Byzantine Culture

History · Article

The Iconostasis

Discover the iconostasis, the screen of icons separating the nave from the sanctuary in Orthodox churches. Learn about its evolution, the iconographic program, and the theology of the sacred space.

The iconostasis is one of the most distinctive features of Orthodox Christian church architecture. The iconostasis, a screen of icons separating the nave from the sanctuary, developed gradually in the Byzantine church and reached its full form in the fifteenth century, when it became a complete wall of icons, with several tiers of images and with doors allowing access to the sanctuary. The iconostasis is one of the most important elements of the Orthodox Christian church, and it has been one of the principal means by which the theology of the Orthodox church has been expressed in visual form.

The iconostasis is more than a screen or a partition. It is a theological statement, a visual articulation of the relationship between the heavenly and the earthly, between the sanctuary, the place of the divine presence, and the nave, the place of the worshipping congregation. The iconostasis is, in this sense, a “window” into the heavenly kingdom, an image of the barrier between the created and the uncreated orders, and a reminder of the presence of the saints and the angels in the worship of the church.

The Early History of the Iconostasis

The Early Christian Period

The earliest Christian churches did not have an iconostasis in the modern sense. The earliest churches, including the great basilicas of Rome and Constantinople, had a low barrier, called the templon, which separated the sanctuary from the nave. The templon was typically a low wall or a row of columns, and it was decorated with curtains that could be drawn to conceal the sanctuary at certain points in the liturgy.

The templon was a practical screen, designed to separate the holy place from the rest of the church. The templon was not, however, a complete barrier, and the worshipper could see the sanctuary through the columns or over the low wall. The templon was also not decorated with icons in the modern sense, although the columns and the capitals of the templon were often decorated with Christian symbols.

The templon served, however, an important liturgical function. The templon marked off the sanctuary, the place where the holy things of the Christian faith, especially the Eucharist, were celebrated. The templon was also the place where the holy gifts were brought out to the people, in the Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy, and it was the place where the priest stood to give the blessing and to pronounce the dismissal.

The Development in the Byzantine Period

The iconostasis developed gradually over the course of the Byzantine period. In the early Byzantine period, the templon was gradually raised, and the columns were replaced with a higher screen. The curtains were gradually replaced with images, and the templon was gradually transformed into a screen of icons. The development was gradual, and the iconostasis did not reach its full form until the fifteenth century, but the process began in the early Byzantine period.

The development of the iconostasis was closely tied to the Iconoclast controversy. The Iconoclasts, who banned the veneration of icons, were opposed to the use of icons in the church, and they would certainly have opposed the use of icons on the screen separating the sanctuary from the nave. The restoration of icons in 843, after the final defeat of Iconoclasm, made possible the development of the iconostasis as a screen of icons, and the post-Iconoclastic period saw a rapid development of the iconographic program of the screen.

The development of the iconostasis was also closely tied to the development of the Byzantine liturgy. As the liturgy became more elaborate, with more processions and more prayers, the need for a more substantial screen separating the sanctuary from the nave became more apparent. The screen served to mark off the sanctuary, to conceal the preparations for the liturgy, and to provide a focus for the prayers of the faithful.

The Structure of the Iconostasis

The Doors

The principal elements of the iconostasis are the doors, the icons, and the tiers. The doors of the iconostasis allow access to the sanctuary, and they are the most prominent feature of the screen. The principal door is the Royal Doors, also called the Holy Doors, in the center of the screen. The Royal Doors are the most elaborate of the doors, and they are typically decorated with icons of the Annunciation, the four evangelists, and the Last Supper. The Royal Doors are opened at specific points in the liturgy, especially during the Great Entrance and the singing of the Cherubic Hymn.

In addition to the Royal Doors, the iconostasis has two deacon’s doors, one on each side of the screen, which allow the clergy to enter and leave the sanctuary during the liturgy. The deacon’s doors are typically decorated with icons of the archangels Michael and Gabriel, or with icons of the patron saints of the church. The deacon’s doors are less elaborate than the Royal Doors, but they are still an important element of the screen.

The Icons

The icons of the iconostasis are arranged in a specific pattern, which has been standardized over centuries. The principal icons are the icons of Christ, the Virgin, and the patron saint of the church. The icon of Christ is placed to the right of the Royal Doors, and the icon of the Virgin is placed to the left. The icon of the patron saint is placed on the deacon’s door, on the side of the screen corresponding to the location of the patron saint’s altar.

The icons of the iconostasis are venerated by the faithful during the liturgy, and they are kissed by the priest and the people at specific points in the service. The veneration of the icons is based on the theology of icon veneration, which holds that the icon is venerated, not worshipped, and that the veneration passes to the prototype it represents.

The Tiers

The icons of the iconostasis are arranged in tiers, with each tier containing a specific set of images. The lowest tier, the most accessible to the faithful, contains the principal icons of the program, including the icons of Christ, the Virgin, and the patron saint. The second tier, the festal tier, contains icons of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox liturgical year. The third tier, the deësis tier, contains the icons of the Deësis, the intercession of Christ, the Virgin, and John the Baptist. The fourth tier, the prophets tier, contains the icons of the Old Testament prophets. The fifth tier, the apex of the screen, contains the icon of the Mystical Supper, the Last Supper, or another important scene.

The tiers of the iconostasis are a relatively late development, dating to the fifteenth century, when the screen became a complete wall of icons. The earlier forms of the iconostasis, dating to the eleventh and twelfth centuries, had only one or two tiers, with the principal icons of Christ, the Virgin, and the saints. The addition of the festal tier, the deësis tier, and the prophets tier was the result of a long development, and the full iconostasis of five tiers was the achievement of the late Byzantine period.

The Theological Meaning of the Iconostasis

The Heavenly Kingdom

The iconostasis is a theological statement, a visual articulation of the relationship between the heavenly and the earthly, between the sanctuary, the place of the divine presence, and the nave, the place of the worshipping congregation. The iconostasis represents the barrier between the created and the uncreated orders, the boundary between the world and the kingdom of God.

The iconostasis is often understood as a kind of “door” into the heavenly kingdom, a place where the worshipper can see the icons of Christ, the Virgin, and the saints, and through them, can enter into communion with the divine. The icons on the screen are not merely decorations, but windows into the heavenly kingdom, places where the saints and the angels are present in the worship of the church.

The theology of the iconostasis is closely tied to the theology of the icon. The icon is venerated, not worshipped, and the veneration passes to the prototype. The iconostasis, made up of many icons, is thus a kind of magnified icon, a visual articulation of the entire communion of the saints, the entire church, both triumphant and militant, in the worship of God.

The Sacred Space

The iconostasis also represents the sacred space of the church. The sanctuary, behind the iconostasis, is the place where the divine presence is most fully manifested, the place where the holy things of the Christian faith, especially the Eucharist, are celebrated. The iconostasis marks off this sacred space, and it serves as a barrier between the holy place and the rest of the church.

The sacred space of the sanctuary is not, however, isolated from the rest of the church. The Royal Doors and the deacon’s doors allow the priest and the clergy to enter and leave the sanctuary, and the icons on the screen allow the faithful to see into the sacred space. The iconostasis is thus a permeable barrier, a screen that separates the holy place from the rest of the church while allowing the worshipper to participate in the liturgy celebrated in the sanctuary.

The sacred space of the iconostasis is also marked by the use of incense, candles, and chant, which are used to emphasize the holiness of the place. The incense represents the prayers of the saints ascending to God, the candles represent the light of Christ shining in the world, and the chant represents the heavenly worship celebrated by the angels and the saints.

The Iconostasis in the Modern Orthodox World

The Standard Form

The iconostasis has become one of the most distinctive features of the Orthodox Christian church, and it is used in Orthodox churches around the world. The standard form of the iconostasis, with the Royal Doors, the deacon’s doors, the principal icons, and the tiers, has been preserved in the modern Orthodox world, and it is the basis of the iconographic program of the Orthodox church.

The iconostasis has been the subject of intense scholarly study, and the development of the iconostasis is one of the most important topics in the study of Byzantine art. The development of the iconostasis has been traced in the surviving examples, and the iconostasis has been a major source of information about the development of the Byzantine liturgical tradition.

The iconostasis has also been the inspiration for the modern liturgical reforms in the Orthodox churches. The modern liturgical reforms, especially the reforms of the twentieth century, have generally preserved the iconostasis, and they have only modified the icons and the tiers in minor ways. The iconostasis is, in this sense, a major element of the Orthodox Christian heritage, and it has been one of the principal means by which the theology of the Orthodox church has been expressed in visual form.

The Controversies

The iconostasis has been the subject of some controversy in the modern Orthodox world. Some theologians have argued that the iconostasis, especially the full-wall iconostasis of the late Byzantine period, is too elaborate, and that it creates too great a separation between the sanctuary and the nave. Other theologians have argued that the iconostasis is an essential element of the Orthodox Christian tradition, and that it should be preserved in its full form.

The controversies over the iconostasis have been especially acute in the context of the ecumenical movement. Some Catholic and Protestant theologians have argued that the iconostasis is a barrier to ecumenical reconciliation, since it represents a theology of separation that is foreign to the Western tradition. Other theologians have argued that the iconostasis is a unique expression of the Orthodox Christian tradition, and that it should be preserved as a sign of the distinctive character of the Orthodox church.

Conclusion

The iconostasis is one of the most distinctive features of the Orthodox Christian church, and it has been one of the principal means by which the theology of the Orthodox church has been expressed in visual form. The iconostasis developed gradually in the Byzantine period, from the simple templon of the early Christian period to the full-wall screen of the late Byzantine period. The iconostasis is a theological statement, a visual articulation of the relationship between the heavenly and the earthly, between the sanctuary and the nave. To study the iconostasis is to study one of the most important and most enduring elements of the Orthodox Christian tradition, and to understand a feature of Christian architecture that has been a source of inspiration and devotion for Orthodox Christians for more than a thousand years.

Continue exploring