A crypt (from the Greek "krypto," which means "hidden or concealed") is a vaulted space built beneath a building, generally a church or cathedral. Crypts are also seen in cemeteries, mausoleums, chapels, and public structures. The term does not necessarily imply a grave chamber, but rather an area used for religious rites or other purposes of a sacred nature. The first churches were small rooms with a low ceiling where people prayed together. As people became richer they wanted to have larger places where they could pray alone or with others. Because of this need, churches started to be built with more spacious ceilings and hidden spaces beneath them called crypts. This way, the size of the church did not have to change because of how many people were going inside it; instead, more people had the opportunity to find favor with God even though they could not fit all into one room. Crypts can be found within most major churches in the form of basement chambers or burial vaults. They are usually large enough for several bodies but sometimes only one is buried in them. That's why we say that a crypt is like a house for souls after death. It is used for prayer meetings and other spiritual practices where there is no place of worship directly above it.