Nave

The term nave is from navis, the Latin word for ship, an early Christian symbol of the Church as a whole, with a possible connection to the "Ship of St. Peter" or the Ark of Noah.

In many Nordic and Baltic countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church,[6] and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish skib, Swedish skepp, Dutch schip or Spanish nave.

The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with the form of the Roman basilica, a public building for business transactions.

It had a wide central area, with aisles separated by columns, and with windows near the ceiling.

[3][1] The nave, the main body of the building, is the section set apart for the laity, while the chancel is reserved for the clergy.