As shown in this picture, what name describes the main part of a cathedral where people sit on chairs or pews?

As shown in this picture where chairs are assembled, the main part of a church or cathedral is the location where people assemble- it is called the nave. This is an English word derived from the Latin word for a ship (‘navis’). The ship in early Christianity was a symbol of the church as a whole, with a possible connection to the “Ship of St. Peter”, referring to the Roman Catholic Church and St. Peter, the first Pope, a fisherman who became one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. Also, nave could refer to the Ark of Noah referenced in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The nave is the central part and largest part of a church or cathedral stretching from the main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without a transepts, to the chancel. A transept is a transverse part of the church which lies across the main body, forming a cross-shaped or ‘t’ shape to the edifice. In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar and the sanctuary, while the apse is a semicircular recessed area with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, at the termination of the man edifice.

When a church or cathedral contains side aisles, the strict definition of the term nave is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all area available for the lay worshipers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the apse reserved for the choir and clergy.