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Egyptian Architecture (3200 BC to the 1st Century)

A. INFLUENCES: I. Geographical and Topographical Influences: Called the Land of the Pharaohs Egypt is located in the Middle East, crossroad between Africa and Asia Minor. Bounded by: N Mediterranean Sea S Sudan W Libya E Red Sea, Saudi Arabia NILE, THE LIFE OF EGYPT Irrigation turned desert lands into fruitful fields Its gentle current was favorable for navigation Trade and commerce prospered along its banks Early Egyptian civilization had its birth along the Nile Important religious structures like tomb pyramids and temples for the gods were built in strategic places along the banks of the Nile. II. Climatic Factors: Two seasons: summer at the Delta with thunder storms and spring Because of intense heat during summer: 1. Simplicity of design in structures 2. Sufficient light reached the interior through doors and roof slits 3. No need for windows which results from an unbroken massive walls (protection from intense heat) 4. During inundation (July October) the ground could not be tilted, it is this time that the soil was made available for building work. 5. Roof drainage was not an important consideration. They use flat roofs (stone slab) for edifices. III. Geological (Materials) Influences: Stones (chief material with abundant supply) 1. Limestone (from Tura, Masara, Mokattam Hills) 2. Sandstone 3. Alabaster 4. Granite (hardest stone) - rey grey(syenite) 5. Quartzite 6. Basalt Quarrying was done by: copper tools, wood wedge, hard balls of dolerite, drilling and sawing. Clay with chopped straw (sundried bricks) Timber 1. Acacia tree for boat making 2. Sycamore for making mummy cases 3. Date Palm Trees staple food but leaves were used for roofing IV. Religious Influences: 1. Monotheistic in theory but Polytheistic in practice Gods are in triads (heavenly bodies, natural phenomena) 1. Theban Triad: 1. Ammon (Sun God) 2. Muth (Wife of Ammon mother of all things) 3. Khons (son of Ammon & Muth moon god) 2. Memphis Triad: 1. Ptah (a creator) 2. Sekhmet (goddess of war) 3. Nefertem (son of Ptah and Sekhmet 2. Beliefs: hope of eternal life; AR 223/AR 3163
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Page - 2 - of 8 supremacy of gods in the hidden world; omnipotence of the kings in the seen world (preplanned tombs); powers of priests in touch with both worlds 3. Existing buildings are religious and sepulchral in nature o Made use of strong materials and located at important places. o Method of construction showed skilled craftsmanship V. Social Influences: 1. Pharaohs acted as gods, priests and builders 2. Government was autocratic 3. Slaves were prisoners of war and forced to work during inundation months 4. Large members of staff (trained craftsman) were employed continuously 5. They engaged in jewelry making, weaving, pottery, literature on papyrus leaves VI. Historical Influences: 1. Ancient Kingdom (Dynasty 1 - X) 3200 2130 B.C. a. Archaic Period (I II) Unification of the lower and Upper Egypt by MENES Hieroglyphics were developed Mastaba type of tombs b. Old Kingdom (III VI) Memphis as capital Egypt attained its first and highest climax Huge pyramids and elaborate tombs Mastaba evolves towards a true pyramid Step pyramid of Pharaoh Zozer at Sakkara Royal pyramid evolved: c. First Intermediate Period (VII X) Marked by wars (dark ages of civil wars) between petty kings and later against the Asiatics 2. Middle Kingdom (Dynasty XI - XVII) 21311500 B.C. a. Middle Kingdom (XI XII) Mentuhetep II reigned Marked by prosperity Amenemhat I Temple of Karnak Largest obelisk of Senusret in Heliopolis Open fronted tombs at Beni-Hasan were built b. Second Intermediate Period (XIII- XVII) Asiatics infiltrated the Eastern Delta (Hyskos who introduced chariots and horses) They conquered Lower Egypt but was recovered by Pharaoh Amasis I 3. New Kingdom (XVIII - XXX) 1500 332 B.C. a. New Kingdom (XVIII XIX) Thebes was established as capital Temple of Ammon Karnak by Thotmes I Queen Hatshepsut built the terrace funerary Temple at Del-el-Bahari Amenophis III built Temple at Luxor Ramses II built the Rock Temples at Abu-Simbel and finished the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak b. Period of Decadence (XXI XXIV) Invaded by the Assyrians c. Late Period (XXIV XXX) Invaded by the Persians and became its province for 1 century 4. Ptolemic Period 332 - 30 B.C. Alexander the Great rescued Egypt from the Persians Alexandria became the capital Temples along the Nile river (lower) were built 5. Roman Period 30 B.C. 395 A.D. Constantine declared Christianity as its religion Temples were converted to churches Marked a death blow to Egypts indigenous and traditional architecture AR 223/AR 3163
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Page - 3 - of 8 6. Later Periods 395 A.D. to present 21311500 B.C. Byzantine Period Constantinople churches were built Arabs invaded Egypt and Moslem religion was adopted under the Ottoman rule MANETHO was commissioned by King Ptolemy to write Egypts history.

B. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER 1. MONUMENTALITY large scale and grandeur 2. MASSIVENESS solidity 3. SIMPLICITY I. Important Features: 1. Use of hieroglyphics 2. Battered walls 3. Traveated post and lintel construction 4. Use of stones, bricks for walls 5. Use of reeds, papyrus, palm branch ribs plastered with clay for fences, dwellings. 6. Egyptian ornaments 7. Egyptian columns have a distinctive character Use of vegetable origin, shafts indicative of bundles of plant stems with capitals derived from lotus bud, papyrus flower or ubiquitous palm. Capital

Shaft

Column - relatively long slender structural compression members such as post, pillar or strut usually vertical, supporting a load

Base

Shaft

Base

1. Hathoric column 2. Column with composite bell-shaped capital 3. Tentpole column AR 223/AR 3163
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1. Hathoric column

Page - 4 - of 8 II. Architectural Structures and Examples A. TOMBS 1. MASTABAS - rectangular flat roof structure with sides sloping at an angle of O 75 Arabic word for bench Parts of a Mastaba: 1. Chapel 2. False door 3. Shaft into Burial or Main Chamber 4. Serdab (inner chamber) placement of the statue of decease 5. Burial chamber (main chamber) location of the sarcophagus

a. Stairway Mastaba Has two doors, one is a true door for daily offerings while the false door is used by the spirit of the dead. Presence of porticullises - shafts providing air for people before the burial. b. Second Type Mastaba Provision of an offering chapel c. Third Type Mastaba Several groups of rooms are contained Serdab and other rooms contain the stelae Examples: 1. Mastaba at Aha, Sakkara 2. Mastaba K.I. at Beit Khallaf 3. Mastabas at Gizeh (second type) 4. Mastaba of Thi, Sakkara Thi famous royal architect and superintendent of pyramids

2. ROYAL PYRAMIDS - not isolated structures but part of a whole complex a. STEP PYRAMID steps like tiers edges and sides Step Pyramid of Djoser (Zoser) , Sakkara c. 2630 B.C. (204 ft./61.2 m) worlds first large scale monument in stone built by Imhotep b. BENT PYRAMID with slopes, the lower portion having a steeper slope (54o 15) and upper portion in a shallower slope 43 o

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Page - 5 - of 8 c. SLOPE PYRAMID 52 slope more or less Pyramids of Pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty, Giza 1. Khufu (the Great Cheops), ca. 2550 B.C. 480 ft/146 m high and 756 ft./230.6 m. square on plan oldest and largest made of limestone masonry 2. Khafre (Chephren), ca. 2520 B.C. , 470 ft/ 143 m. 3. Menkaure (Mykerinus), 356 ft/109m.
o

Composition of a TRUE Pyramid: 1. Mortuary temple or Offering chapel with stelae usually on the east side and occasionally on the north 2. Causeway passage connecting a valley temple with a pyramid 3. Valley temple used for the worship of the dead SECTION OF THE PYRAMID OF KHUFU

Silhouette with original facing stone

Thieves tunnel Airshafts Thieves tunnel

Kings Chamber So-called Queens chamber

Grand gallery

Entrance

Thieves tunnel

False tomb chamber

Ascending Corridor

Section, Pyramid of Khufu

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Page - 6 - of 8 3. ROCK - CUT TOMBS - private tombs hollowed out of the living rock at remote sites fronted by a shallow columned portico

Parts : Portico or vestibule Columned hall Sacred chamber

EXAMPLES: 1. Tombs, Beni Hasan - 39 tombs belonging to a provincial great family 2. Tombs of the Kings, Thebes

B. TEMPLES: 1. Cult Temples built for the worship of the gods 2. Mortuary Temples built in honor of the pharaohs 3. Mammisi Temple small shrines dedicated to the rites of the goddess ISIS. Consist of small chamber known as the birth house containing the statue of the goddess Isis, an altar surrounded by a colonnade partly concealed bu a crytoporticus (low wall). Prototype of a Greek temple. Characteristics: Egyptian temples were often approached by avenues of sphinxes. A pair of obelisks flanked the main entrance to the temple. Temple entrances were often accentuated by gigantic and massive pylons . Temple walls were designed with inward inclinations called battered walls. OBELISK originated from the symbol of Heliopolis (the sun god). Huge monoliths square in plan and tapering to a pyramidal summit with a metallic capping Heigth is 9 or 10 times the diameter of the base Examples: 1. Obelisks at the Piazza at St. John Lateran, Rome 105 ft. /32 m. high originally from the Sun temple of Heliopolis 2. Cleopatras Needle, at Thames Embankment, London 68 ft./32 m. high, originally erected at Heliopolis PYLON - monumental gateway to a temple consisting of a pair of tower structured with battered walls flanking the entrance portals Examples: 1. Pylon Temple of Horus, Edfu, c. 237 212 B.C. 2. Great Temple of Isis at Philae relocated on Agilkia Island SPHINX - a mythical monster with a body of a lion, the head of a man, hawk, ram or woman Example: 1. Great Sphinx at Giza represents the God Horus, 65 ft./ 20 m. high and 150 ft./ 45 m long partly made of living rock and masonry

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Page - 7 - of 8

Pylon
Avenue of recumbent animals Obelisk Colossal statues of the Pharaohs

PARTS OF A TYPICAL EGYPTIAN TEMPLE

Avenue of recumbent animals Obelisk Colossal statues of the Pharaohs

Pylon

Great Court

Hypostyle Hall

Sanctuary
Probable roofed areas

Dim Secret Rooms

Examples: 1. Great Temple of Amun, Karnak (Amun, the sun god) Evolved the indigenous design of architect Amenemhat 1,200 x 360 ft. (366 c 110 m) in area Has six pairs of pylon Has the famous hypostyle hall 334 x 174 ft/102 x 53 m. (3/4 area of Notre Dame, Paris) - often listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World 2. Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahri Between 1490-1450 B.C. Structure rose from the valley floor in three colonnaded terraces connected by ramps. The terraces were gardens with frankincense trees and rare plants brought by the queen. Hatshepsut s birth, coronation and great deeds were represented in the relief . 3. Great Temple of Abu-Simbel, Nubia Between 1300 1250 B.C Sculpted architecture of the temples of Abu Simbel were executed in homage to Queen Nofretari and Ramesses II The conventional temple pylon was replaced by a vast faade entirely cut out of the sandstone cliff and exhibits four seated colossal figures of King Ramesses II, 69 ft/21 m. high facing the rising sun. AR 223/AR 3163
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Page - 8 - of 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books: Palmes, J.C. Sir Banister Fletchers A History of Architecture. 18 ed.The Athlone Press, University of London. London De la Croix, Horst and Richard Tansey. Gardner;s Art Through the Ages. Ancient, Medieval and th Non-European Art. 7 ed. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. USA. 1976. Harris, Cyrill M. Historic Architecture Sourcebook. Von Hoffman Press, Inc. 1977 Millard, Anne and Patricia Vanags. Childrens Encylopedia History. First Civilizations to the Fall of Rome. Usborne Publishing. England. 1993 Stierlin, Henri. The Pharoahs master- builders. Italy. 2003 DVD Sources courtesy of Archt. Nick Ramos: Building the Great Pyramid. BBC Color 57 min. 37 sec What the Ancient Did for Us: The Egyptians BBC, UK. Color. 59 min. Other Sources: Lecture in powerpoint of Archt. Ma. Vicenta Sanchez Lecture notes of Archt. Willa Solomon Lecture notes of Archt. Clarissa L. Avendano History Powerpoint from the Center for the Designed Environment Professions (CDEP)
th

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