Iconostasis Construction in the Style of Justin - Essay Example

Originating from the Greek word eidonostasis [meaning a stationary picture screen] the Iconostasis is an altar screen or wall. Within the Orthodox Church it separates the Sanctuary from the nave. The nave of the church is the area of the church which is reserved for believers and is symbolic of the human world while the sanctuary is where the Eucharist is celebrated. The Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments within the church and the major ritual of the church wherein bread and wine are consumed to represent the body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist must be administered by a priest and is symbolic of the divine world. The iconostasis is the most characteristic feature of an Orthodox church. It is richly decorated with icons, and usually consists of four or more rows or registers. Below are two very different pictures of iconostasis (St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary, n.d.). The iconostasis is said to be one distinguishing element between the internal arrangement between the Greek and Roman church. Its structure consists of a giant screen or partition across the apse or across the entire width of the church. It is generally built from solid materials such as stone, metal, or wood. In many churches (especially in Russia) it reaches from the floor to the ceiling and completely separates the altar and the sanctuary from the area where the worshipers are contained. In general, it has three doors-the great royal door, the deacon's door and the door of the proskomide. The great royal door is the door in the center and is so called because it leads directly to the altar which is symbolic of the place where the King of kings is said to have been sacrificed. The Deacon's door is located on the right side and is used by the servants of the Church. The door of the proskomide is located on the left and it is used as an entrance to the area where preparation for Liturgy takes place. The arrangement of the doors as described is from the perspective of a worshiper located in the body of the church (OrthodoxPhoto.com, n.d.). A minimum of two pictures or icons must appear on each and every iconostasis. Within modest Greek churches, the arrangements of the pictures are such that a picture of the Jesus Christ appears on the right of the royal door and a picture the Blessed Virgin Mary appears on the left. This arrangement, however, differs in the finer churches in Greece, Russia, Turkey and the East where the iconostasis is adorned with a wealth of paintings. In those churches, aside from the two requisite pictures, the iconostasis is covered with pictures throughout. On the royal door, there is always the Annunciation. The Annunciation is the revelation made by the archangel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus indicating that she would conceive a child, the Son of God. In addition to the Annunciation there is often a depiction of the four Evangelists. On each of the other doors there are generally pictures of St. Michael and the archangel Gabriel. Beyond the deacon's door there is usually the saint to whom the church is dedicated. Additionally, at the opposite end there is either a picture of St. Nicholas of Myra or that of St. John the Baptist. Depicted above the royal door, there is a picture of the Last Supper and directly above that picture there is often a large picture of Jesus sitting on his throne with a crown and adorned in priestly clothing much in the image of a High-priest. At the pinnacle of the iconostasis there is a large crucifix which represents the source of salvation for believers and on either side of it, there are pictures of the Virgin Mary and St. John (Wikipedia, n.d.). In extremely elaborate iconostasis, the pictures are arranged in rows across the entire length of the iconostasis. The bottommost row contains the pictures previously described while the second row generally contains pictures commemorating the fundamental feasts of the Church such as the Nativity, Annunciation and Transfiguration. The third row generally contain pictures of the Prophets of the Old Testament and finally at the pinnacle of iconostasis. These pictures contained in the iconostasis are usually painted in the Byzantine tradition whereby the smooth and meticulous contours along with its opulent colors and the superior technical skills of the painter serve as distinguishing features. In many modern Russian Churches, however, the art is painted in the modern tradition (Wikipedia, n.d.). Despite its usage in the Orthodox Church, the iconostasis is an Oriental development and was utilized to adorn the holy place above the altar in the Christian tradition. In its original form, the altar was very plain and stood out from the rest of the church in both Oriental and Latin established ceremonious and usually religious acts within the Church. In Western European churches and cathedrals, however, the Gothic church builders added magnificence to the wall and transformed it into the iconostasis we now see. In the East, however, the Greeks went to great length to create ornamentation for the holy place in front of the altar instead of behind it as in the Oriental and Latin churches. In the early Greek churches the iconostasis did not extend from the bottom of the church to its roof, instead, they were waist high or even lower and divided the altar from the worshiping public. Essentially they were barriers made of columns and often contained picture of saints affixed to the tops of the columns. Over the course of time and with the construction of the Cathedral St. Sophia [the "great" church in Constantinople] by Justin the iconostasis was transformed. St. Sophia was constructed utilizing twelve high columns to represent the twelve Apostles. Depicted below is a portion the Entry into Jerusalem-a Russian Icon from the Iconostasis in the Cathedral of St. Sophia (Saint Sophia Cathedral, n.d.). Iconostasis construction in the style of Justin continued for many centuries before there was any effort to making the solid partitions such as the ones which can be readily found in Greek churches today. In its present form, the iconostasis is merely a matter of development of Church architecture. It has lost much of its mystical nature and is presented in a manner that is suitable and adapted to represent the many Rites within the Greek Church. The iconostasis has continued to be used by the Catholics as well as by the Orthodox throughout the world. References Henry, J. (n.d.) Famous men of the Middle Ages-Justinian the Great. Retrieved on February, 15, 2007, from http://www.authorama.com/famous-men-of-the-middle-ages-9.html OrthodoxPhoto.com (n.d.) The arrangement of the Interior of the Church. Retrieved on February, 15, 2007, from http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/readings/temple/arrangement.shtml Encyclopedia of Ukraine (n.d.) Saint Sophia Cathedral. Retrieved on February, 15, 2007, from http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/S/A/SaintSophiaCathedral.htm St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary (n.d.) The Iconostasis. Retrieved on February, 15, 2007, from http://www.orthodoxyinamerica.org/article.phpid=58 Wikipedia (n.d.) Iconostasis. Retrieved on February, 15, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconostasis Read More