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50-620: Early examples often appeared on the templon beam in Orthodox churches or above doors, though icons and devotional ivories also feature the Deesis. After the development of the full iconostasis screen there was room for a larger "Deesis row" or "Great Deesis" of full-length figures, and the number of figures expanded, both in Byzantium and in Russia. Usually this row is above the level of

100-530: A basis for establishing a relationship with God . Technically speaking, liturgy forms a subset of ritual . The word liturgy , sometimes equated in English as " service ", refers to a formal ritual enacted by those who understand themselves to be participating in an action with the divine. The word liturgy ( / l ɪ t ə r dʒ i / ), derived from the technical term in ancient Greek ( Greek : λειτουργία ), leitourgia , which means "work or service for

150-520: 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. The templon most likely has an independent origin from that of Latin chancel barriers. Classical stage architecture

200-660: A marble templon have been discovered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Though there is some architectural and archaeological evidence of early templa, the first and most detailed description of a templon comes from a poem by Paul the Silentiary , describing Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. It was composed near the end of Justinian I ’s reign and was probably recited on Epiphany , January 6, 563, celebrating

250-800: A number of saints of local significance are often included behind these, as space allows. Andrei Rublev 's row for the Cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir was 3.14 metres (over ten feet) high. In the Greek tradition the Apostles are more likely to occupy extra panels. The presence of Mary and John, and other figures, provides one of the differences with the Western Christ in Majesty , where

300-410: A rectangular ground plan around the altar. A horizontal entablature rested upon these. Three doors allowed entry to the apse, the central one larger than the other two. Though earlier scholars have proposed that all columns and all doors were in a single line parallel to the apse, modern reconstructions show the central portal facing out to the nave with the smaller doors each located on the other sides of

350-401: A religious service, be it a sacramental service or a service of public prayer ; usually the former is the referent. In the ancient tradition, sacramental liturgy especially is the participation of the people in the work of God, which is primarily the saving work of Jesus Christ; in this liturgy, Christ continues the work of redemption. The term "liturgy" in Greek literally means to "work for

400-523: Is almost always performed in front of an object or objects of veneration and accompanied by offerings of light, incense, water, and food. Frequently in Christianity , a distinction is made between "liturgical" and "non-liturgical" churches based on how elaborate or formal the worship; in this usage, churches whose services are unscripted or improvised are called "non-liturgical". Others object to this distinction, arguing that this terminology obscures

450-593: Is evidence that icons were hung from the columns of the templon prior to iconoclasm . Nicephorus I , Patriarch of Constantinople from 806 to 815 describes portable icons hung from columns and the gate of the templon in his Antirretikoi . Important portable and colossal icons were also placed in front of the templon, as in the 11th-century church of Saint Panteleimon in Nerzei . The templon gradually replaced all other forms of chancel barriers in Byzantine churches in

500-433: Is one possible source. At certain times during Byzantine history, theater heavily influenced painting and sculpture. Architects then, influenced by stage backdrops dating back to Sophocles , consciously imitated the classical proskenion (Latin proscenium ; the backdrop of a classical Greek stage), copying the multiple columns punctuated by a large door in the middle and two smaller doors to each side. The statues on top of

550-518: Is that the templon models, in both form and content, the decorative wall of the Torah screen in Jewish synagogues of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. These, too, had three main divisions: a central door leading to the altar, smaller flanking passages, and a distribution of parts similar to a templon. The Torah screen was probably not the direct prototype of the templon; it probably derives from the imitation of

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600-669: Is the practice of physical and compulsory prayer in Islam as opposed to dua , which is the Arabic word for supplication . Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Islam . Salat is preceded by ritual ablution and usually performed five times a day. It consists of the repetition of a unit called a rakʿah (pl. rakaʿāt ) consisting of prescribed actions and words. The number of obligatory ( fard ) rakaʿāt varies from two to four according to

650-590: The Cathedral of St. John at Stoudios in Constantinople, a basilica dedicated to John the Baptist , built around 463. The chancel barrier surrounded the altar in a π shape, with one large door facing the nave and two smaller doors on the other sides. Twelve piers held chancel slabs of about 1.6 meters in length. The height of the slabs is not known. The chancel barrier was not merely a low parapet (a short wall); remains of colonnettes have been found, suggesting that

700-642: The Four Evangelists and/or their symbols are more commonly included around Christ. The Deesis composition is also commonly found in the West, especially in those parts of Italy which came under Byzantine influence, but also in the rest of Europe. It often forms part of a scene of the Last Judgement . The use of the image declined slowly throughout the Middle Ages, and it is never as common as

750-642: The High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on Yom Kippur . The third part was the entrance court. This architectural tradition for the two main parts can be seen carried forward in Christian churches and is still most demonstratively present in Eastern Orthodox churches where the iconostatsis divides the altar, the Holy of Holies containing the consecrated Eucharist –

800-646: The Prophets , the Apostles , and finally the Virgin Mary . The carvings on the architrave were deeply tied to the liturgy. Another templon roughly contemporary to Hagia Sophia's is that of the church to St. John of Ephesus , rebuilt by Justinian as a domed crucifix. There was an inscription to St. John the Theologian over a side door, since the crypt of the saint was within the enclosed sanctuary. St. John

850-660: The Temple in Jerusalem . In almost all modern European languages, the word templon is a direct and late borrowing of the Greek architectural term, and it is rarely found outside the academic usage; besides the Greek templon , another direct descendant of the Latin templum , having the same architectural meaning, is the Romanian word tâmplă , "iconostasis". The chancel barriers are also known in archaeology as chancel screens . Archaeological evidence for an early templon comes from

900-581: The nave from the sanctuary near 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,

950-593: The polis , the State, and during Rome's domination, the Roman Imperial authorities as "gifts" to the state and the people. Their performance became obligatory in the course of the 3rd century AD, as a form of taxation. The holder of a Hellenic leitourgia was not taxed a specific sum, but was assigned to subsidise a particular ritual, which could be performed with greater or lesser generosity or magnificence. The chief sphere remained that of civic religion, embodied in

1000-600: The 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries except in Cappadocia . As late as the 10th century, a simple wooden chancel barrier separated the apse from the nave in the rock-cut churches, though by the late 11th century, the templon had become standard. This may have been because of the veneration and imitation of the Great Church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, though the columnar form of chancel barrier does predate Hagia Sophia. The templon began to change forms to

1050-439: The Baptist was probably carved over the other door of the templon of Hagia Sophia, since he features prominently in liturgical writings of the church. In any case, the majority of templa followed the same basic design. They were usually carved of monochrome marble, though some, like Hagia Sophia's, were covered in precious metals and others used polychrome marbles . The slabs were often carved with vegetal or animal patterns and

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1100-577: The Buddhist world. It is often done one or more times a day and can vary among the Theravada , Mahayana , and Vajrayana sects. The liturgy mainly consists of chanting or reciting a sutra or passages from a sutras , a mantra (especially in Vajrayana), and several gathas . Depending on what practice the practitioner wishes to undertake, it can be done at a temple or at home. The liturgy

1150-522: The Church of St. Pancras near Rome, and the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Pope Leo III also erected a pure silver chancel screen during the reign of Charlemagne. The 9th century Basilica of St. Mary Major had a screen of six purple marble columns topped with an architrave of white marble, from which hung veils. A lower barrier of silver columns projected outward from the screen. Many fragments of

1200-638: The Latin "ministerium") is a duty for Christians as a priestly people by their baptism into Christ and participation in His high priestly ministry. It is also God's ministry or service to the worshippers. It is a reciprocal service. Historically, there was a Christian thought that stresses the idea of the entire liturgy being needed to transform the bread and wine into Eucharistic elements (see Eucharist ). This may have been prevalent especially in Egypt. Usually, many Christian churches designate one person who participates in

1250-482: The Middle Byzantine period, the space between the colonnettes was not filled with icons but with curtains. Nicholaos Andidorum describes in his Protheoria "the shutting of the doors and the closing of the curtain over them". The most widespread image on the medieval templon seems to have been the Deesis. Its popularity arose from not only its simplicity and elegance, suggesting the efficacy of prayer and

1300-552: The Raising of Lazarus , linking the scene of Lazarus with the Holy Week images according to liturgical practice. Several epistyles of this form have been excavated throughout the empire, none earlier than the 12th century, indicating a change from busts on the architrave to scenic decoration. This new scenic style is representative of the increasing liturgification in Byzantine representational art after iconoclasm. During most of

1350-612: The Torah screen in the altar of a typical Syrian pagan temple . A direct comparison can also be made to the layout of the great Temple of Jerusalem . The most sacred and innermost portion, known as the Holy of Holies , was where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. This room was separated from the larger part of the main building's interior by a large curtain, the " veil of the temple ". Only

1400-630: The Western forms of Christ in Majesty. In depictions of the Crucifixion of Jesus , Christ on the cross is also very often flanked by the Virgin standing on one side, but by Saint John the Evangelist on the other, not by John the Baptist. Templon A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple", plural templa ) is a feature of Byzantine churches consisting of a barrier separating

1450-513: The architraves with busts of God, the Virgin, and the saints. Figurative decoration on the templon was mainly concentrated on the architrave , initially with carved busts. This continued from the time of Justinian into the middle Byzantine period, as shown from a 10th-century excavation in Sebaste in Phrygia , which uncovered a marble templon whose epistyle is covered with busts of saints. There

1500-610: The backdrop would thus be analogous to the icons of the saints looking down. The similarities, however, are probably only visual. Although classical drama was performed in Constantinople , the capital of the Byzantine Empire, during the 5th and 6th century when the first templa appear, when Christian liturgy was first being developed, the plays and their architecture had lost their importance and could not have influenced Christian ritual. A much more plausible theory

1550-460: The barrier carried an architrave on top of the columns. The enclosure around the altar was in early times called an Ambitus Altaris , and their railings were called cancelli , sometimes with columns or arches bearing curtains. According to St. Gregory of Tours , these curtains were also painted and embroidered with sacred images in France, and noted the presence of chancel screens in the apse of

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1600-474: The crowd. Templon is a loan word in Greek, from the Latin templum , " temple "; how and why it came to have its present meaning is unclear. The most obvious explanation is that the form of the templon resembles a pagan temple . The steps up to the apse (semicircle where the altar is located) are analogous to the stereobate and stylobate of the temple (the floor of a temple). The colonnettes arranged in

1650-715: The doors, and usually below (sometimes above) the row depicting the Twelve Great Feasts . The central Christ is therefore above the main door in the screen. Soon seven figures, usually one to a panel, became standard, in order of proximity to Christ in the centre: on the left (Christ's right) Mary, the Archangel Michael and Saint Peter , and on the right John the Baptist, the Archangel Gabriel and Saint Paul . Especially in Russian examples,

1700-597: The festivals: M.I. Finley notes "in Demosthenes ' day there were at least 97 liturgical appointments in Athens for the festivals, rising to 118 in a (quadrennial) Panathenaic year ." Groups of rich citizens were assigned to subsidise civic amenities and even warships. Eventually, under the Roman Empire , such obligations, known to Romans as munera , devolved into a competitive and ruinously expensive burden that

1750-600: The manifestation of the New Covenant, from the larger portion of the church accessible to the faithful. In Orthodox Christian tradition, with the exception of churches at women's monasteries , only men with good cause may enter the altar portion behind the iconostasis. Barriers called templons in Greek were also used on occasions when the Roman Emperors appeared in public, to segregate the Imperial retinue from

1800-694: The medieval templon with the attachment of icons and painted scenes to the architrave. Some of the best preserved of these images are from the Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt . The late 12th-century templon beam shows twelve canonical feast scenes, with the Deesis (Christ enthroned, flanked by Mary and St. John the Baptist) located in the middle between the Transfiguration and

1850-435: The original Templon. Photos of existing templon within churches. Some have had icons placed between the columns. Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise , thanksgiving, remembrance, supplication , or repentance . It forms

1900-536: The people" is a literal translation of the two affixes λήϊτος, "leitos", derived from the Attic form of λαός ("people, public"), and ἔργον, "ergon", meaning "work, service". In origin, it signified the often expensive offerings wealthy Greeks made in service to the people, and thus to the polis and the state. Through the leitourgia , the rich carried a financial burden and were correspondingly rewarded with honours and prestige. Specific leitourgia were assigned by

1950-473: The people", but a better translation is "public service" or "public work", as made clear from the origin of the term as described above. The early Christians adopted the word to describe their principal act of worship, the Sunday service (referred to by various terms, including Holy Eucharist, Holy Communion, Mass or Divine Liturgy), which they considered to be a sacrifice . This service, liturgy, or ministry (from

2000-666: The piers flanking the templon or as portable images in front of the screen. Proskynetaria of both these types still exist in Cyprus, from Lagoudera, now in the Archbishop's Palace in Nicosia, and in St Neophytos. Sometime between the 11th and 14th centuries, icons and proskynetaria began to be placed in the intercolumnar openings on the templon. After the reconquest in 1261, carving on the medieval templon approached sculpture in

2050-421: The rectangular plan. In between the columns were slabs of marble covered in silver about 1.00 to 1.10 meters tall. On them had been carved the monograms of Justinian and Theodora (6th century) , even though Theodora had been dead for several years, as well as a many-armed cross in the center. On the center of the architrave was a repoussé medallion of Christ . On either side of Him were medallions of angels,

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2100-491: The reinauguration of the church after the reconstruction of the great dome. Hagia Sophia’s templon surrounded, according to Paulus, "such space as was reserved in the eastern arch of the great church for the bloodless sacrifices". That is, it stretched the length of the eastern semidome, including the apse but excluding the exedrae (half-dome recesses in a wall). Twelve silver-covered marble columns of approximately 4.94 meters from base to capital were arranged on three sides of

2150-533: The round . From this period, the first wood-carved templa, or iconostases , were produced. They for most part had a fixed program of icon decoration with three levels: the Local, the Deesis, and the Festival tiers. Early Russian versions were at chest height, and called "thoraxis" in Greek. The full height iconostasis became standard in the 15th century, and probably owes more to 14th-century Hesychast mysticism and

2200-557: The threat of the Last Judgment , but also because it could be easily adapted to the patron's tastes with the addition of secondary scenes and characters, as in the Saint Catherine's Monastery where scenes from the life of St Eustratios appear on either side of the Deesis on a templon beam. Proskynetaria (large icons) also played a major part in the decoration of the medieval templon, either as monumental images placed on

2250-404: The time of day or other circumstances (such as Friday congregational worship, which has two rakats). Prayer is obligatory for all Muslims except those who are prepubescent , menstruating , or in puerperium stage after childbirth. Jewish liturgy is the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism . These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in

2300-546: The universality of public worship as a religious phenomenon. Thus, even the open or waiting worship of Quakers is liturgical, since the waiting itself until the Holy Spirit moves individuals to speak is a prescribed form of Quaker worship, sometimes referred to as "the liturgy of silence". Typically in Christianity, however, the term "the liturgy" normally refers to a standardised order of events observed during

2350-709: The wood-carving genius of the Russians than anything else. The first ceiling-high, five-leveled Russian iconostasis was designed for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow Kremlin by Theophanes the Greek in 1405, and soon copied by his assistant Andrey Rublyov in the Cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir in 1408. This is a list of known churches which retain their templon. Some have had icons placed inside, and others are modern reconstructions of

2400-438: The worship service as the liturgist. The liturgist may read announcements, scriptures, and calls to worship, while the minister preaches the sermon, offers prayers, and blesses sacraments. The liturgist may be either an ordained minister or a lay person. The entire congregation participates in and offers the liturgy to God. Salāt ("prayer", Arabic : صلاة ṣalāh or gen : ṣalāt ; pl. صلوات ṣalawāt )

2450-408: The π shape resemble the columns that surround all four sides of a temple, the architrave looks like the architrave on a temple, and the carved disks on the architrave are analogous to the metopes on the entablature . However, it has also been suggested that the name templon derives not from the pagan temples but from the Christian idea of the shrine where God was worshipped, or more specifically

2500-447: Was avoided when possible. Munera included a wide range of expenses having to do with civic infrastructure and amenities; festivals and games ( ludi ) and imperial obligations such as highway, bridge and aqueduct repair, supply of various raw materials, and feeding troops in transit. Buddhist liturgy is a formalized service of veneration and worship performed within a Buddhist Sangha in nearly every traditional denomination and sect in

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