Peristasis (architecture)
Hallway of columns in some styles of Greek temple
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peristasis (Ancient Greek: περίστασις) was a four-sided porch or hallway of columns surrounding the cella (naos) in an ancient Greek peripteral temple. This allowed priests to pass round the cella (along a pteron) in cultic processions.
If such a hall of columns surrounds a patio or garden, it is called a peristyle rather than a peristasis.
In ecclesial architecture, it is also used to designate the area between the baluster of a Catholic church and the high altar (what is usually called the sanctuary or chancel).[1]
