Icon lineup

Here is another shot from the church excursion last Sunday. Mass has just finished, people have gotten their bread from the priest, and now they are in line to worship the icon of their choice.



The women in this photo are lining up to visit the Mary icon. You can see the icon at the back of this photo, it looks like a dark face with a silver halo surrounding it. People, mostly women, lined up more for this icon than for the small one on the right hand side of the picture. You are free to touch the icon, so the face has worn away to a dark patch.



The altar is behind the partition with the icons. It is accessed by the archway in the center of the picture. As I mentioned before,only men are allowed in the altar area.



The stations of the cross are on the wall up above the icons.



There are a lot of candles and incense burning throughout the room. You can see some of the silver censors hanging near the icons. It is a sensory overload when you walk into this space after being outside with blazing sun reflecting off of stark white buildings.



More soon.