Physical Planning

Lecture 2

2014-15

Benjamin Mathews John

M.URP M.Arch UD (CEPT)

What is urbanization?
Urbanisation is a complex socio economic process intimately connected
with the scientific technological revolution and that it exercises a growing
influence on all aspects of societys life affecting the nature of economic
development as well as the demographic, ethnic and other social processes.
A gradual shift from the primary agriculture based communities to non
agricultural, trade based settlements.

EARLY TOWNS Civilizations

Mesopotamian
Ur
Babylon
Egyptian
Thebes
Greek
Olynthus
Priene
Delos
Roman
Pompei
Ostia
Indus
Mohenjodaro
Lothal
Sirkap

Chinese

First early Civilizations:

1. Southern Mesopotamia
2. Egypt
3. Indus valley
4. Yellow river in china
5. Aztec and Mayan
6. Inca

OVER ALL TIMELINE

The word 'Mesopotamia' is in origin a

Greek name (mesos `middle' and
'potamos' - 'river' so `land between
the rivers'). Mesopotamia, located in
south west Asia (present Iraq),
encompasses the land between
rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Its length
is almost 300 miles and width 150
miles .
The climate is exceedingly hot, but
also very humid .
The city of Ur is located near the
outlet of river Euphrates. In ancient
times, due to its geographic location,
availability of fertile soil, irrigation and
cattle grazing area, this region
started showing the early signs of
settlement by nomadic people.
City of UR
LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

The alluvial plains in Mesopotamia are

perfectly suitable for high food production.
The economy was based on agriculture.
The geography of Mesopotamia is such that
agriculture is possible only with irrigation
and good drainage and hence this need for
irrigation led the Sumerians to build their
cities along the Tigris and Euphrates and
the branches of these rivers.
Through a system of dikes, dams and
canals the precipitation in the mountainous
region in the north is used in the south.
Although the rivers sustained life, they also
destroyed it by frequent floods.

ECONOMICS & MOBILITY

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

DOCKS
DIVERTED WATER
FOR MAKING
MOATS

WATER
CHANNEL

RESIDENCES

Three basic parts:

1. The old walled city
2. The temenos or religious precinct
3. The outer town
TEMENOS or RELIGIOUS PRECINCT

ROYAL PALACES

RESIDENTIAL AREA
WATER

SPATIAL STRUCTURE
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

Temple complex consisted of all the social

public and civic institutions.
Most important was the ziggurat which
occupied the western part of Temenos and
attached with granaries, warehouses
government offices etc. After the expansion,
other temples, mausoleums and tombs got
incorporated within the Temenos

INSTITUTIONS
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

INSTITUTIONS
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

Residential areas mainly occupy south east

part of the city.
Organic pattern of growth with irregular
narrow and pedestrian streets with dead
ends
Almost thirteen to fourteen rooms
surrounded the central paved court
Generally residential units shared a
common wall in irregular rows or group of
houses and formed one combinative block.
Rectangular buildings with square
courtyards
Roofs sloping inside the courtyard
Two storied houses built with burnt brick
below and rising in mud brick above with
plaster and whitewash to hide the change in
material
First floor contained habitable rooms for the
owners and ground floor had cooking space
and guest room.

COURTYARD HOUSES

RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGY
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

BABYLONIA
18th century BC to 6th century BC

LOCATION:
Located in Western Asia, in Iraqs
political boundary. it is at the closer
most approach of rivers Tigris and
Euphrates.
Located on Euphrates banks.
Babylonia is an ancient country of
Mesopotamia which came after Sumer
and Akkad. It lasted about 1200 years
and made a great impact on both the
ancient world as well as present day
civilisation
The Babylonian civilization was highly
urbanized and was based mainly on
agriculture rather than industry. The
country consisted of a dozen or so
cities, surrounded by small villages.

Economy of the settlement:

Due to fertile land in the banks of river Euphrates, and the artificial irrigation system,
agriculture was a major occupation in Mesopotemia.
Due to lack of resources like stone, timber metal ores the trade was of crucial importance.
Society
Babylonian society consisted of three classes : awilu, a free person of the upper
class;
the mushkenu, a free person of low estate; and
the wardu, or slave
Legal System and Writing
Law and justice were key concepts in the Babylonian way of life. Justice was
administered by the courts

City of Babylon :
Area of the city of Babylon amounted to more than 10sq.km with a perimeter of 18 kms.
surrounded the city with two walls, the outer one actually consisting of three walls.
The first one was built of clay and had a thickness of seven meters
The second was built of bricks and had a thickness of seven meters
The third was also built of bricks and had a thickness of three meters.
Defensive towers were built all along the outer wall which itself was surrounded by a moat filled
with water.
There were 24 streets in Babylon, running either
parallel to the river or at a right angle to it.
These streets were narrow, irregular, ranging from
about four to twenty feet in width with high
windowless walls on each side.
The streets were not paved, with the exception of
the Processional Way, but instead created with raw
earth.
Streets provided access to houses, temples, and
public buildings. They also carried the burden of
becoming the dumping grounds for the city.
The citizens of Babylon threw their garbage and
filth into the streets. Then, they covered it up with
layers of clay.
As a result, the streets of Babylon began to rise,
and eventually, houses needed to be built on
higher ground.

Egypt is located in far north-east Africa.

The general landscape of Egypt is bare like a desert.

The Nile runs through Egypt and is 6741 km long. It was the life
line of the civilization.
The site of Thebes includes areas on both the eastern bank of
the Nile, where the temples of Karnak and Luxor stand, and the
western bank, where are the large private and royal cemeteries
and funerary complexes.

LOCATION and GEOGRAPHY

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

Necropolis

Karnak Temple

PALACES and ADMIN BLDGS.

CULTIVATION LAND

RESIDENCES

Luxor temple

SPATIAL STRUCTURE
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

River as a means of trading route

Exports: Papyrus,linen, grains
Imports: wine, silver, wood, tin

Copper mine

Nearest trading route to the city

Neighboring Oasis
Imports: salt, dates and reeds
THEBES
On the banks of Nile

Nubian Gold mine

Source of gold for the cities

ECONOMICS and MOBILITY

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

PHAROH

VIZIER

Supreme military commander

Second administrative head

ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

NOMARCH (for each region)

Third administrative head accountable

to the vizier

The temples formed the backbone of the economy.

Not only were they houses of worship, but were also responsible for collecting and
storing the nation's wealth in a system of granaries and treasuries administered by
overseers, who redistributed grain and goods

ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

VILLAS

ROW HOUSES

Residential areas mainly on the eastern

edge of the river.
Modest residential streets lined with row
houses.
Characters of a row house include:
a court, broad hall as living space, rear
end had kitchen and staircase which
lead to upper floors or a terrace.
Richer families had basement for weaving
looms and terrace as storage also.
Facades were brightly painted
Balusters of palm fronds
Houses were street shy
Towards the edges or countryside villas with
gardens can be seen

COUNTRYSIDE
VILLAS
STREET VIEW

SECTION THROUGH A HOUSE

RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGY
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Only free, land owning, native-born men could be citizens entitled to the full protection of the law in a
city-state.
Social prominence did not allow special rights.
Sometimes families controlled public religious functions, but this ordinarily did not give any extra power
in the government.
The population was divided into four social classes based on wealth. People could change classes if
they made more money.
RELIGION as a strongest stimulus most monuments still extant are religious or funerary in function.
Best location, largest scales, durable materials were selected for construction of monuments
Worshipped sun, earth, crocodile, local gods like Amun of thebes,
Temple seen as house of the god. Hence elaborate rituals performed by the king and priest.
Cities of the dead towards the westerns side of the citadel (sunset symbolic for death)
Belief in eternal after life of happiness, hence tombs as underground abode where mummies could
dwell.
A ritualistic superstructure for offerings by the priest.

Pharaoh represented god.

Takes care of welfare and truth in the society.

SOCIAL and RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

KARNAK TEMPLE

KARNAK TEMPLE
Conglomeration of temples, chapels, pylons, and other
buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun.
Built by Ramses II, it was the main place of Worship
The primary axis of the complex connected the temple
with the necropilis of the other side of the river by a
ceremonial road across the river.
Aerial view of temple

The complex also contains a sacred lake for ritualistic

purposes.
Hypostyle hall

TEMPLES EAST BANK

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

LUXOR TEMPLE

Temple in its initial stages

Temple complex in its advanced stages

LUXOR TEMPLE
Temple for the Theban triad Amun, Mut and Chons.
This temple complex is to the south of Karnak which
was the main temple of Thebes city.
The two temples were connected by a ritualistic
ceremonial pathway along which annual procession of
the Mut god (the god of fertility) happened.

TEMPLES - EAST BANK

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

VALLEY OF KINGS

VALLEY OF QUEENS

VALLEY OF KINGS
kings of the 18th dynasty, instead of the traditional
building of pyramids as burial chambers, chose to
be buried in rock-cut tombs.
About 63 rock cut tombs are found which are
lavishly decorated.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from

Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs
and funerary rituals of the period.
VALLEY OF QUEENS
Wives of Pharaohs were buried in this part of the
valley
More than 70 rock cut tombs are excavated here
Prayers and rituals performed every day to these
structures by priests.

TOMBS WEST BANK

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -

THEBES

THIRD MILLENIUM BC.

SECOND MILLENIUM BC.

FIRST MILLENIUM BC.

TOWNS

TEMPLES

HOUSES

TOMBS

EVOLUTION OF BUILT FORM

COMPARATIVE STUDY -EGYPT

& MESOPOTAMIA

The Indus Valley CivilizationMohenjodaro

HISTORY - (2500BC to 1700BC)
EVOLUTION - Stages of growth
Originated as a trade town along the Indus river
The city comprising of two parts1. Citadel/ west higher part.
2. Lower town/ east lower (80 hectares).
One of the earliest civilization with irrigation
system.
Used burnt bricks for construction of
embankments around the mound, raised above
the flood plain.

12m High moundCitadel

The lower town

Social Structure-Economic Base

Political governance which monitors the city planning and

maintenance
Natural resources, livelihood, occupation controlled the growth of
the town
The city structure was governed by the dominant social
stratification
1. Lower town- low caste people, labourer
2. Upper town- leader, administrator, religious heads
Street layout & connectivity
citadel surrounded by wall
grid pattern of streets are not rigidly followed - 9ft-34ft to
accommodate cart traffic
major streets along N-S axis responding to wind direction
Underlying typology
Onto a central courtyard. Presence of wells
Courtyardintrovert
1. light to rooms,
2. heat absorber in summer and radiator in winter
3. private open space

1. Stupa/ Religious
centre

IMPLIED WORLD VIEW

Residential

2. College
3. Great bath

Commercial

4. Wear house/
Granary

Institution

5. Pillared hall

Place of wealth- reflected in the town

planning and architecture.
The aim of the Civilization was to make
life comfortable and luxurious

Religious

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE- NATURE

AND POSITION OF SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS
domestic quarters and industrial areas
were isolated from each other.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Underground drainage system covered

drains run along the streets-baths along
the street

The high mound having the warehouse, the

religious centre, and the priest bath
Source: Singh, Vijayalaxmi, The Saga of the first urbanism in India- Harappancilvilization, Delhi, 2006

EVOLUTION OF URBANITY : EARLY TOWNS

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