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==מיקום דמויות הקדושים==
[[תמונה:Ipatios monastery Kostroma 13.jpg|שמאל|ממוזער|איקונוסטאזיס מאמצע [[המאה ה-17]] ב[[מנזר איפאטייב]] שב[[רוסיה]]. משני צדדי [[הדלתות הקדושות]] מתוארים [[ישו]] וה[[תאוטוקוס]] ([[מרים, אם ישו]]).]]
ישנם מספר כללים הקובעים את מיקום האיקונות על האיקונוסטאזיס. על פי רוב, מורכבים האיקונות המזרחיות כיום מחמש רמות של איקונות:
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# הרמה התחתונה, המכונה הרמה המלכותית, תכלול את שערי הכניסה למתחם הקודש. מימין [[הדלתות המלכותיות]] תופיע דמותו של [[ישו]] (המכונה בהקשר זה [[פנטוקראטור]], המסמל את [[שיבת ישו]] ב[[אחרית הימים]]) ומשמאלן, ה[[תאוטוקוס]]- דמותה של [[מרים, אם ישו]], המסמלת את חייו של ישו עלי אדמות. בהתאם, הטקס, הנערך בין הדלתות, נערך למעשה בין חייו של ישו בעבר לבין שיבתו בעתיד. איקונות נוספות ברמה זו יכללו לרוב איקונות של הקדוש לו מוקדשת הכנסייה, וכן של [[יוחנן המטביל]], של [[ניקולאוס הקדוש]] ושל אחד מארבעת [[מבשרי הבשורה]].
# ברמה השניה או השלישית מתוארים שנים עשר החגים הנחגגים בכנסייה המזרחית, ובהתאם, ברמה האחרת מבין השנים מופיע איקונין המתאר את דמותו של ישו יושב על כס המלוכה (שלעיתים לצדדיו יוחנן המטביל ומרים, ובאם לא הופיעו ברמה התחתונה, גם המלאכים מיכאל וגבריאל, והשליחים [[פטרוס]] ו[[פאולוס]]).
A number of guidelines or [[rubric]]s govern which icons are on which parts of the iconostasis, although there is some room for variation. In its fullest Slavic development it comprised five tiers of icons:
# ברמה הרביעית מופיעים על פי רוב דמויות [[נביא]]ים מה[[תנ"ך]] או דמויות האבות ([[אברהם]], [[יצחק]] ו[[יעקב]], ולעיתים דמויות 12 בניו של יעקב .
# ברמה החמישית מופיעות דמויות 12 [[השליחים]].
#The bottom tier is sometimes called ''Sovereign''. On the right side of the Beautiful Gates (from the nave facing forward) is an icon of Christ (often ''[[Pantokrator]]''), which symbolizes his [[Second Coming]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}} and on the left side is an icon of the [[Theotokos]] ([[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]]), symbolizing Christ's incarnation, and entrance into this world{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Therefore, all things take place between Christ's first and second coming. Other icons on this tier beside those on the doors themselves usually include depictions of the [[patron saint]] or [[feast day]] to which the church is [[consecration|dedicated]], [[St. John the Baptist]], [[St. Nicholas]], one or more of the [[Four Evangelists]] etc. Above this are two interchangeable tiers: the ''[[Deisis]]'' and the ''[[Twelve Great Feasts]]'':
#In the center of the ''[[Deisis]]'' is a large icon of Christ Enthroned. To the left and right are icons of John the Baptist and the Theotokos in attitudes of supplication. They are often flanked by icons of the Archangels [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]] and [[Gabriel]], then Sts. [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]], and then any other important Church Fathers that may be desired for inclusion as space allows.
#The ''Feasts'' tier contains icons of the twelve [[Great Feasts]] of the [[liturgical year]]. Above this, the top two tiers are also interchangeable with each other:
#The [[Old Testament]] [[Prophet]]s and [[Patriarchs (Bible)|Patriarch]]s—the latter including the twelve sons of [[Jacob]]—often to either side of an icon of [[Our Lady of the Sign]]; and
#the [[Twelve Apostles]], often to either side of and icon depicting either Christ at the Second Coming or the [[Holy Trinity]]. {{Fact|date=December 2007}}
Occasionally one may find yet more tiers of smaller icons depicting saints of specially fervent local devotion.
It is also not uncommon to find an icon of the ''[[Mystical Supper]]'', which depicts the Last Supper, and by extension the [[Communion of Saints]] in the [[Kingdom of God]], somewhere above the Beautiful Gates.
The Sovereign tier is always present, but all the others may be omitted. Preference is given to the Deisis or the Feasts tiers if only some of them can be included. Only the largest and most elaborate iconostases include all five.
==Rubrics==
[[Image:Gorskii 03982u.jpg|thumb|left|Chapel of the holy icon of [[Theotokos of Smolensk]] in the [[Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk]].]]
There are rules regarding who may enter or leave the sanctuary, and by which door. Neither the Beautiful Gates nor the space between them and the altar may be used by laity under any circumstances, although male infants are brought into the altar through them in the "[[Churching of women|churching]]" rite. [[Bishop]]s may enter through the Beautiful Gates at any time; [[priest]]s and deacons may do so only at specific times during the services when the Gates are open (but during [[Bright Week]] they always enter and exit through them). All others enter the sanctuary through the side doors.
In a [[convent]] only the [[abbess]] and elder [[nuns]] are permitted to enter the sanctuary, and only by the side doors. The abbess may enter at any time, but the other nuns need a blessing to enter.
Male members of the laity who are usually allowed to enter the sanctuary include those involved in the running of the particular church, i.e. [[cantor]]s and [[chorister]]s, [[altar server]]s, [[Sexton (office)|church keeper]]s and [[vestrymen]], etc. Entering the sanctuary for no good reason or without a blessing is forbidden even if no religious service is being held at the time.
In the [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian tradition]], on the day of the [[consecration]] of the altar in the church, the laity, including women, are permitted to enter and venerate the altar up until the beginning of the Vespers of Consecration.
These guidelines were developed over the course of many centuries, with both theologically symbolic and practical reasons for them.
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==משמעות תיאולוגית==
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