In Genesis, which body part did Noah’s Ark have as its entrance?

In Genesis, Noah’s Ark had a door in its side.

Genesis 6:16 gives the Ark’s design instructions and says that its entrance was to be placed in the side. The same verse describes a lower, second, and third deck, but it does not provide a detailed architectural plan showing the door’s exact height, shape, or mechanism.

This detail is sometimes overlooked because modern illustrations frequently show a large gate at the front or a ramp extending from the bow. Those artistic choices are not specified by the Genesis text. The biblical wording instead places the entrance laterally, on the Ark’s side.

The side entrance also appears in the narrative sequence: after Noah and the animals enter, Genesis 7:16 says that the Lord shut the door behind them. That sentence has theological importance in the story, while the earlier instruction functions as part of the vessel’s construction description. The text does not identify a separate animal entrance or multiple doors.