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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]
"Nave" (Medieval Latin navis, "ship") was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting. [1] The nave of a church, whether Romanesque, Gothic or Classical, extends from the entry (which may have a separate vestibule, the narthex ) to the chancel and is flanked by lower aisles [ 2 ] separated from the nave by an arcade .
The nave is the main body of the church where most of the worshippers stand, and the sanctuary is the area around the altar, east of the nave. The sanctuary is usually one to three steps higher than the nave. The iconostasis does not sit directly on the edge of the sanctuary but is usually set a few feet back from the edge of the top step.
Plan of a Western cathedral, with the narthex in the shaded area at the western end. Floorplan of the Chora Church, showing both inner and outer narthex.. 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]
The placement of the choir within a large Latin cross church The choir of Bristol Cathedral, with the nave seen through the chancel screen, so looking west. A choir, also sometimes called quire, [1] is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir.
The transepts cross the nave at the crossing, which belongs equally to the main nave axis and to the transept. Upon its four piers , the crossing may support a spire (e.g., Salisbury Cathedral ), a central tower (e.g., Gloucester Cathedral ) or a crossing dome (e.g., St Paul's Cathedral ).
The church plan is that of a Latin cross with five aisles. The central nave vaults reach forty-five metres (148 feet) while the side nave vaults reach thirty metres (98 feet). The transept has three aisles. The columns are on a 7.5 metres (25 ft) grid.
Looking down the central aisle of the Saint Roch Parish Church of Lemery, Batangas, Philippines, the spaces between each set of columns and roof trusses are bays. An interior bay, between the supports of the vaults, in Lyon Cathedral, France. In architecture, a bay is the space between architectural elements, or a recess or compartment.