Crypt
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In architecture, a crypt (from the Latin crypta from the Greek κρύπτη, kryptē; meaning concealed, private) is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics.
Originally crypts were typically found below the main apse of a church, such as at the Abbey of Saint-Germain en Auxerre, but were later located beneath naves and transepts as well. Occasionally churches were raised high to accommodate a crypt at the ground level, such as St Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany.
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Etymology
From Latin crypta (“vault”), from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kryptos, “hidden”).
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Related terms
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See also
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Crypt" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
