Pastophoria are the two small service rooms that flank the sanctuary in Early Christian and Byzantine churches. The singular is *pastophorion*. The name comes from the Greek *pastos* (shrine) and *phoros* (bearer) — literally the room for the shrine, originally the casket holding the relics of the church’s patron saint.
Function and layout
In Eastern Orthodox church building the two rooms each acquired their own name and task:
- The prothesis — to the left of the altar, where the bread and wine for the Eucharist are prepared.
- The diakonikon — to the right of the altar, where vestments, books and liturgical vessels are kept; comparable to the later Western sacristy.
Together with the altar space they form the tripartite east end that is so characteristic of the Byzantine church. In plan you recognise it by three apses side by side: a large one in the middle and two smaller ones beside it.
Applications
The term matters chiefly in:
- Building archaeology — the presence of pastophoria helps date a church and identify the liturgical tradition it was built for.
- Restoration and conversion — these side rooms have often been blocked up, converted into storage or broken through. Recognising the original tripartite arrangement is essential before intervening.
- Comparison with Western church building — in the West the same need produced the sacristy, usually a single room beside the chancel rather than two symmetrical rooms at the east end.
Related terms
- Apse
- Chancel
- Sacristy
- Basilica
- Cruciform church
- Altar
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