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The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or vestibule, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. [1] Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper.
The nave (/ n eɪ v /) 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. [1] [2] When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle. [1]
Church architecture refers to the architecture of Christian buildings, such as churches, chapels, convents, seminaries, etc. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by borrowing other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions.
Plan of Old St Peter's Basilica, showing atrium (courtyard), narthex , central nave with double aisles, a bema for the clergy extending into a transept, and an exedra or semi-circular apse. The church building grew out of a number of features of the Ancient Roman period: The house church; The atrium; The basilica; The bema
The church building is divided into three main parts: the narthex , the nave (the temple proper) and the sanctuary (also called the altar or holy place). A major difference of traditional Orthodox churches from Western churches is the absence of any pews in the nave. In some ethnic traditions of Orthodoxy, it was deemed disrespectful to sit ...
The galilee porch at Lincoln Cathedral. A galilee is a chapel or porch at the north end of some churches. Its historical purpose is unclear. [1]The first reference to this type of narthex is most likely found in the consuetudines cluniacensis of Ulrich, or the consuetudines cenobii cluniacensis of Bernard of Cluny, (See De processione dominicali).
The architectural articulation of the distinct spaces of a cross-in-square church corresponds to their distinct functions in the celebration of the liturgy.The narthex serves as an entrance hall, but also for special liturgical functions, such as baptism, and as an honored site of burial (often, as in the case of the Martorana in Palermo, for the founders of the church).
It is sometimes used synonymously with narthex. The structural purpose of the massive westwork is to resolve the horizontal thrust of the east-to-west arcades of the nave. [3] Church towers as a part of a church began with the construction of the first westworks. [4] Charlemagne dreamt of reviving the Roman Empire in the West. [5]