The Sanctuary, as viewed by the Orthodox Church, represents heaven itself or God's residence place among His heavenly creatures and saints.
    The following traditions are observed by the church to indicate its reverence:
–    Laymen are forbidden to take part in the Communion inside the Sanctuary area.
–    We can only step into the Sanctuary bare-footed, in response to the divine commandment to Moses "Take off your shoes... for the place whereon you stand is holy ground". (Ex 3:5). Taking off the shoes indicates the feeling of unworthiness to be present in such a holy place.
–    The church ordains that: "No talking is allowed in the Sanctuary, except for urgent matters".