The church nave is usually divided into two main sections (or khoruses), one for the deacons and the other — the church nave — for the congregation (believers). At the back or the west end of the nave, there is an area (khorus) for the catechumens and also the baptistery.
The first area is the deacon’s khorus (or chancel) at the eastern end of the nave. It is separated from the altar by the iconostasis and sometimes by a fence from the rest of the nave which is reserved for the congregation. It is two or three steps higher than the rest of the nave and contains seats for the deacons, two candlestands and two lecterns on which the books of church readings (Katameros) are kept in different languages (Coptic, English, Arabic, or any other language according to the location). The lectern is a portable wooden cupboard with a slanted smooth top surface upon which the Katameros is placed. It is decorated with regular geometrical patterns, often inlaid with ivory. It is worth mentioning that the lectern has replaced the pulpit in many of the eastern and western churches.
The second area is the main nave where the congregation pray. The word nave is derived from the Latin navis which means a ship or ark. The altar and the nave are paired together. The former sanctifies the latter as the latter completes the former. While the altar signifies God’s presence, the nave is where His people are present to meet with Him. That is why the altar is often called the “soul of the church,” and the nave is its “body.” Maximus the Confessor says, “In the same way as the two elements — body and spirit — form the human being in a way in which neither the body overtakes the spirit nor the spirit overtakes the body but instead the spirit gifts the body spirituality to express its presence, thus the same relationship exists between the altar and the nave of the church. The altar illuminates the nave and leads it so the latter becomes a visual expression of the former. This relationship restores the universe to its natural position which was corrupted by the fall of man.”