In Genesis, what was the ark’s only specified opening for entry?

In Genesis, the ark’s specified entrance was a door in its side.

Genesis 6:16 tells Noah to make a door in the side of the ark. The same verse mentions a window and three decks, but it does not place the door at the front or rear. Genesis 7:16 later says that Noah and the animals entered, and that the Lord shut him in.

This detail matters because many modern artistic reconstructions show a large gate at the bow or stern, often for visual or practical reasons. Those reconstructions are not directly supported by the biblical wording, which specifies the side. The text also does not describe hinges, ramps, stairs, or the door’s exact dimensions.

The phrase “only specified opening for entry” distinguishes the door from the window. The window is part of the ark’s ventilation or viewing arrangement in the narrative, while the side door is the named entrance used by Noah and the animals.