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ORIENTATION , the See also:term in See also:architecture given to the position of a See also:building generally with reference to the points of the See also:compass, and more especially (as the word implies) to that of the See also:East. It would seem that some of the See also:Egyptian temples were orientated in the direction of the See also:sun or of some selected See also:star, the exact position of which on some particular See also:day would be an indication to the See also:priest of the exact See also:- TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
- TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
- TIME, STANDARD
time of the See also:year—a See also:matter of See also:great importance in an agricultural See also:country, when the See also:calendar was not known. The orientation of See also:Greek temples has enabled astronomers to calculate the See also:dates of the See also:foundation of See also:early temples, See also:allowance being made for the See also:gradual changes which in the course of centuries had taken See also:place in the precession of the See also:equinox. The See also:principal front of the Greek See also:temple always faced east; and the rays of the rising sun, passing through the great See also:doorway of the naos, lighted up the statue at the further end, this being the only occasion on which the See also:people who came to See also:witness the event were able to gaze on the sculptured figure of the deity.
In early See also:Christian architecture, in the five first basilicas built by See also:Constantine, the See also:apse of the See also:- CHURCH
- CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
- CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
- CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
- CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
- CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)
church was at the See also:west end, and the priest, See also:standing behind the See also:altar, faced the east; this orientation being probably derived from that of the church of the See also:Holy See also:Sepulchre at See also:Jerusalem and the church at See also:Bethlehem. Three-fourths of the early churches in See also:Rome followed this orientation, but in many it was reversed at a later date. In Sta. See also:Sophia, See also:Constantinople, and all the See also:Byzantine churches, the apse was always at the east end, and the same See also:custom obtains in the early churches in See also:Syria and the Coptic churches in See also:Egypt.
In See also:Spain, See also:Germany and See also:England generally the eastern
orientation is generally observed, but in See also:France and See also:Italy there are many See also:variations. In See also:Scotland it was the custom to See also:fix a See also:pole in the ground over See also:night, and in the See also:morning at sunrise to See also:note the direction taken by the See also:shadow of the pole, which was followed when setting out the See also:axis of the See also:choir; if such a custom had been followed in an early church, when setting out another of later date there should be some difference in the orientation of the two, on See also:account of the variation of the obliquity of the See also:ecliptic in the See also:interval, and this in some cases accounts for the See also:change of the axial See also:line which is found in some churches, either when the east end has been rebuilt, as was constantly the See also:case throughout See also:Europe, or when a See also:nave has been added to an earlier structure. In describing churches it is usual to use the terms east, west, See also:north and See also:south, on the See also:assumption that the altar is at the east end, although this may not be the real bearing of the edifice.
Indirectly also the term is sometimes used in the planning of houses and the relation of the windows of the various rooms to the See also:sunshine and the See also:weather—in other words, to the points of the compass; thus an eastward aspect should be provided for the morning- and dining-rooms, a south-western aspect for the See also:drawing-See also:room, a westward for the library, and north by west for the See also:kitchen, larder, &c. (R. P. S.).
End of Article: ORIENTATION
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