Aspects of the physical layout of the Orthodox church are based on the early Jewish temple. After all, the first Christians were Jews and drew on their knowledge of the temple when designing the early Christian churches. The altar, or sanctuary, is separated from the nave, the main body of the church where the faithful gather for services, by the iconostasis, a wall bearing icons. This separation is directly drawn from the temple in which the holy of holies was separated from the rest of the temple. Only those who are ordained to serve are permitted to enter the sanctuary.
Icons are a dominant element in Orthodox worship.
They are images of Jesus Christ, the saints and feast days from the life of His Church. These images remind us of the life that these people lived, and recount events that are revered because they are part of our salvation history. We use these images as aids for prayer. An Orthodox Christian will offer a prayer before the icon of Christ, or may pray for the intercession of a saint. It must be understood that these saints and icons are only revered and not worshipped.