Altars

thumb|Altar in Roskilde Cathedral|Roskilde Lutheran Cathedral beneath a carved [[reredos]] An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and modern paganism. Many historical-medieval faiths also made use of them, including the Roman, Greek, and Norse religions.

monument built in honour of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

ancient Greek building from Pergamon, today in the Antikensammlung Berlin

liturgical furniture

300px|right|thumb|A displaying a and are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto . They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of worship.

small Christian worship space

recess used for preparation of the Eucharist in Orthodox churches

The antimins (from the Greek , Antimension: "instead of the table"), is a special corporal required to be on the altar in many Eastern Christian liturgical traditions. It was originally used as a portable version of an altar.

form of altarpiece

central doors of the iconostasis in an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic church

textile covering for an altar

thumb|Marble soleas in front of the iconostasis at [[Moni Arkadiou, Crete]] The soleas (() = meaning (“bottom, base”, as used in "sole of a shoe", cf. also the "sole" from the resemblance of fish to a flat shoe. Of uncertain origin)) is an extension of the sanctuary platform in an Eastern Orthodox temple (church building). The soleas projects beyond the iconostasis, forming a narrow walkway running the full length of the iconostasis.

temple in the Ancient Agora of Athens

ancient altar in Athens, Greece

A ' (Old Norse, ) or ' (Old English, ) is a type of altar or cult site, possibly consisting of a heap of stones, used in Norse religion, as opposed to a roofed hall used as a hof (temple).

thumb|The "Bardi Dossal" in the Bardi Chapel of Santa Croce, Florence. This is usually so called, but is an [[altarpiece and might also be called a retable or reredos. The shelf it rises from is a gradine.]] thumb|Dossal curtain, below a painted altarpiece, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire thumb|Green riddel curtains, with a metalwork dossal, in the Mass of St Gilles by the Master of Saint Giles

elevated spot regarded as a shrine for worship in the belief that, being nearer heaven than the plains and valleys, it might also be a more favorable place for prayer

an altar subordinate to the high altar, typically at the head of a side aisle, along the sides of the nave, or in a bay or chapel

Permanently lit Light by the Holy Tabernacle

synod

Vedic sacrificial altar

a small shrine kept in the home of a Christian family

Maya stone sculpture found at Copán in present-day Honduras

Table used in Protestant churches

Altar image of Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and family