A nave is the long, central part of a church where people sit during services. If you walk into a large church through the main entrance, you're entering the nave. It's typically a tall, open space with rows of seats or pews on either side, stretching from the entrance toward the altar at the front.

Many church naves have high, curved ceilings that look like the inside of an overturned boat hull. Medieval builders designed them this way partly for beauty and partly to help voices and music carry throughout the space.

The nave is distinct from other parts of a church. The aisles run along the sides, and the transept forms the arms of a cross-shaped church. If you imagine a church shaped like a plus sign, the nave is the long vertical section where the congregation gathers. In famous cathedrals like Notre-Dame in Paris, the nave can be massive, with soaring stone arches and stained glass windows rising high overhead, creating a sense of grandeur.