This is generally where the altar is located, making the apse the most important section of the building. The word comes from the Latin apsis, arch or vault, and the Greek root hapsis, arch or loop.
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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.
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).
An aisle often surrounds the apse, running behind the altar. Called the ambulatory, this aisle accessed additional small chapels, called radiating chapels or chevets.