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Building component
For the plant known in antiquity as narthex, see Ferula communis.
Plan of a Western cathedral, with the narthex in the shaded area at the western end.Floorplan of the Chora Church, showing both inner and outer narthex.
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or vestibule, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar.[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 and aisles by a wall, arcade, colonnade, screen, or rail, and an external closed space, the exonarthex (outer narthex),[2] a court in front of the church facade delimited on all sides by a colonnade as in the first St. Peter's Basilica in Rome or in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. The exonarthex may have been either open or enclosed with a door leading to the outside, as in the Byzantine Chora Church.[3]
By extension, the narthex can also denote a covered porch or entrance to a building.
^By convention, ecclesiastical floor plans are shown map-fashion, with north to the top and the liturgical east to the right. Therefore, some may refer to the narthex as being at the western end of the floor plan. This is done for symbolic reasons, as scriptures say to look for Christ appearing in the east, thus the location of the altar is known as the liturgical east, regardless of the actual cardinal directions.
^In other languages a different terminology can arise confusion. For example, in Italian the inner narthex is called endonartece and the outer narthex esonartece, as the inner narthex in English. Krautheimer (1986), passim
^"narthex". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or vestibule, located...
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opens into the narthex. It divides north–south into the outer, or exonarthex and the inner, or esonarthex. The exonarthex (or outer narthex) is the first...
shrublands.[failed verification] It was known in antiquity as laser or narthex. Its young stems and inflorescences were eaten in ancient Rome, and are...
narrow passage behind it. Openings and arcades The atrium and arcaded narthex of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy, is a harmonious composition of similar...
building with a room of open porch colonnades, a room of exonarthex, one of narthex, two north annexes, and a room of three south annexes. The floors of these...
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include Gabriel Loire, John Baker and Henry Haig. The latter designed the narthex windows at Clifton Cathedral. List of art techniques "La dalle de verre"...
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kathedra (episcopal throne), or both an esonarthex (inner-narthex) and exonarthex (outer narthex), used for special services such as the Paschal vigil or...
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China. It has sulphur-containing compounds in the essential oil. Ferula narthex is native to Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and Kashmir. Although it is...
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