Wiktionary
n. A wall of icons between the sanctuary and the nave in an Eastern Orthodox church.
Wikipedia
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (plural: iconostases) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church. The iconostasis evolved from the Byzantine templon, a process complete by the fifteenth century.
A direct comparison for the function of the main iconostasis can be made to the layout of the great Temple in Jerusalem. That Temple was designed with three parts. The holiest and inner-most portion was that where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. This portion, the Holy of Holies, was separated from the second larger part of the building's interior by a curtain, the "veil of the temple". Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. 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 iconostasis divides the altar, the Holy of Holies containing the consecrated Eucharist – the manifestation of the New Covenant, from the larger portion of the church accessible to the faithful. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition only men can enter the altar portion behind the iconostasis.
The word comes from the Greek (eikonostási(-on), still in common use in Greece and Cyprus), which means "icon stand".
Usage examples of "iconostasis".
An iconostasis is an icon-bearing partition with three doors that spans the width of an Orthodox church, separating the body of the church from the sanctuary.
The iconostasis of a large church may be hung with a great many icons, large and small, often in gold or silver casings.
The cupola of the church had fallen in, the ancient decorated iconostasis was smoldering, the vestments, psalters, icons already lay in ashes.
Noemi picked up a candle from the bench and went over to the big icon of the Virgin, which hung on the iconostasis beside the Beautiful Gate.
At the gate of the iconostasis, Pope Manoles had taken his place, with solemn countenance and caparisoned in gold, and was intoning the Gospel for the day as Kajabes opened his door to proceed to church with his wife.
In front of the iconostasis Boron and Kyot were already waiting, nervous.
The iconostasis towered up to a crucifix high in the lantern dome, supported by tier upon tier of pillars, angels and cherubs, the transparent icons, painted on glass, glowing with light and impressing the fashionably-dressed guests to a suitably reverent quietness.
The elaborate gilded iconostasis, the icons which were set against each elaborately-carved column, the richly-robed priests, the great choir, and the throng of people from every rank of society, all shimmered in a haze of incense and the golden light of thousands of candles.
Llantrisant church has that primitive division between nave and chancel which only very foolish people decline to recognize as equivalent to the Oriental iconostasis and as the origin of the Western rood-screen.
The iconostasis is an icon-bearing partition with three doors that spans the width of an Orthodox church, separating the sanctuary from the body of the church.
The parish priest was in the church when she reached it, and he stepped forward to greet her, but after one look at her face, he retreated into his vestry behind the iconostasis and busied himself there, leaving the curtain pulled back and frequently looking into the church to see if Nadya needed his help.
Maniakes might have just taken an image of Phos from the iconostasis of a temple and set a torch to it.
Baudolino suggested to Boidi that he arrive, emerging between the two columns flanking the iconostasis, as if he had followed the same route, while Baudolino himself would remain hidden.