Iconostas - Iconostasis

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About Iconostas - Iconostasis

In Eastern Christianity (Orthodox church) an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases), also called the templon, is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church.
The iconostasis, though often tall, rarely touches the ceiling. Acoustically, this permits the ekphoneses (liturgical exclamations) of the clergy to be heard clearly by the faithful.
The iconostasis typically has three openings or sets of doors: the Beautiful Gates or Holy Doors in the center, and the North and South Doors to either side. The Beautiful Gates are sometimes called the Royal Doors, but that name more properly belongs to the central doors connecting the narthex, or porch, to the nave.[1] They remain shut whenever a service is not being held.
The North and South Doors are often called Deacons' Doors because the deacons use them frequently.
Alternatively, they may be called Angels' Doors, and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are often depicted there. The South Door is typically the "entrance" door, and Michael is depicted there because he is the "Defender"; the North Door is the "exit", and Gabriel is depicted here because he is the "Messenger" of God.
The Iconostasis is found in all orthodox churches (Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia,and other contries with Orthodox communities in the Middle East, Caucasus and elsewhere).