Does the apse contain the altar?

The apse was originally placed on the western end of the church but was built on the eastern side in later church construction. The altar of the church is most often located within the apse, which is frequently decorated extravagantly with religious murals and moldings.



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Some of the key architectural features of a cathedral are the narthex (main entrance area), the nave (main aisle leading to the front of the cathedral), and the apse (location of the altar).

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A. Aisle - Aisle, portion of a church or basilica that parallels or encircles the major sections of the structure, such as the nave, choir, or apse (aisles around the apse are usually called ambulatories). The aisle is often set off by columns or by an arcade.

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The apse, being at the front of the church, is ornately decorated in order to create a feeling of the divine coming from heaven. As such, many were decorated with pictures of heavenly creatures or passages from the bible. Traditionally, churches have been constructed to look like crosses from an aerial view.

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An aisle often surrounds the apse, running behind the altar. Called the ambulatory, this aisle accessed additional small chapels, called radiating chapels or chevets.

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