Nave
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The nave is the central part of a church, stretching from the main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in
The nave of the Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris
The nave of the Santa Monica Parish Church in Sarrat, Philippines
A fresco showing Old St Peter's Basilica, built in the 4th century: the central area, illuminated by high windows, is flanked by aisles.
Late Gothic fan vaulting (1608, restored 1860s) over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Suppression of the triforium offers a greater expanse of clerestory windows.
Narthex
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The narthex is an architectural element in Christian churches consisting of the area reached after opening the church doors; one or three doors in the narthex then open into the nave of the church.
The narthex of St. Patrick's Church in Lowell, Massachusetts. The entrance to the church building itself, along with the entrance to the nave is visible in this photograph.
Floorplan of the Chora Church, showing both inner and outer narthex.
In the narthex of a small Orthodox church in Romania, looking through the doorway into the nave and Holy Doors.
Side view of a narthex in an Eastern Orthodox temple. In the center is an analogion at which the priest hears confessions, to the right of that is a silver baptismal font and vessels for dispensing holy water. The main hall is to the left (Pechersky Ascension Monastery, Nizhny Novgorod).