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Thenarthex is an architectural element typical ofearly Christian andByzantinebasilicas andchurches consisting of the entrance orvestibule, located at the west end of thenave, opposite the church's mainaltar.[1] Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper.
In early Christian churches the narthex was often divided into two distinct parts: an esonarthex (inner narthex) between the west wall and the body of the church proper, separated from the nave andaisles by a wall,arcade,colonnade, screen, or rail, and an external closed space, the exonarthex (outer narthex),[2] a court in front of the churchfaçade delimited on all sides by a colonnade as in the firstSt. Peter's Basilica inRome or in theBasilica of Sant'Ambrogio inMilan. The exonarthex may have been either open or enclosed with a door leading to the outside, as in theByzantineChora Church.[3]
By extension, the narthex can also denote a covered porch or entrance to a building.
The original meaning of theclassical Greek wordnarthex,νάρθηξ, was "giant fennel".[4]Derived meanings are from the use of the fennel stalk asthyrsus, as a schoolmaster's cane, as asinglestick for military exercise, or as a splint for a broken limb. The term was also used for a case for unguents, and hence as the title of a number of medical works. Use for the architectural feature of church building is medievalByzantine Greek, in use by the 12th century (Etymologicum Magnum). English use dates from the 1670s. It is not clear how this meaning was derived, allegedly[weasel words] from a resemblance of the entrance area of the church to a hollow stem.[according to whom?]
In English the narthex now designates the porch outside the church at theliturgical west end; formerly it was a part of the church building itself,[5] albeit not considered part of the church proper, used as the place forpenitents.[6]
The purpose of the narthex was to allow those not eligible for admittance into the general congregation (particularlycatechumens andpenitents) to hear and partake of the service. The narthex would often include abaptismal font so that infants or adults could be baptized there before entering the nave, and to remind other believers of their baptisms as they gathered to worship. The narthex is thus traditionally a place of penitence, and inEastern Christianity some penitential services, such as theLittle Hours duringHoly Week are celebrated there, rather than in the main body of the church. In theRussian Orthodox Church funerals are traditionally held in the narthex.
Later reforms removed the requirement to exclude people from services who were not full members of the congregation, which in some traditions obviated the narthex. Church architects continued, however, to build a room before the entrance of the nave. This room could be called an insidevestibule (if it is architecturally part of the nave structure) or a porch (if it is a distinct, external structure). Some traditions still call this area the narthex as it represents the point of entry into the church, even if everyone is admitted to the nave itself.
In theEastern Orthodox Church, the esonarthex and exonarthex had, and still have, distinct liturgical functions. For instance, the procession at thePaschal Vigil will end up at the exonarthex for the reading of the ResurrectionGospel, while certain penitential services are traditionally chanted in the esonarthex.
In some Eastern Orthodoxtemples, the narthex will be referred to as therefectory ortrapeza, because in ancient times, tables would be set up there after theDivine Liturgy for the faithful to eat a common meal, similar to theagape feast of theearly church. To this day, this is where the faithful will bring theirbaskets atPascha (Easter) for the priest to bless the Paschal foods which they will then take back to their homes for the festivebreak-fast. Traditionally, the narthex is wherecandles andprosphora will be sold for offering duringDivine Services.
Onfeast days there will be aprocession to the narthex, followed by intercessory prayers, called theLitiy.
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