Context: The nave is the central aisle of a basilica church, or the main body of a church (whether aisled or not) between its western wall and its chancel. It is the zone of a church accessible by the laity., An icon (from Greek "eikn" "image") is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and certain Eastern Catholic churches. The most common subjects include Christ, Mary, saints and/or angels. Though especially associated with "portrait" style images concentrating on one or two main figures, the term also covers most religious images in a variety of artistic media produced by Eastern Christianity, including narrative scenes., A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a safe place for humans, such as a political sanctuary; and non-human sanctuary, such as an animal or plant sanctuary., The royal doors , holy doors , or beautiful gates are the central doors of the iconostasis in an Eastern Orthodox or Greek - Catholic Church . In Orthodox Churches , the sanctuary is separated from the nave by a wooden screen called the iconostasis . The iconostasis represents Christian continuity from the veil of the Temple in Jerusalem which separated the people from the Holy of Holies that housed the Ark of the Covenant . Normally , the iconostasis has three doors in it . The two single doors to the right and left are called `` deacons ' doors '' or `` angel doors '' and they usually have on them icons of either sainted deacons ( Saint Stephen , Saint Lawrence , etc. ) or the Archangels Michael and Gabriel . These are the doors that the clergy will normally use when entering the altar . The central double doors are the `` holy doors '' ( Slavonic : Svyatýa Vratá ) , which are considered to be most sacred , and may only be entered at certain sacred moments during the services , and only by ordained clergy ( deacons , priests , bishops ) . The term Royal Doors ( Slavonic : Tsárskiya Vratá ) is commonly used to describe the Holy Doors , because Christ passes through these gates during the Great Entrance at the Divine Liturgy ( and most especially during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts ) . More properly , however , these doors should be called the `` Beautiful Gate '' , and in Greek this is the only term used , although the official English sites of the Ecumenical Patriarchate , the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Orthodox Church all use the term `` Royal Doors '' . In Russia , they are sometimes called the `` Red Gates '' , red being synonymous with beautiful . Whatever its name , a typical gate consists of two hinged doors . Often they will be only half - height , but sometimes they go almost all the way to the top of the opening . The doors themselves are made of wood or metal and usually have painted on them an icon of the Annunciation in the form of a diptych ( the Theotokos on the right door , and the Archangel Gabriel on the left ) , either alone or with the four Evangelists . Other icons may be used also . The doors may be intricately carved and gilded , and are almost always topped by a cross . Theologically the Holy Doors represent the gates of Jerusalem , through which Christ entered on Palm Sunday . They also represent the entrance to the Heavenly Jerusalem . In the Russian practice , there are detailed rules as to when the doors are to be opened during Vespers , Matins and the Divine Liturgy . When the gates are opened , it represents moments when God is especially present to his people , such as during the reading of the Gospel , or when the faithful are receiving Holy Communion . Most of the time the doors are closed . This is symbolic of penitence , a reminder that sin separates the individual from God . There is also a curtain or veil , scored to remind that in the Temple in Jerusalem , behind the Holy Doors which is opened and closed at specific times during the services . While the veil is always open whenever the Holy Doors are opened , sometimes when the Holy Doors are closed , the rubrics call for the veil to be opened . The curtain is usually more plainly decorated . Alternatively a sliding panel depicting `` Christ the Great High Priest '' may take place of the doors and curtain and certain churches may have no physical barrier at all . Only the higher clergy ( bishops , priests , and deacons ) are permitted to go through the Holy Doors , and even they may only pass through them when it is prescribed by the liturgical rubrics . During Bright Week ( the week following Easter Sunday ) , the Holy Doors and veil remain open the entire week . During this time , the open doors symbolize the open Tomb of Christ . The Epitaphios ( icon representing the burial shroud of Christ ) is visible on top of the Holy Table ( altar table ) through the open Holy Doors as a witness of the Resurrection . During Bright Week , the clergy , who would normally use the Deacons Doors to go in and out of the sanctuary , will always enter and exit through the Holy Doors When a bishop serves the Divine Liturgy , the Holy Doors and veil are left open for the entire service ( except during the communion of the clergy ) . The bishop will always pass through the Holy Doors , even at times when priests or deacons can not . If the rubrics call for the Holy Doors to be closed , they will be opened for him to pass through , and then immediately closed again . In addition to referring to the Holy Doors , the term royal doors can also ( and more properly ) refer to either of the following : Most correctly , the term royal doors indicates the large central doors that separate the narthex from the nave . This is the formal entrance to the church proper ( i.e. the nave ) and was , in former times , the ceremonial entrance of the Emperor , hence the epithet ' royal ' . In current use , these doors are used by all although monasteries and some parish churches use the doors liturgically as the point where the abbot or a bishop vests before making a formal entrance . A third use of `` royal doors '' is to indicate the outside entrance into the church . This appears to be a rare usage but appropriate to those churches that do not have a physical separation between the narthex and the nave ., In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (plural: iconostases) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. "Iconostasis" also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church. The iconostasis evolved from the Byzantine templon, a process complete by the fifteenth century., A templon (from Greek  meaning "temple", plural "templa") is a feature of Byzantine churches consisting of a barrier separating the nave from the sacraments at the altar.
The solid templon first appeared in Christian churches around the 5th century and is still found in many Eastern Christian churches. Initially it was a low barrier probably not much different from the altar rails of many Western churches. It eventually evolved into the modern iconostasis, still found in Orthodox churches today. It is usually composed of carved wood or marble colonnettes supporting an architrave (a beam resting on top of columns). Three doors, a large central one and two smaller flanking ones, lead into the sanctuary. The templon did not originally obscure the view of the altar, but as time passed, icons were hung from the beams, curtains were placed in between the colonnettes, and the templon became more opaque. In modern Orthodox churches, it is common for the openings of the templa to be constructed specifically to contain icons., Eastern Christianity consists of four main church families: the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches (that are in communion with Rome but still maintain an Eastern liturgy). The term is used in contrast with Western Christianity (namely the Latin Church and Protestanism). Eastern Christianity consists of the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Balkans, Southern India and parts of the Far East over several centuries. The term does not describe a single communion or religious denomination. Some Eastern churches have more in common historically and theologically with Western Christianity than with one another. The various Eastern churches do not normally refer to themselves as "Eastern", with the exception of the Assyrian Church of the East and its offshoots., Subject: royal doors, Relation: instance_of, Options: (A) animal (B) art (C) balkans (D) basilica (E) century (F) christian (G) christianity (H) church (I) eastern orthodox church (J) extension (K) feature (L) four (M) icon (N) religious denomination (O) sanctuary (P) shrine (Q) style (R) temple (S) term (T) three (U) time (V) variety (W) wall (X) work of art
Output: work of art