Editing Sanctuary (section)

===Sanctuary as area around the altar===
{{See also|Chancel|Holy of Holies|Honden|Sanctum sanctorum|Garbhagriha}}{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}[[Image:StMarysSanctuary.JPG|thumb|left|The sanctuary at [[St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney]]]]

In many [[Western Christianity|Western Christian]] traditions including Catholic, [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], and Anglican churches, the area around the [[altar]] is called the sanctuary; it is also considered holy because of the belief in the physical presence of God in the [[Eucharist]], both during the [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] and in the [[church tabernacle]] at other times.

In many churches the architectural term ''[[chancel]]'' covers the same area as the sanctuary, and either term may be used.<ref name="Robinson2006">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Gary|title=Architecture|date=2006|publisher=Lotus Press|isbn=9788189093129|page=40|quote=In the historic floor plan, the words chancel and sanctuary are often synonymous.}}</ref> In some [[Protestant]] churches, the term ''sanctuary'' denotes the entire worship space while the term ''[[chancel]]'' refers only to the area around the [[communion table]].

In many Western traditions, [[altar rails]] and sometimes steps would demarcate the sanctuary or chancel from the rest of the building. In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] of [[Syro-Malabar Church]], [[Byzantine rite]] and [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]es, the sanctuary is separated from the [[nave]] (where worshippers pray) by an [[iconostasis]], literally a wall of [[icon]]s, with three doors in it. In other [[Oriental Orthodox]] traditions, a sanctuary curtain is used.

The terminology that applies the word ''sanctuary'' to the area around the altar does not apply to Christian churches alone: [[King Solomon]]'s temple, built in about 950 BC, had a sanctuary ("[[Holy of Holies]]") where the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was, and the term applies to the corresponding part of any house of worship. In most modern [[synagogue]]s, the main room for prayer is known as the sanctuary, to contrast it with smaller rooms dedicated to various other services and functions.

In synagogues there is a raised [[Synagogue#Bimah (platform)|bimah]] in the sanctuary, from which services are conducted, which is where the [[Ark (synagogue)|ark]] holding the [[Torah]] may reside; some synagogues, however, have a separate bimah and ark-platform.