EGYPTIAN

ARCHITECTURE
ARCHT. DEXTER MARINO
GEOGRAPHICAL
The characteristics features of the land in which any raced wells shape their
mode of life and thus influenced their intellectual culture. Nile is one of the location
where chief remains of tombs, temples, and pyramid founded. Ancient Egyptians
thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of lands:
 BLACKLAND- is the fertile land on the banks of the Nile.
 REDLAND- is the barren dessert that protected Egypt in two sides.
Egypt consists of a small fertile, alluvial soil along both banks of the Nile,
flanked by barren land shelves and rough cliffs, beyond which lies arid, desert
plateaux. The Nile was a trade route of Eastern and Western foreign trade and
rendered desert sands into fruitful fields because of its overflowing and fertilizing
waters.

GEOLOGICAL
• Stone Abundance
1. Limestone
2. Sandstone
3. Alabaster
4. Granite
5. Quartite
6. Basalt
• Poor in Metals
1. Import of tin for the making of bronze
2. Copper from the Sinai Peninsula
 Methodology
1. Quarrying
2. Transporting
 3. Raising stones into position
 Other materials:
1. Sun-dried bricks
2. Timber
3. Palm logs, leaves, reeds and rushes
4. Import of cedar and other woods

Climatic
• Seasons
1. Spring
2. Summer
 Climate
1. Warm
2. Rarity of rain
• Hieroglyphics – Pictorial Representation of Religious Rituals
•
Roof – was not an important consideration, and flat roofs of stone slabs
sufficed to cover the buildings, and exclude the heat.

HISTORICAL
Most Egyptian buildings had flat roofs supported by external walls and
columns. Ancient Egyptian culture can be divided into several time periods. The first
is referred to as the Old Kingdom and spans from around 2649 BCE to 2150 BCE.
It was during this time that some of the most famous structures were constructed,
setting a standard for Egyptian art and for centuries to come. Structures called
“Mastabas” were built above underground burial tombs. The Middle Kingdom refers
to the years around 2030 BCE to 1640 BCE. During this time, pyramid-building
remained popular. Many Egyptian temples contained courtyards, hallways and other
pathways. The New Kingdom time period spanned about 1550 BCE - 1070 BCE.
As Egypt gained more control over its landholdings prosperity inspired the
construction of monuments.

SOCIAL
PHARAOH
Relating to organization and
GOV. OFFICIAL
community.
SCRIBES AND PRIESTS
a) Pharaohs
SOLDIERS
 King ruled; leaders
ARTISAN
 Gods in human form
 When kings rule over a FARMERS

certain community, their SLAVES

government is called “monarchy”.

b) Government Officials
 Includes governors, mayors, and other members of their government.
 Vizier - the assistant of the kings or pharaohs.
- checks if the orders of the king is being followed.
- They had mastered a rare skill in Ancient Egypt – they
can write, read, and do math.
c) Scribes and Priests
 The Noble Aims; the educated class
 Priests – they hold religious ceremonies and sometimes for the
king.
 Scribes – the secretary
d) Soldiers
 They fight for war
 Responsible for the peace of the community
e) Artisan
 Latin word which means “skilled craftsman”
 Doctors and craftsman
 f) Farmers
 Takes care of the fields, raise animals, keep reservoirs in order
g) Slaves
 They were the ones who were captured during the war
 They can be sold or bought.
Economy: Agriculture and Barter trade

RELIGIOUS
Egyptian religion is deeply rooted in their society and their everyday lives.
Their religious rites are traditional, virtually unchangeable, and mysterious that
it directly influenced their architecture both in tomb and temples.
Their religion is monotheistic in theory, but polytheistic in practice.
They believe in gods and goddesses. Among them are:
 Osiris – the man-god who died and rose again; god of death
 Isis – wife if Osiris
 Horus – sky-god
 Hathor – goddess of love
 Set – dread god of evil
 Serapis – a bull god representing the strange cult of the sacred bulls.

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERS
a) Egyptian Columns
1. Papyrus Bud
2. Lotus Flower
3. Papyrus
b) Column for Egyptian Temples
1. Papyrus
2. Composite Capital
3. Column with Bud Capital
4. Column with Bell Capital
c) Egyptian Ornaments
1. Quadrupte Spiral
2. Continuous Coil Spiral
3. Lotus and Pyparus
4. Rope and Paterae
d) Tomb Architecture
Ancient Egyptians believed strongly in life after death that they did
everything they could to build lasting tombs, preserving their bodies and
burying anything they think they need in the after-life with them.
1. Mastaba - pr-djt meaning "house of eternity" or "eternal house" in
Ancient Egyptian.
- comes from the Arabic word for a bench of mud.
- rectangular, flat-topped mound funerary mound, with
slopping sides, covering a burial chamber below ground.
-
2. Royal Pyramids - massive structures of stone or brick with a square
base and four sloping triangular sides meeting at the apex; used mainly
in ancient Egypt.
- in most cases the pyramids were built on the west
side of the Niel river because they believe that the divine soul of
the pharaohs were meant to join the sun during its decent before
continuing with the sun in its eternal cycle. These is because in
their religion Ra the god of the sun was the father of all pharaohs.
- the shape of the pyramids were from Ra formed
himself into a pyramid-shaped mound of earth before creating all
the Egyptian gods goddesses.
3. Rock-hewn Tombs - a tomb for the nobility rather than royalty.
- also known as rock-cut tombs
- they are structures cut and built in the side of a
cliff.
- is a burial chamber that is cut into an existing,
naturally occuring rock formation.
e) Temples
1. Mortuary Temples - (or funerary temples) were temples that were
erected adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in Ancient Egypt.
The temples were designed to commemorate the reign of the Pharaoh
under whom they were constructed, as well as for use by the king's cult
after death.
2. Cult Temples - its main purpose to carry out the worship of a particular
deity or deities. The original essentials were a rectangular palisaded
court, entered from a narrow end flanked by pennonpoles and having
centrally within them an emblem of the deity.
 Obelisks – originating in the sacred symbol of the sun god
Heliopolis, and which usually stood in pairs astride temple
entrances, are huge monoliths square on plan and tapering to an
electrum-capped pyramidion at the summit, which was the
sacred part. They have a height of 9 or 10 times the diameter at
the base, and the four sides are cut with hieroglyphics.
 Dwellings – Clay models deposited in tombs indicate that
ordinary dwellings were of crude brick, one or two storey high,
with flat or arched ceilings and a parapeted roof partly occupied
by a loggia. Columns and beams, doors and window frames were
made from precious timber.
 Fortresses – Most fortresses are on the west bank of the Nile or
on islands. One example is Buhen, the largest stronghold, were
the main wall stood 4.8m (15 ft. 8 ins.) thick and 11m (36 ft.)
high reinforced along its exterior by projecting rectangular
towers.
PAPYRUS BUD
LOTUS FLOWER
PALM
OBELISKS
DWELLINGS
FORTRESSES