Transept,
the area of a cruciform church lying at right angles to the principal axis
. … The nave of a church with a cruciform plan usually extends toward the west from the crossing, the choir and sanctuary toward the east.
As nouns the difference between nave and apse
is that
nave is (human) hand
while apse is (architecture) a semicircular projection from a building, especially the rounded east end of a church that contains the altar.
The nave is that
part of a church set apart for the laity
, as distinguished from the chancel, choir, and presbytery, which are reserved for the choir and clergy. The separation of the two areas may be effected by screens or parapets, called cancelli.
nave
The central longitudinal space of a bascilican church
. It is usually flanked on its lond sides by aislas which are separated from the nave by columns or piers.
The nave (/neɪv/) is
the central part of a church
, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel.
from The Century Dictionary.
noun
The main body, or middle part, lengthwise, of a church
, extending typically from the chief entrance to the choir or chancel.
What are the sides of a church called?
The nave is the main part of the church where the congregation (the people who come to worship) sit.
The aisles
are the sides of the church which may run along the side of the nave. The transept, if there is one, is an area which crosses the nave near the top of the church.
What is the balcony in a church called?
A pulpit
is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin pulpitum (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accessed by steps, with sides coming to about waist height.
Why is the apse in the East?
apse, in architecture,
a semicircular or polygonal termination to the choir, chancel, or aisle of a secular or ecclesiastical building
. Between the 6th and 7th centuries the Roman branch of the Catholic Church changed the orientation of the apse to the east, as the Byzantine churches had done earlier. …
What is the room behind the altar called?
The sacristy
is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building (as in some monasteries). In most older churches, a sacristy is near a side altar, or more usually behind or on a side of the main altar.
The word “nave” comes from the Latin word for “ship”, navis, because people in the Middle Ages thought a nave looked like
the bottom part of a ship turned upside-down
. … You can see the two rows of columns, and the three naves (or one nave and two aisles) between the columns, and the apse at the other end.
What is the worship area of a church called?
In church architecture,
the chancel
is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building.
A nave is the middle or body of a church, or (etymologically unrelated)
the hub of a wheel
.
What is the front door of a church called?
The narthex
is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church’s main altar.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper) in Jerusalem was the “first Christian church.”
The Dura-Europos church in Syria
is the oldest surviving church building in the world, while the archaeological remains of both the Aqaba Church and the Megiddo church have been considered to …
What is the chancel used for in a church?
The east end of a church, traditionally the place where the high altar is located. Chancels
may have seating for a choir
, and there may be small chambers off the chancel, such as a vestry, an ‘office space’ for the priest. … Chancels were often dominated by a large east window above and behind the altar.
