According to Genesis, what was the Ark’s main opening called?

According to Genesis, the Ark had a door in its side.

Genesis 6:16 describes the Ark’s design and says that Noah was to set its door in the side. The same verse also mentions a lower, second, and third deck, while Genesis 7:16 later says that the Lord shut Noah in after everyone entered. The side door is therefore a specific architectural detail of the biblical vessel.

The text does not call this opening a roof hatch, bow gate, or underwater entrance. Artistic depictions vary widely because Genesis provides only a brief description, leaving many construction details unspecified.

The door also has narrative importance. It is the controlled entrance through which Noah, his family, and the animals enter, and its closure marks the beginning of the Flood’s destructive phase. The verse combines practical design instructions with the story’s theological emphasis on divine protection.