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Orthodox Icons and Their Role in a Church"s Interior

The word "icon" comes from the Greek word "eikon" which is symbolic of the fact that God created man in His own image.
Thus icons have always been a major part of Christianity and the Church.
Orthodox icons represent painting and religious artwork commonly found in places of worship like eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches.
The Eastern Orthodox and religious icons generally depict paintings of Mother Mary, Jesus, saints, angels and the Holy Cross.
Modern religious icons are cast in metal, carved in stone or wood, hand or machine embroidered on cloth, painted or printed on paper and even done in mosaic.
In the past only richer materials like enamel, ivory and mosaics were used by hagiographers (people who record lives of holy people either in form of writing or visual arts) to make orthodox icons.
Russian orthodox icons seen in Churches are traditionally painted on wood or table tops and depict a rich history of religious sentiment and symbolism.
You can find different types of religious icons on the internet.
The major types in Byzantine religious icons include Diptychs (two boards connected with a hinge), Triptychs (Three foldable carved panels connected with a hinge) and entire screen of foldable panels called Iconostasion icons which are foldable and portable units.
One can order these icons for the church through these websites and one can even have customized orthodox icons according to Orthodox traditions.
Christian religious icons today mostly depict replicas of the original Byzantine Art which is seen in museums, private collections and monasteries.
As per the Orthodox traditions, one must look upon the religious icons and orthodox icons as a window to the spiritual world, but today icons are looked more as pieces of art rather than symbols of prayer and religion.
Whatever one's opinion in this matter, one can shop for beautiful icons and enhance the beauty as well as spirituality of the church.
A reliable vendor of church supplies will guarantee you the best materials and value for the money you spend on the icons.
While these icons today can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousands, depending on the materials used, there are online vendors who keep coming up with special deals and discounts.
So one only has to scout a bit to get great money-saving deals.
The websites can also ship your purchase to you with special sturdy packing materials so one can be assured that one's icons reach the destination safely.

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