How the temple is structured: the altar. Antique temple
The history of the altar of an Orthodox church dates back to those early times of Christianity, when in catacomb churches underground and in above-ground basilicas in the front part, fenced off by a low lattice or columns from the rest of the space, it was placed as shrine, stone tomb (sarcophagus) with the remains of the holy martyr.
In this stone tomb in the catacombs the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ took place.
The name itself indicates that already in ancient times the altars of Christian churches were located on some elevation in relation to the rest of the temple.
Initially, the altar consisted of a throne, which was placed in the center of the altar space, a pulpit (seat) for the bishop, and benches for spirituality (the High Place), located opposite the throne near the wall, semi-surrounded by the altar apse. The offering (altar) and the receptacle (sacristy) were in separate rooms (chapels) to the right and left of the altar. Then the offering began to be placed in the altar itself, to the left of the High Place, when viewed from the side of the throne. Probably, in connection with this, the names of the holy places of the altar also changed.
In ancient times, the throne was always called an altar or a meal, and the name “throne” referred to the bishop’s seat on the High Place. With the transfer of the sentence on which the preparation of bread and wine for the Sacrament of the Eucharist is performed to the altar, in oral tradition it began to be called an altar, the throne (bishop's seat) began to be called the High Place, and the altar (meal) itself began to be called the throne.
Nowadays, in accordance with ancient traditions, a semicircle - an apse - is built in the eastern wall of the altar on the outer side of the temple. The holy throne is placed in the middle of the altar. A raised platform is built close to the middle of the apse of the altar opposite the throne. In cathedral bishops' cathedrals and in many parish churches, in this place there is a chair for the bishop, as a sign of the throne (throne), on which the Almighty sits invisibly. In parish churches, in the semicircle of the apse there may not be an elevation or a chair, but in any case the place is a sign of that Heavenly Throne on which the Lord is invisibly present, and is therefore called the High Place.
Incense must be burned in the mountainous place during services; as they pass, they bow, making the sign of the cross; A candle or lamp is certainly lit in the High Place.
Right in front A mountain place behind the throne is usually placed the Seven Candlestick, which in ancient times was a candlestick for seven candles, and now most often is a lamp branched into seven branches from one high pillar, in which there are seven lamps, lit during worship.
To the right of the high place and to the left of the throne is an altar on which the proskomedia is performed. Near it there is usually a table for prosphora and notes with the names of people about health and repose given by believers. To the right of the altar, most often in a separate room, there is a repository and a sacristy, where sacred vessels and vestments of the clergy are stored during non-liturgical times. Sometimes the sacristy may be located in a separate room from the altar. But in this case, to the right of the throne there is always a table on which the robes of the clergy, prepared for worship, rest.
On the sides of the seven-branched candlestick, on the northern and southern sides of the throne, it is customary to place on the shafts an external icon of the Mother of God (on the northern side) and a Cross with the image of the Crucifixion of Christ (on the southern side).
To the right or left of the altar there is a laver for washing the hands of the clergy before the liturgy and washing the mouth after it, and a place where the censer is lit. In front of the throne, to the right of the Royal Doors at the southern doors of the altar, it is customary to place a chair for the bishop.
The altar, as a rule, has three windows, signifying the uncreated trinitarian light of the Divinity, or two times three (above and below), or three above and two below (in honor of the two natures of the Lord and Jesus Christ), or four (in the name of the Four Gospels) .
Altar due to the Sacrament of the Eucharist performed in it, it seems to repeat the tidy, furnished, ready-made upper room where the Last Supper took place, since even today it is kept especially clean, covered with carpets, and, if possible, decorated in every possible way.
In the Orthodox Typikon and Service Book, the altar is often called the sanctuary. This is believed to be due to the fact that the ancient teachers of the Church often called the altar by the Old Testament name Holy of Holies. Indeed, the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, as they kept the Ark of the Covenant and other great shrines, spiritually represent the Christian altar, where the greatest Sacrament of the New Testament takes place - the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ are kept in the tabernacle. The use by teachers of the Church of the concept “Holy of Holies” as applied to the Orthodox altar brings it closer to the Old Testament sanctuary, not in the likeness of the structure, but bearing in mind the special holiness of this place.
Indeed, the holiness of this place is so great that even before the separation of Catholicism from the fullness of Orthodoxy, a tradition was formed that prohibited any lay person, both women and men, from entering the altar. An exception was sometimes made only for deaconesses, and later for nuns in convents. Where they could enter the altar to clean and light the lamps. Subsequently, with a special bishop's or priest's blessing, subdeacons, readers, as well as altar servers of reverent men or nuns, whose duties included cleaning the altar, lighting lamps, preparing censers, etc., were allowed to enter the altar. In ancient Rus', in the altar it was not customary to keep icons depicting any saints other than the Mother of God, as well as icons that contained images of people who were not canonized (for example, soldiers guarding Christ or tormenting holy sufferers for the faith and etc.).
The altar part of the temple. Photo: www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Altar. The third, eastern part of the church is called the altar. This part of the temple symbolizes paradise, the spiritual sky and symbolizes the place where the Lord is. This is the main part in the church and the place where all the clergy and subdeacons and readers can enter. Men who have received the blessing of the rector of the temple or bishop can also enter the altar.
Altar. Photo:www.hram-feodosy.kiev.ua
Women are strictly prohibited from entering the altar. In ancient times this may have included female deaconesses. These are the women who trained the female catechumens. In the altar, clergy perform divine services and services. The Orthodox church is covered with church frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints. In addition, frescoes can depict images of God the Father, the Son of God, Holy Trinity, Mother of God, saints, etc.
Holy See. Photo:www.hram-feodosy.kiev.ua
Holy See. In the center of the altar is the Holy See. This is the main shrine of every church, this is a special place, a place where God resides. The Holy See is a table covered with beautiful brocade fabric. Under each church altar there is a piece of the relics of a saint. The placement of a particle of the saint’s relics dates back to the times when Christians were persecuted in the first three centuries; they performed divine services in the catacombs on the tombs of their dead brothers in faith. The placement of a particle of the saint’s relics in the altar is mandatory, and without it not a single divine service can be performed in the church.
Holy See. Photo:www.azbyka.ru
There are also mobile Holy Altars, the so-called traveling altars. They are used, for example, where it is not possible to build a church, in missionary activities, when the church has not yet been built, but it is necessary to perform the Holy Mysteries, during military operations, long expeditions...
At the Holy See, priests usually perform the Liturgy. Holy Communion is being prepared on the altar.
Liturgical objects located on the Holy See. Photo:www.hram-feodosy.kiev.ua
The following liturgical objects are located on the Holy See: cross with which the priest blesses the faithful, St. Gospel, antimens– illuminated fabric depicting the burial of Jesus Christ. Inside the antimind there is another fabric called oriton. In addition to oriton there is also anti-mise sponge. With it, randomly falling particles of sacramental bread are collected on the iliton after the preparation of the Holy Gifts. In the iliton there is a particle from the relics of a saint, a martyr saint.
Tabernacle. Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
Tabernacle. Here, too, there is a lamp, two candlesticks with one candle each, which are located on the right and left sides of the throne, and a tabernacle. The tabernacle is shaped like a small church or tomb.
Alavaster or myrrh. St. Miro is kept in alavastra and is located near the tabernacle.
Mirnitsa.Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
Monstrance. The tabernacle is designed to preserve the Holy Gifts for sick Orthodox Christians and the monstrance. The priest brings it home and gives communion to seriously ill, difficult to move and immobile parishioners who are physically unable to come to the temple themselves and receive the Holy Gifts.
Monstrance.Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
Seven-branched candlestick. Behind the throne is the seven-branched candlestick - a candlestick on a high stand with seven candles. In ancient Orthodox Church there was no seven-branched candlestick in the church altar. In ancient times, only two candles were lit on the throne. They symbolize the two natures of the Son of God - divine and human. He later appeared in Orthodox houses of worship. Today it is a mandatory liturgical item in the altar in the church. The roots of the seven-branched candlestick in the Orthodox church go back to the Old Testament Jewish temple.
Seven-branched candlestick. Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
The seven-branched candlestick has more than one symbol. We learn about its symbols from the last book of the New Testament - Revelation, written by St. John the Theologians. From this sacred book we learn that the simis candlestick symbolizes the seven spirits of God, seven Orthodox church sacraments, seven churches, seven bowls of God's wrath, seven thunders, seven seals of the mysterious book, seven angelic trumpets.
Altar cross and altar cross. Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
Altar cross. Near the seven-branched candlestick there is also an altar cross with the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is a large wooden cross with the image of the Savior crucified on the cross.
Altar. In addition to the altar, there is an altar in the Holy of Holies in the Orthodox prayer house. It is located on the left, northern side of the throne. The altar is also called a proposal or protisot. In size, it is almost identical to the throne and has the same height as the throne. In the first centuries of the construction of Orthodox churches, the altar was not located in the altar. It was later moved to the altar.
Altar. Photo:www.azbyka.ru
The altar contains the following sacred objects: Holy Chalice or St. Chalice. This is the Sacred Cup into which water and wine are poured. The Holy Chalice is a symbol of the Blood of Jesus Christ. Paten- This is a flat, round, disc-shaped metal vessel. Bread for Holy Communion is placed on it. The communion bread symbolizes the Body of the Son of God. Copy- This is a metal stick, similar to a small knife, with the help of which particles are removed from the sacramental bread during Proskomedia. The symbol of the spear is the spear with which the crucified Savior was pierced. Zvezditsa- these are two arcs connected at the top by a cross. It serves when the paten with the removed particles of the sacramental bread is covered with coverings. Therefore, a star is placed between the paten and the covers so that the particles do not touch the covers. A metal cup for warm water called heat. Liar for Communion. This spoon is used for the laity in the temple. Air- this is a quadrangular fabric measuring seventy by seventy centimeters, Pokrovtsy- fabrics that have a cross shape, sponge and so on. Proskomedia, the first part of the Liturgy, is celebrated on the altar.
The altar contains other liturgical objects, such as censer or censer, dikiriy, trikirium And two ripids.
Dikiriy is a candlestick with two candles that symbolize the two natures of Our Lord Jesus Christ - human and divine. Respectively, trikirium is a candlestick with three candles, symbolizing the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. They are used by metropolitans and the patriarch when they serve in a church with a local priest and bless parishioners with them.
Dikiriy, triky and ripida. Photo:www.azbyka.ru
Ripida- a metal circle on a long pole. In the early centuries of Christianity, they were made from peacock feathers and served to drive away insects from the Holy Communion. Currently they have spiritual symbolism. They symbolize the presence of angelic powers over the Body and Blood of Christ.
Censer.Photo by Ilya Svinkovsky, www.foma.rukadilo.html
Sacristy. There is also a sacristy in the altar. It is located on the right side of the throne. This is the place where clergy dress and the liturgical clothes of priests, deacons and subdeacons are preserved. Also, church utensils and liturgical books will be preserved here. In Bulgarian churches, especially in ancient churches, the sacristy is most often an ordinary wardrobe. In small and rural God's houses in Bulgaria, the sacristy “serves” as a table on which liturgical vestments lie.
A high place with a bishop's throne. Photo:www.simvol-veri.ru
Mountain place. The place between the altar and the eastern wall of the altar is called the High Place. It has “entered” the altar since ancient times. This is an elevated place behind the throne, where in ancient times the archbishop’s chair was located - the bishop’s throne. Today this throne in Bulgarian Orthodox churches is located in the naos.
Materials used
3.“Establishment of an Orthodox Church.”- http://berezniki.cerkov.ru/ustrojstvo-pravoslavnogo-xrama/
4. Makariopolski bishop dr Nicholas and Archimandrite Dr. Seraphim, "Temple"- http://www.pravmladeji.org/node/36
5. "Altar and church utensils", Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Balkanabat (Turkmenistan) - http://www.balkanabat.prihod.ru/
6. From a book "Temple. Rituals. Divine Services”, website of Holy Trinity Orthodox School - http://www.holytrinitymission.org/index.php
Master of Divinity
Photo report |
The temple consists, as a rule, is divided into main parts: the altar with the solea, the vestibule and the temple itself.
What is a porch?
this is, quite simply, a porch, i.e. elevated platform in front of the church entrance.
What is a porch?
The narthex may contain shelves with church literature, candles, icons and other church utensils for sale. There may also be hangers for parishioners' clothes.
The main part of the temple.
After the vestibule, we find ourselves in the temple itself, where worshipers stand during the service.
What is the name of the place in front of the iconostasis? What is soleya?
This place is called the solea - the elevation in front of the altar part of the temple. The Solea consists of an ambo and a choir. — K You cannot step on the sole except on special occasions (for example: Communion).
What is an pulpit?
- This is a ledge extended into the temple in the middle of the solea. The pulpit is intended for reading the Holy Scriptures, sermons and some other sacred rites.
What is a choir?
- this is a place in the temple for clerics (choristers)
What are the iconostasis and the royal doors in the temple?
- This is usually a solid wall separating the altar from the main room of an Orthodox church and made up of icons. The Royal Doors are the large central doors of the iconostasis.
What is an altar in a church?
- the most sacred place in the temple, fenced off by the iconostasis from the main part of the temple.
Is it possible for women to enter the altar?
Women are not allowed to enter the altar, and male parishioners can enter there only on special occasions and with the permission of the priest (for example, during baptism). There are 3 doors leading out of the altar: the Royal Doors (the most important), as well as the northern and southern doors. No one is allowed to walk through the Royal Doors except the priest.
What is in the altar of an Orthodox temple (church)? ,
In the middle of the altar is Throne, which is used for the preparation of holy gifts (communion). The throne contains the relics of saints, the Gospel and the Cross.
In the north-eastern part of the altar, to the left of the throne, when looking east, there is a F altar. The height of the altar is equal to the height of the throne. The altar is used for the preparation of holy gifts. A table is usually placed near the altar to place on it prosphoras served by believers, and notes about health and repose.
What is a mountain place? The most important thing is the main thing. In a high place in the altar of an Orthodox church, a rich chair is installed for high-ranking priests (bishops). The high place is a designation of the mysterious presence of God and those who serve him. Therefore, this place is always given due honors, even if, as is often the case in parish churches, it is not decorated with a dais with a seat for the bishop.
Internal structure of the temple.
Despite all the variety of forms and architectural styles, used in the construction of churches, the internal structure of an Orthodox church always follows a certain canon, which developed between the 4th and 8th centuries and has not undergone significant changes. At the same time, in the works of the Fathers of the Church, in particular Dionysius the Areopagite and Maximus the Confessor, the temple as a building for prayer and worship received theological understanding. This, however, was preceded by a long prehistory, which began in Old Testament times and continued in the era of the early Christian Church (I-III centuries).
Just as the Old Testament tabernacle, and then the Jerusalem temple, built according to the command of God (Ex. 25: 1-40), were divided into three parts: the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary and the courtyard, so the traditional Orthodox temple consists of three parts - the altar, the middle part (the temple itself) and the porch (narthex).
The narthex
The area in front of the entrance to the temple is called porch Sometimes outer porch, and the first part of the temple from the entrance is called porch or in Greek nertex, Sometimes inner porch, vestibule, refectory. The last name comes from the fact that in ancient times, and in some churches even now (usually in monasteries), a meal was served in this part after the service.
In ancient times, the vestibule was intended for catechumens (those preparing for baptism) and penitents (Christians who were doing penance), and its area was almost equal to the middle part of the temple.
In the vestibule of the temple, according to the Typikon, the following should be performed:
1) watch;
2) Lithium for Vespers;
3) Compline;
4) midnight office;
5) memorial service(short funeral service).
In many modern churches the porch is either completely absent or completely merges with the central part of the temple. This is due to the fact that the functional significance of the vestibule has long been lost. In the modern Church, catechumens and penitents do not exist as a separate category of believers, and in practice the services listed above are most often performed in the church, and therefore the need for the vestibule as a separate room has disappeared.
The middle part of the temple.
The middle part is that part of the temple that is located between the vestibule and the altar. This part of the temple in ancient times usually consisted of three compartments (separated by columns or partitions), called naves: the middle nave, which was wider than the others, was intended for clergy, the south - for men, the north - for women.
The accessories of this part of the temple are: salt, pulpit, choir, bishop pulpit, lecterns and candlesticks, chandelier, seats, icons, iconostasis.
Solea. Along the iconostasis from the south to the north there is a raised floor in front of the iconostasis, constituting a continuation of the altar. The Fathers of the Church called this exaltation salty(from Greek [sόlion] - level place, foundation). The Solea serves as a proscenium (the front of the stage) for the Divine Service. In ancient times, the steps of the solea served as a seat for subdeacons and readers.
Pulpit(Greek “ascent”) - the middle of the solea in front of the royal doors extended into the temple. From here the deacon proclaims litanies, reads the Gospel, and the priest or generally the preacher speaks instructions to the coming people; Some sacred rites are also performed here, for example, the small and great entrances to the Liturgy, the entrance with the censer at Vespers; the dismissal is pronounced from the pulpit - the final blessing at the end of each service.
In ancient times, the pulpit was installed in the middle of the temple (sometimes it rose several meters, for example, in the Church of Hagia Sophia (537) in Constantinople). It was on the pulpit that the Liturgy of the Catechumens took place, which included the reading of the Holy Scriptures and a sermon. Subsequently, in the West it was replaced by a “pulpit” on the side of the altar, and in the East the central part of the solea began to serve as a pulpit. The only reminders of the old pulpits are now the “cathedras” (bishop pulpit), which are placed in the center of the church during the ministry of the bishop.
The pulpit depicts the mountain, the ship from which the Lord Jesus Christ preached His Divine teaching to the people, and the stone at the Holy Sepulcher which the Angel rolled away and from which he announced to the myrrh-bearers about the resurrection of Christ. Sometimes this pulpit is called deacon's in contrast to the bishop's pulpit.
Bishop's pulpit. During the bishop's service, an elevated place for the bishop is arranged in the middle of the church. It's called bishop's pulpit. In liturgical books the bishop's pulpit is also called: "the place where the bishop robes"(Official of the Great Assumption Cathedral in Moscow). Sometimes the Bishop's pulpit is called "department". On this pulpit, the bishop not only vests himself, but also sometimes performs part of the service (at the Liturgy), sometimes the entire service (prayer service) and prays among the people, like a father with his children.
Choirs. The edges of the solea on the north and south sides are usually intended for readers and singers and are called choirs(Greek [kliros] - part of the land that was given by lot). In many Orthodox churches, two choirs alternately sing during Divine services, which are located on the right and left choirs, respectively. In some cases, an additional choir is built at the level of the second floor in the western part of the temple: in this case, the choir is behind those present, and the clergy are in front. In the "Church Charter" choir sometimes the clergy themselves (priests and clergy) are also called.
Lectern and candlesticks. As a rule, in the center of the temple stands lectern(ancient Greek [analogion] - stand for icons and books) - a high quadrangular table with a sloping top, on which lies an icon of a temple saint or a saint or event celebrated on this day. Stands in front of the lectern candlestick(such candlesticks are also placed in front of other icons lying on lecterns or hanging on the walls). The use of candles in church is one of the oldest customs that has come down to us from the early Christian era. Nowadays, he not only has symbolic meaning, but also the meaning of the sacrifice at the temple. The candle that a believer places in front of an icon in a church is not bought in a store or brought from home: it is purchased in the church itself, and the money spent goes to the church treasury.
Chandelier. IN modern church As a rule, electric lighting is used during Divine services, but some parts of the Divine service are supposed to be performed in twilight or even complete darkness. Full lighting is turned on at the most solemn moments: during the polyeleos at the all-night vigil, during the Divine Liturgy. The light in the temple is completely extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms at Matins; Dim lighting is used during Lenten services.
The main lamp (chandelier) of the temple is called chandelier(from the Greek [polycandylon] - multi-candlestick). Chandelier in large temples is a chandelier of impressive size with many (from 20 to 100 or even more) candles or light bulbs. It is suspended on a long steel cable from the center of the dome. Smaller chandeliers may be hung in other parts of the temple. In the Greek Church, in some cases, the central chandelier is swung from side to side, so that the glare from the candles moves around the temple: this movement, along with the ringing of bells and especially solemn melismatic singing, creates a festive mood.
Seats. Some believe that the characteristic difference between an Orthodox church and a Catholic or Protestant one is the absence of seats. In fact, all ancient liturgical regulations presuppose the presence of seats in the church, since during some parts of the Divine Service, according to the regulations, it is necessary to sit. In particular, while sitting, they listened to psalms, readings from the Old Testament and from the Apostle, readings from the works of the Church Fathers, as well as some Christian chants, for example, “sedalny” (the very name of the chant indicates that they listened to it while sitting). Standing was considered obligatory only in the most important points Divine services, for example, during the reading of the Gospel, during the Eucharistic canon. Liturgical exclamations preserved in modern worship - “Wisdom, forgive”, “Let’s become kind, let’s become fearful”, - were originally precisely an invitation to the deacon to stand up to perform certain prayers after sitting during previous prayers. The absence of seats in a church is a custom of the Russian Church, but is by no means typical for Greek churches, where, as a rule, benches are provided for everyone who participates in the Divine service. In some Russian Orthodox churches, however, there are seats located along the walls and intended for elderly and infirm parishioners. However, the custom of sitting down during readings and standing up only at the most important moments of the Divine service is not typical for most churches of the Russian Church. It is preserved only in monasteries, where for the monks along the walls of the temple there are installed stasidia— high wooden chairs with a folding seat and high armrests. In stasidia you can either sit or stand, resting your hands on the armrests and your back on the wall.
Icons. An exceptional place in the Orthodox church is occupied by the icon (Greek [ikon] - “image”, “image”) - a sacred symbolic image of the Lord, the Mother of God, apostles, saints, angels, intended to serve us, believers, as one of the most valid means of living and close spiritual communication with those depicted on it.
The icon does not convey the appearance of a holy or sacred event, as classical realistic art does, but its essence. The most important task of an icon is to show, with the help of visible colors, the invisible inner world of a saint or event. The icon painter shows the nature of the object, allows the viewer to see what a “classical” drawing would hide from him. Therefore, in the name of restoring spiritual meaning, icons are usually somewhat “distorted” visible side reality. An icon conveys reality, firstly, with the help of symbols. For example, nimbus- symbolizes holiness, also indicated by large open eyes; clave(stripe) on the shoulder of Christ, the apostles, angels - symbolizes the messengership; book or scroll- sermon, etc. Secondly, on an icon, events from different times are often combined (combined) into a single whole (within one image). For example, on the icon Dormition of the Virgin Mary in addition to the Assumption itself, the farewell to Mary is usually depicted, and the meeting of the apostles, who were brought on the clouds by angels, and the burial, during which the wicked Authonius tried to overturn the bed of the Mother of God, and Her bodily Ascension, and the appearance to the Apostle Thomas, which occurred on the third day, and sometimes other details of this event. And thirdly, a peculiar feature of church painting is the use of the principle of reverse perspective. Reverse perspective is created by lines and sweeps of buildings and objects diverging into the distance. The focus - the vanishing point of all the lines of the icon space - is not behind the icon, but in front of it, in the temple. And it turns out that we are not looking at the icon, but the icon is looking at us; she is like a window from the world above to the world below. And what we have in front of us is not a snapshot, but a kind of expanded “drawing” of an object, giving different views on the same plane. To read the icon, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and Church Tradition is required.
Iconostasis. The middle part of the temple is separated from the altar iconostasis(Greek [iconostasion]; from [icons] – icon, image, image; + [stasis] – a place for standing; i.e. literally “a place for standing icons”) - this is an altar partition (wall) covered (decorated) icons (in a certain order). Initially, such a partition was intended to separate the altar part of the temple from the rest of the room.
From the oldest literary sources that have come down to us, the news about the existence and purpose of altar barriers belongs to Eusebius of Caesarea. This church historian tells us that at the beginning of the 4th century the bishop of the city of Tire “placed the throne in the middle of the altar and separated it with a magnificent carved wooden fence so that the people could not approach it”. The same author, describing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built in 336 by Saint Constantine, Equal to the Apostles, reports that in this temple "apse semicircle(meaning the altar space) was surrounded by as many columns as there were apostles". Thus, from the 4th to the 9th centuries, the altar was separated from the rest of the temple by a partition, which was a low (about 1 m) carved parapet, made of marble or wood, or a portico of columns, on the capitals of which rested a wide rectangular beam - an architrave. The architrave usually featured images of Christ and saints. Unlike the iconostasis, which was later in origin, there were no icons in the altar barrier, and the space of the altar remained completely open to the gaze of the believers. The altar barrier often had a U-shaped plan: in addition to the central facade, it had two more side facades. In the middle of the central facade there was an entrance to the altar; it was open, without doors. In the Western Church, the open altar has been preserved to this day.
From the life of a saint. Basil the Great is known that he “I commanded that there should be veils and barriers in the church before the altar”. The curtain was opened during the service and closed afterwards. Typically, the curtains were decorated with woven or embroidered images, both symbolic and iconographic.
Currently veil, in Greek [katapetasma], is located behind the royal doors on the side of the altar. The veil signifies the shroud of secrecy. The opening of the veil symbolically represents the revelation to people of the secret of salvation, something that has been revealed to all people. The closing of the curtain depicts the mystery of the moment, something that only a few have seen, or the incomprehensibility of the mystery of God.
In the 9th century. altar barriers began to be decorated with icons. This custom appeared and became widespread since the VII Ecumenical Council (II Nicaea, 787), which approved the veneration of icons.
Currently, the iconostasis is arranged according to the following model.
In the center of the lower tier of the iconostasis there are three doors. The middle doors of the iconostasis are wide, double-leaf, opposite the holy altar, called "royal doors" or "holy doors", because they are intended for the Lord, through them at the Liturgy (in the form of the Gospel and the Holy Gifts) the King of Glory Jesus Christ passes. They are also called "great", by their size, in comparison with other doors, and by the significance they have during the Divine service. In ancient times they were also called "paradise". Only persons with holy orders enter this gate.
On the royal doors, which remind us here on earth of the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, icons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the four evangelists are usually placed. Because through the Virgin Mary, the Son of God, the Savior, came into our world, and from the evangelists we learned about the Good News, about the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes on the royal doors, instead of the evangelists, Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom are depicted.
The side doors on the left and right sides of the royal gates are called "northern"(left) and "southern"(rights). They are also called "small gate", “side doors of the iconostasis”, “sex door”(left) and "deacon's door"(right), "door of the altar"(leads to the altar) and "deacon's door"(“deaconnik” is a sacristy or a receptacle). Adjectives "deacon's" And "sacristan" can be used in the plural and applied to both gates. On these side doors, holy deacons are usually depicted (Holy Protomartyr Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Philip, etc.) or holy angels, as messengers of the will of God, or the Old Testament prophets Moses and Aaron. But there is a prudent thief, as well as Old Testament scenes.
An image of the Last Supper is usually placed above the royal doors. On the right side of the royal doors there is always an icon of the Savior, on the left - the Mother of God. Next to the icon of the Savior is placed an icon of a saint or holiday in whose honor the temple was consecrated. The rest of the first row is occupied by icons of saints especially revered in the area. The icons of the first row in the iconostasis are usually called "local".
Above the first row of icons in the iconostasis there are several more rows, or tiers.
TO XII century include the appearance of the second tier with the image of the twelve holidays. Sometimes even great ones.
At the same time, the third tier appeared "deisis series"(from Greek [deisis] - “prayer”). In the center of this row there is an icon of the Savior (usually on a throne) to Whom the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist turn their prayerful gazes - this image is actually deisis. Next in this row are the angels, then the apostles, their successors - the saints, and then there may be venerables and other saints. Saint Simeon of Thessalonica says that this series: “means the union of love and unity in Christ of earthly saints with Heavenly ones... In the middle between the holy icons, the Savior is depicted and on either side of Him the Mother of God and the Baptist, angels and apostles, and other saints. This teaches us that Christ is both in Heaven with His saints and with us now. And that He is yet to come.”
At the turn of the 14th-15th centuries in Rus', more were added to the existing ranks "prophetic series", and in the 16th century "ancestral".
So, in the fourth tier there are icons of the holy prophets, and in the middle there is usually an image of the Mother of God with the Child Christ, about whom the prophets mainly proclaimed. Usually this is an image of the Sign of the Mother of God, an adaptation of the prophecy of Isaiah: “Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to make trouble for people that you want to make it difficult for my God? So the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel.”(Isa.7:13-14).
The fifth top row consists of icons of the Old Testament righteous, and in the middle is the Lord of Hosts or the entire Holy Trinity.
The high iconostasis arose in Rus', probably for the first time in Moscow in the Kremlin cathedrals; Feofan the Greek and Andrei Rublev took part in their creation. A fully preserved high iconostasis (5 tier), executed in 1425-27, is located in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (the upper (5th) tier was added to it in the 17th century).
In the 17th century, a row was sometimes placed above the forefather row "passions"(scenes of Christ's suffering). The top of the iconostasis (in the middle) is crowned with a cross, as a sign of the union of the members of the Church with Christ and with each other.
The iconostasis is like an open book - before our eyes is the entire sacred history of the Old and New Testaments. In other words, the iconostasis represents in picturesque images the story of God’s salvation of the human race from sin and death through the incarnation of God the Son Jesus Christ; preparation by the forefathers of His appearance on earth; the predictions of the prophets about Him; earthly life of the Savior; the prayer of the saints to Christ the Judge for people, performed in Heaven outside of historical time.
The iconostasis also testifies with whom we, believers in Christ Jesus, are in spiritual unity, with whom we form one Church of Christ, with whom we participate in Divine services. According to Pavel Florensky: “Heaven from earth, what is above from what is below, the altar from the temple can only be separated by visible witnesses of the invisible world, living symbols of the union of both...”
Altar and its accessories.
The altar is the most sacred place Orthodox church - in the likeness of the Holy of Holies of the ancient Jerusalem Temple. The altar (as shown by the meaning of the Latin word itself “alta ara” - elevated altar) is built higher than other parts of the temple - one step, two or more. Thus, he becomes visible to those present in the temple. By its elevation, the altar indicates that it marks the upper world, means Heaven, means the place where God is especially present. The altar contains the most important sacred items.
Throne. In the center of the altar, opposite the royal doors, there is a throne for celebrating the Eucharist. The throne (from Greek “throne”; among the Greeks it is called - [meal]) is the most sacred place of the altar. It depicts the Throne of God (Ezek.10:1; Is.6:1-3; Rev.4:2), viewed as the throne of the Lord on earth ( "throne of grace" - Heb.4:16), signifies the ark of the covenant ( main shrine Old Testament Israel and the temple - Ex. 25: 10-22), the sarcophagus of the martyr (for the first Christians, the tomb of the martyr served as the throne), and symbolizes the presence with us of the Lord Almighty Himself, Jesus Christ, as the King of Glory, the Head of the Church.
According to the practice of the Russian Church, only clergy can touch the throne; laymen are prohibited from doing this. A layman also cannot be in front of the throne or pass between the throne and the royal doors. Even the candles on the throne are lit only by clergy. In modern Greek practice, however, laymen are not prohibited from touching the throne.
In shape, the throne is a cubic-shaped structure (table) made of stone or wood. In Greek (as well as Catholic) churches, rectangular altars are common, shaped like an oblong table or sarcophagus placed parallel to the iconostasis; the upper stone plaque of the throne rests on four pillars-columns; inner space the throne remains open to the eye. In Russian practice, the horizontal surface of the throne is, as a rule, square in shape and the throne is completely covered indium- vestments corresponding to it in shape. The traditional height of the throne is an arshin and six vershoks (98 cm). In the middle, under the upper board of the altar, a column is placed into which, when the temple is consecrated, the bishop places a particle of the relics of a martyr or saint. This tradition goes back to the ancient Christian custom of celebrating Liturgies at the tombs of martyrs. Also, the Church in this case is guided by the Revelation of St. John the Theologian, who saw an altar in Heaven and “under the altar the souls of those who were killed for the Word of God and for the testimony which they had”(Rev. 6:9).
Mountain place. The place behind the throne towards the east is called to the heavenly, that is, the highest. Saint John Chrysostom calls him "throne on high". The high place is an elevation, usually arranged several steps above the altar, on which stands the seat (Greek [cathedra]) for the bishop. A seat on a high place for a bishop, carved from tuff, stone or marble, with a back and elbows, was already installed in the catacomb churches and in the first hidden Christian churches. The bishop sits on a high place at certain moments of the Divine service. IN Ancient Church a newly installed bishop (now only a patriarch) was elevated to the same place. This is where the word comes from "enthronement", in Slavic "re-enthronement" - "table". The bishop's throne, according to the charter, must be in a high place in any church, not only cathedral. The presence of this throne testifies to the connection between the temple and the bishop: without the blessing of the latter, the priest does not have the right to perform divine services in the temple.
On a high place on both sides of the pulpit there are seats for serving priests. All this taken together is called co-throne, it is intended for the apostles and their successors, i.e. clergy, and is organized in the image of the Kingdom of Heaven described in the book of the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist: “After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in Heaven... and behold, a Throne stood in Heaven, and on the Throne was One sitting... And around the Throne were twenty-four thrones; and I saw sitting on the thrones twenty-four elders, who were clothed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads.”(Rev.4:1-4 - these are representatives of the Old Testament and New Testament people of God (12 tribes of Israel and 12 “tribes” of the apostles). The fact that they sit on thrones and wear golden crowns indicates that they have power, but power given to them from Him who sits on the Throne, that is, from God, since then they take off their crowns and place them before the Throne of God (Rev. 4:10). The bishop and his concelebrants depict the holy apostles and their successors.
Seven-branched candlestick. According to the tradition of the Russian Church, on the eastern side of the throne in the altar, a seven-branched candlestick is placed - a lamp with seven lamps, according to appearance reminiscent of a Jewish menorah. There are no seven-branched candlesticks in the Greek Church. The seven-branched candlestick is not mentioned in the rite of consecration of the temple, and it was not an original part of the Christian temple, but appeared in Russia in the Synodal era. The seven-branched candlestick is reminiscent of the lamp with seven lamps that stood in the Jerusalem temple (see: Exodus 25, 31-37), and is similar to the Heavenly Lamp described by the prophet. Zechariah (Zechariah 4:2) and St. John (Rev.4:5), and symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Is.11:2-3; Rev.1:4-5; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6)*.
*“And from the throne came lightnings and thunders and voices, and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.”(Rev.4:5); “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ...”(Rev.1:4,5); “And write to the angel of the church of Sardis: Thus says He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works...”(Rev. 3:1). Here is an unusual for us indication of the trinity of God. Of course, John, who lived more than two centuries before I and II Ecumenical Councils, of course, could not yet use the concepts and terminology of the 4th century. In addition, John’s language is special, figurative, not constrained by strict theological terminology. That is why his mention of the God of the Trinity is so unusually formulated.
Altar. The second necessary accessory of the altar is the altar, located in the north-eastern part of the altar, on the left side of the altar. The altar is a table, smaller in size than the throne, having the same clothes. The altar is intended for the preparatory part of the Liturgy - proskomedia. Gifts (substance) are prepared on it for the celebration of the Eucharist, that is, bread and wine are prepared here for performing a bloodless sacrifice. The Holy Gifts are also placed on the altar at the end of the Liturgy, after the laity has received communion.
In the Ancient Church, Christians going to church brought bread, wine, oil, wax, etc. with them. - everything necessary for the celebration of the Divine Service (the poorest brought water), from which the best bread and wine were selected for the Eucharist, and other gifts were used in the common meal (agape) and distributed to the needy. All these donations in Greek were called prosphora, i.e. offerings. All offerings were placed on a special table, which later received the name altar. Altar in ancient temple was in a special room near the entrance, then in the room to the left of the altar, and in the Middle Ages it was moved to the left side of the altar space. This table was named "altar", because they put donations on him, and also made a bloodless sacrifice. The altar is sometimes called proposal, i.e. the table where the Gifts offered by the faithful for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy are placed.
The Lord Himself gave people back in Old Testament through the prophet Moses, instructions on what the temple for worship should be like; The New Testament Orthodox church is built according to the model of the Old Testament.
The New Testament Orthodox church is built on the model of the Old Testament
How the Old Testament temple (in the beginning – the tabernacle) was divided into three parts:
- holy of holies,
- sanctuary and
- yard,
- so is Orthodox christian temple is divided into three parts:
- altar,
- the middle part of the temple and
- porch.
Like the holy of holies then and now altar means the Kingdom of Heaven.
In Old Testament times, no one could enter the altar. Only the high priest once a year, and then only with the blood of a cleansing sacrifice. After all, the Kingdom of Heaven was closed to man after the Fall. The high priest was a prototype of Christ, and this action of his signified to people that the time would come when Christ, through the shedding of His blood and suffering on the cross, would open the Kingdom of Heaven to everyone. That is why when Christ died on the cross, the curtain in the temple that covered the Holy of Holies was torn in two: from that moment on, Christ opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven for all who come to Him with faith.
The middle part of the New Testament temple corresponds to the Old Testament sanctuary
The sanctuary corresponds to in our Orthodox church middle part of the temple. In the sanctuary Old Testament temple none of the people had the right to enter except the priests. All Christian believers stand in our church, because now the Kingdom of God is closed to no one.
The courtyard of the Old Testament temple, where all the people were, corresponds to the Orthodox church porch, now of no significant importance. Previously, catechumens stood here, who, preparing to become Christians, had not yet received the sacrament of baptism. Now, sometimes those who have seriously sinned and apostatized from the Church are temporarily sent to stand in the vestibule for correction.
Catechumens are people preparing to become Christians
Orthodox churches are being built altar to the east– towards the light, where the sun rises: the Lord Jesus Christ is the “east” for us, from Him the eternal Divine Light has shone for us. IN church prayers we call Jesus Christ the “Sun of Truth”, “from the heights of the East” (that is, “East from above”), “His name is East.”
Each temple is dedicated to God, bearing a name in memory of one or another sacred event or saint of God, for example, Trinity Church, Transfiguration, Ascension, Annunciation, Pokrovsky, Michael-Arkhangelsk, Nikolaevsky, etc. If several altars are installed in the temple, each of They are consecrated in memory of a special event or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called side-altars, or aisles.
There may be several altars in a temple
A temple (“church”) is a special house, dedicated to God- “House of God”, in which worship services are performed. In the temple there is a special grace or mercy of God, which is given to us through those performing divine services - clergy (bishops and priests).
The external appearance of the temple differs from an ordinary building in that it rises above the temple. dome, depicting the sky. The dome ends at the top head, on which it is placed cross, for the glory of the head of the Church - Jesus Christ.
Often, not one, but several chapters are built on a temple, then
- two heads mean two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ;
- three chapters - three Persons of the Holy Trinity;
- five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four evangelists,
- seven chapters - seven sacraments and seven Ecumenical Councils;
- nine chapters - nine ranks of angels;
- thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.
Sometimes more chapters are built.
Above the entrance to the temple is usually built Bell tower, that is, the tower on which the bells hang. The ringing of bells is necessary in order to call believers to worship and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the church.
At the entrance to the temple there is a place outside porch(platform, porch).
Inside the temple is divided into three parts:
- porch,
- the temple itself or middle part of the temple, where they stand praying, and
- altar, where the clergy perform services and the most important place in the entire temple is located - The Holy See, where the sacrament of Holy Communion is performed.
The altar is separated from the middle part of the temple iconostasis consisting of several rows icons and having three gate: The middle gate is called Royal, because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of glory, invisibly passes in the Holy Gifts (in holy communion). Therefore, no one is allowed to pass through the royal doors except the clergy.
The iconostasis is needed to separate the altar from the middle part of the temple
The reading and singing of prayers performed according to a special rite (order) in a temple headed by a clergyman is called worship.
The most important worship service is liturgy or mass(it takes place before noon).
Since there is a temple great holy place, where with special mercy is invisibly present God Himself, then we must enter the temple with prayer and keep yourself in the temple quiet And reverently. You cannot turn your back to the altar. Do not do it leave from the church until the end of the service.
So you enter the temple. You have passed the first doors and found yourself in porch, or refectory. The porch is the entrance to the temple. In the first centuries of Christianity, penitents stood here, as well as catechumens (that is, persons preparing for holy baptism). Now this part of the temple does not have the same importance as before, but even today, sometimes those who have seriously sinned and apostatized from the church temporarily stand in the vestibule for correction.
Having entered the next doors, that is, having entered the middle part of the temple, Orthodox Christian must make the sign of the cross three times.
When entering the middle part of the temple, you must cross yourself three times
The middle part of the temple is called nave, that is, by ship, or quadruple. It is intended for the prayer of the faithful or those who have already been baptized. The most notable thing in this part of the temple are salty, and pulpit, choir And iconostasis. Word salty is of Greek origin and means the seat. This is an elevation in front of iconostasis. It is arranged so that the worship service is more visible and audible for parishioners. It should be noted that in ancient times the solea was very narrow.
Solea is a platform, an elevation in front of the iconostasis
The middle of the solea, opposite the Royal Doors, is called pulpit, i.e. by ascent. At the pulpit, the deacon pronounces litanies and reads the Gospel. On the pulpit, Holy Communion is also given to believers.
Choirs(right and left) - these are the extreme sections of the sole, intended for readers and singers. Attached to the choirs banners, that is, icons on poles, called church banners. Iconostasis called the wall separating the nave from altar, all hung with icons, sometimes in several rows.
In the center of the iconostasis - Royal Doors located opposite the throne. They are called so because through them the King of Glory Jesus Christ Himself comes out in the Holy Gifts. The Royal Doors are decorated with icons depicting them: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary And four evangelists, that is, the apostles who wrote the Gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. An icon is placed above the royal doors last supper.
An icon is always placed to the right of the royal doors Savior,
and to the left is the icon Mother of God.
To the right of the icon of the Savior is south door, and to the left of the icon of the Mother of God is north door. These side doors depict Archangels Michael and Gabriel, or the first deacons Stephen and Philip, or the high priest Aaron and the prophet Moses. Side doors are also called deacon's gate, since deacons most often pass through them.
Further, behind the side doors of the iconostasis, icons of especially revered saints are placed. The first icon to the right of the icon of the Savior (not counting the southern door) should always be temple icon, that is, an image of that holiday or that saint in whose honor the temple was consecrated.
In the Russian tradition, high iconostases are adopted, often consisting of five tiers
- In the first tier on the Royal Doors there are icons of the Annunciation and the four evangelists; on the side gates (northern and southern) there are icons of archangels. On the sides of the Royal Doors: on the right is the image of the Savior and the temple holiday, and on the left is the Mother of God and the icon of a particularly revered saint.
- In the second tier - above the Royal Doors - is the Last Supper, and on the sides are icons of the twelve feasts.
- In the third tier - above the Last Supper - the Deesis icon, or prayer, in the center of which is the Savior sitting on the throne, on the right is the Mother of God, on the left is John the Baptist, and on the sides are icons of prophets and apostles stretching out their hands to the Lord in prayer . To the right and left of the Deesis are icons of saints and archangels.
- In the fourth tier above the “Deesis row”: icons of the Old Testament righteous - the holy prophets.
- In the fifth tier is the God of Hosts with the Divine Son, and on the sides are icons of the Old Testament patriarchs. At the very top of the iconostasis there is a cross with the Mother of God and St. John the Theologian standing on either side.
The number of tiers may vary in different temples.
At the very top of the iconostasis there is cross with the image of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ on it.
In addition to the iconostasis, icons are placed on the walls of the temple, in large icon cases, that is, in special large frames, and are also located on lecterns, that is, on special high narrow tables with an inclined surface.
Icon is a special large frame for an icon
Altar temples are always facing east to commemorate the idea that the church and worshipers are directed towards "east from above", that is, to Christ.
The altar is the main part of the temple, intended for the clergy and the persons who serve them during worship. The altar represents heaven, the dwelling place of the Lord himself. Due to the especially sacred significance of the altar, it always inspires mysterious reverence, and upon entering it, believers must bow to the ground, and persons of military rank must remove their weapons. In extreme cases, not only church ministers, but also laymen - men - can enter the altar with the blessing of the priest.
In the altar, divine services are performed by the clergy and the holiest place in the entire temple is located - the holy throne, where the sacrament of Holy Communion is performed. The altar is placed on a raised platform. It is higher than other parts of the temple, so that everyone can hear the service and see what is happening in the altar. The very word “altar” means “exalted altar.”
The throne is a specially consecrated quadrangular table, located in the middle of the altar and decorated with two clothes: the lower one - white, made of linen, and the upper one - made of more expensive material, mostly brocade. The Lord Himself is mysteriously and invisibly present on the throne as the King and Lord of the Church. Only clergy can touch and kiss the throne.
On the throne are: an antimension, a Gospel, a cross, a tabernacle and a monstrance.
Antimens is called a silk cloth (shawl) consecrated by the bishop with an image on it of the position of Jesus Christ in the tomb and, necessarily, with a particle of the relics of some saint sewn on the other side, since in the first centuries of Christianity the Liturgy was always performed at the tombs of martyrs. It is impossible to perform without an antimension Divine Liturgy(the word “antimins” is Greek, meaning “in place of the throne”).
For safety, the antimind is wrapped in another silk board called orton. It reminds us of the sir (plate) with which the Savior’s head was wrapped in the tomb.
It lies on the antimind itself lip(sponge) for collecting particles of the Holy Gifts.
Gospel- this is the word of God, the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Cross- this is the sword of God, with which the Lord defeated the devil and death.
Tabernacle called the ark (box) in which the Holy Gifts are stored in case of communion for the sick. Usually the tabernacle is made in the form of a small church.
Behind the throne is seven-branched candlestick, that is, a candlestick with seven lamps, and behind it altar cross. The place behind the throne at the very eastern wall of the altar is called to the heavenly(high) place; it is usually made sublime.
monstrance called a small reliquary (box), in which the priest carries the Holy Gifts for communion with the sick at home.
To the left of the throne, in the northern part of the altar, there is another small table, also decorated on all sides with clothes. This table is called altar. Gifts for the sacrament of Communion are prepared on it.
On the altar are sacred vessels with all accessories. All these sacred objects must not be touched by anyone except bishops, priests and deacons.
On the right side of the altar is arranged sacristy. This is the name of the room where vestments are stored, that is, sacred garments used during worship, as well as church vessels and books with which worship is performed.
The temple also has eve, this is the name of a low table on which there is an image of the crucifixion and a stand for candles. Before the eve, memorial services are served, that is, funeral services for the dead.
Standing in front of icons and lecterns candlesticks, on which believers place candles.
In the middle of the temple, at the top of the ceiling, hangs chandelier, i.e. a large candlestick with many candles. The chandelier is lit during solemn moments of the service.
Now about the bells. They belong to the items of church utensils. Bells began to be used in the 7th century, during the time of persecution of Christians. Before this, the time for worship was determined through verbal announcements by the performers of the service, or Christians were called to prayer by special persons who went from house to house with announcements. Then, for the call to worship, metal boards called with blows or riveters which were hit with a hammer. In the 7th century, bells appeared in the Italian region of Campania; that's why bells are sometimes also called campaigns.
In the Russian church, 5 or more bells of various sizes and different tones are usually used for ringing. The ringing itself has three names:
- blagovest,
- pealing And
- chime.
Chime- slowly ringing each bell in turn, starting with the largest and ending with the smallest, and then ringing all the bells simultaneously. Chime is usually used in connection with a sad event, for example, when carrying the dead.
Blagovest- ringing one bell.
Trezvon is the ringing of all bells, expressing Christian joy on the occasion of a solemn holiday and the like.
Nowadays it is becoming a custom to give bells the sounds of a scale, so that their ringing sometimes produces a certain melody. The ringing of bells increases the solemnity of the service. There is a special service to consecrate the bells before raising them to the bell tower.
Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple, it is built Bell tower, or belfry, that is, the tower on which the bells hang.
Bell ringing is used to call believers to prayer, to worship, and also to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the church.