look very different to the awnings of ancient times, although they still perform the same basic function as shade covering and weather protection. There are a wide range of different awnings in use today, including small versions that are placed above windows and larger versions that are used for shade protection and space creation. Some of the different types of awnings in use today include propulsion awnings, aluminium awnings, retractable awnings, lateral arm awnings, side arm awnings, drop arm awnings, pop up awnings, and shade sails.

Different designs of awnings are used for different applications, with people purchasing and installing awning products for a variety of different reasons. Traditional awnings were placed above windows and door ways as a way to provide shade and privacy, and this style of awning is still widely available today. However, there are also a number of new styles now available, many of which are used to provide additional living space and extra protection from weather conditions. Awnings are often used by restaurants and other businesses as a way to extend usable space, by basically creating an outdoor area that was not there before. In a domestic setting, these types of awnings can be used as an alternative to patios and pergola structures.

Many of the awnings that are in use today feature retractable mechanisms to control the awning arms, with lateral and side arm versions both available. Retractable awnings offer a number of advantages over traditional fixed awnings, because they offer more control of the amount of shade and light coming into a home. Awnings are used all over the world , and new models are being developed all the time. Many of the newest innovations revolve around the use of remote control mechanisms to control the movement of awning arms, with changes also taking place to the materials used for covering and structural support.