What is the front porch of a church called?
This is often called the "lawn" or "nave" of the church. Inside a church, the term "porch" refers to a section of floor space between the entry and the main body of the building. On some churches, this space is used as a place of prayer; on others, it is covered by a roof.
What is the covered entrance to a church called?
The narthexThe narthex is an architectural element found in early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches that consists of the entry or lobby area positioned at the west end of the nave, opposite the main altar. The narthex can also refer to a covered porch or the entryway of a structure.
What are features of the outside of a church?
ExteriorApse. A semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault at the east end. ... Arcade. A passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or vaults supported by columns.Architrave. ... Archivolt, ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. ... Baptistery. ... Bell tower. ... Buttress. ... Chapel.More items...•
What is a church vestibule?
In Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches the vestibule has a practical purpose. It is usually a spacious area which holds church information such as literature, pamphlets, and bulletin announcements. It also houses the holy water for worshippers.
What is porch in church?
A church porch is a room-like structure at a church's main entrance. A porch protects from the weather to some extent.
What is the balcony called in a church?
The bookstand of the pulpit (usually in medieval churches) or lectern (common in Anglican churches) may be formed in the shape of an eagle.
What is the area around the altar 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. It may terminate in an apse.
What are parts 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 first area of the Catholic Church?
1 Vestibule. In the Catholic church, the vestibule is usually the first area encountered upon entering the church. This area separates those who are reconciled to the church from those who are not. A baptismal, or pool of water used to baptize infants, is kept near the entrance on purpose, as baptism is the "door to the church" in Catholicism.
Where is the sanctuary in a church?
In most churches, the sanctuary is in front of the nave, and kept separate by railing if possible. This area is home to the altar, tabernacle, pulpit and a chair for the priest or pastor. The pulpit is generally raised and used during the sermon, or instructional time of the service.
What is the nave in a church?
The nave is the area of the church where parishioners, or members of the church, sit or stand. In Catholic and Protestant churches, this area is comprised of pews. In modern churches, it is not uncommon to see rows of chairs or even tables with chairs in this area.
Why did early Christians meet in homes or large public buildings?
Early Christians met in homes or large public buildings to encourage each other and to maintain unity. As the church grew, the need for larger buildings that were designed specifically for the purpose of worship became obvious.
Where is the oil in the baptismal?
Near the baptismal are shelves in the wall that hold oil used in different ceremonies, including baptism, confirmation and ordination. In other churches, there may be a foyer immediately upon entry or the doors may lead directly into the nave or worship center, as it may be called.
Do modern churches have a pulpit?
Modern churches may simply have a stage without altar or tabernacle. In these churches, the pastor may sit or stand and the use of a pulpit will depend on the local church.
Where is the entrance of the church?
The entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave that is either an indoor area separated from the nave by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch to allow space for those not eligible for admittance into the general congregation.
What is the space around the altar?
The space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary, at the liturgical east end of a church. More images... Chantry. An institutional chapel on private land or within a greater church, where a priest would chant masses.
What is a cruciform?
The junction of the four arms of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church. More images... Crypt. A stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a church usually used as a chapel or burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics.
What is a spire in a cathedral?
A spire or a lead-covered timber spire that are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small. More images... Flying buttress. A type of buttress that are used to transmit the horizontal thrust of a vault across an intervening space.
What is a rose window?
An ornate screen, constructed of wood, stone or wrought iron used for dividing the chancel from the nave. More images... Rose window. A circular window especially used in Gothic churches and divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery.
What is an altarpiece?
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar. More images... Altar rails. A set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel.
What is the meaning of "altar"?
A space for walking with rows of seats on either side or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other. Altar. A structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religious purposes. More images...
What is the altar in a church?
Brent Eleigh Church, Suffolk. Altar. The holiest part of a church. In the medieval period, the altar was a table or rectangular slab made of stone or marble, often set upon a raised step. After the Reformation, the stone altars were replaced by wooden communion tables. Ambulatory.
Where is the high altar located in a church?
The eastern end of a church. The high altar is frequently situated at the east end of the chance l. Chancel Arch. The arch separating the chancel from the nave or crossing. Chancel Screen. A screen dividing the chancel and the nave and crossing. Often called a rood screen. Chapel.
What is the area where the choir, nave, and transepts meet?
The area where the choir, nave, and transepts meet. A vaulted chamber made to house graves and relics, generally located beneath the chancel. Many crypts were very large, to allow numbers of pilgrims access. A container, generally of stone, which contained holy water for baptism.
What is a chapter house?
Chapter House. A special room or house where the governing body of a monastery or cathedral met. In Britain, the chapter house is usually polygonal in shape with a slender central column supporting the roof. Chevet. Style of construction creating an ambulatory and radiating chapels at the eastern arm of a church.
What is a reading desk?
A reading desk, often in the shape of an eagle, made to hold the Bible during services. Usually made of brass. Misericord. From the Latin word for "mercy" comes this term which refers to pivoting wooden brackets in choir stalls which lifted up to provide relief for clergy who had to stand during long church services.
What is the name of the chapel at the entrance of a church?
Galilee: a chapel or porch at the entrance to a church. Gargoyle: a pierced or tunneled stone projecting from a gutter and intended to carry rain away from wall and foundations. It is usually carved into the image of a beast or ugly creature.
What is the name of the porch in a church?
Narthex: the single-story porch of a church. Nave: the area of a church between the façade and crossing or choir, specifically, the central area between the aisles. Niche: a recess in the face of a wall or pier, prepared to receive a statue. Oculus: a small circular opening admitting light at the top of a dome.
What is the area of a church where the nave is intersected by the transept?
Crossing: the area of a church where the nave is intersected by the transept. Crypt: underground chamber beneath the altar in a church, usually containing a saint’s relics. It sometimes extends as far as the crossing , so that the choir and altar are sometimes considerably higher than the nave and aisle. Engaged column: a column embedded in ...
What is the choir in the nave?
Choir: area at the end of the nave which is reserved for clergy or monks (modern: singers), and which contains the altar and choir stalls. Choir stalls: the row of stepped seats on either side of the choir, facing inwards. Cinquefoil: a figure of five equal segments.
What is the architectural term for a church?
Glossary of Church Architectural Terms. Notre-Dame de Paris (Photo Credit, Walter Matt) Abacus: usually a square upper-most part of a capital. Abbey: a church or chapel of a monastery. Aisle: the side of a nave separated from the nave proper by a colonnade. Ambulatory: passageway around the choir, often a continuation of the side aisles of the nave.
What is a bay in architecture?
Bay: a vaulted division of a nave, aisle, choir or transept along its longitudinal axis. Blind (arch, arcade): an arch or arcade with no openings, usually as decoration on a wall. Boss: a projecting stone at the intersection of ribs, frequently elaborately carved.
What is a clustered pier?
Pier: a mass of masonry supporting an arch or vault and distinct from a column, A clustered pier is composed of a number of small columns. Pinnacle: a turret tapering upward to the top, its gracefulness enhanced by crockets and top stone called a finial. Pulpitum: a screen dividing the choir from the nave.
What is the chancel in a church?
Chancel. In churches with a historic floor plan, the chancel is the front part of the church from which the service is conducted , as distinct from the nave, where the congregation sits . The chancel is usually an elevated platform, usually three steps up from the nave.
Where are the speakers stands in a church?
In churches with a historic floor plan, there are two speaker’s stands in the front of the church. The one on the right (as viewed by the congregation) is called the lectern. The word lectern comes from the Latin word meaning to read, because the lectern primarily functions as a reading stand.
What is the altar in the chancel?
The altar is the table in the chancel that the clergy use for Communion. During the Protestant Reformation, some people felt that the traditional term was theologically misleading. As a result, many people preferred to call it a Communion Table. Anglicans decided that both terms were correct, because it is the altar from which we receive the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and because it is the table on which we celebrate Communion. Today, Anglicans and Lutherans generally call it the altar, while churches in the Reform tradition tend to call it a Communion table.
What was the best place for the father and his sons to conduct business?
When the household was conducting its business, the atrium was a busy place, filled with people talking to each other and doing business with the household. Since the dining room was a raised platform without a wall separating it from the atrium , it was the best place for the father and his sons to conduct business.
What was the water source in the house when it was converted to a church?
When a house was converted to a church, the water source at the entrance became the baptistery, the atrium became the nave, the dining room became the chancel, the chopping block became the altar, the bishop sat in the father’s seat, and the priests sat on either side.
What is the area behind the altar called?
If the wall behind the altar (the east wall) is curved, it forms a semicircular area that is called an apse. In ancient times, large church buildings were modeled after a type of Roman public building that had such a wall.
How many people are in a house church?
A modern house church typically consists of a dozen or so people hunkered around the coffee table in the living room, some sitting on chairs dragged in from other rooms, but an ancient house church typically consisted of about 100 or so people standing in a large, mostly unfurnished public room called an atrium.
