AR.

ARPITA SARKAR
AR. RANJITHA GOVINDRAJ
SCHOOL OF ARCHIRECTURE
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE, BANGALORE
 WHERE IS EGYPT?
• NORTH-EAST OF AFRICA
• ALONG THE NILE RIVER

EGYPT IS KNOWN FOR?

• PYRAMID • MASTABAS
• NILE RIVER • PAPYRUS
• MUMMIES • EGYPTIAN KINGS
• DESERT • EGYPTIAN GODS
• TEMPLES
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PERIODS:
Old Kingdom (c. 3200 – 2158 B.C.)
Middle Kingdom (c. 2134 – 1786 B.C.)
New Kingdom (c. 1570 – 1085 B.C.)

PRE-HISTORIC OLD MIDDLE NEW LATE

EGYPT KINGDOM KINGDOM KINGDOM PERIOD
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PERIODS

5500 BC 3200 BC 2134 BC 1570 BC 1085 BC 332 BC

Great Trade increased

pyramid and Egypt
was built became most
Achievement
powerful
in arts,
literature and Greco –Roman
period
architecture

A HIEROGLYPH was ancient Egyptian

writing system.
HIEROGLYPHY
 INFLUENCES ON ARCHITECTURE

GEOGRAPHICAL
The valley of the Nile that defined the
state of Egypt where the land was rich
in resources such as wild and
domesticated animals, fish, birds, stone
quarries and metals, specially gold, in
the Eastern Desert.

Most major structures were built close to the Nile, since the
building materials were transported by river.

GEOLOGICAL
Stone; like limestone, sandstone, and granite, as well as
sun-baked mud bricks were abundantly used in building.
Stone was widely used starting from the Old Kingdom. It
was mainly used for temples, tombs and sculpture. But
STONE MUD-BRICKS bricks were used for everything such as temple walls,
royal palaces, and civic complexes.
 INFLUENCES ON ARCHITECTURE

Earthly life was just a short temporary thing for the

RELIGIOUS

EGYPTIAN CULTURE AND preparation for an eternal afterlife

BELIEVES Egypt's King or Pharaoh was worshiped as a god

Nile -source for all life

• East bank: land of the living
• West bank: land of the dead

At day of resurrection, "Ka" entered dead

Survival after death depended on preservation of body

“Good Burial" became obsession - mummification an art

Mystery of sun, moon, stars, futility & grave -

Complex hierarchy of gods

Service to religion: made their art &

architecture
 INFLUENCES ON ARCHITECTURE

CLIMATIC

Egypt has been said to have but two seasons, spring and summer.
Storm, fog, and even rain are rare, and these conditions have contributed to the
preservation of the buildings.

• Sufficient light reached the interior through doors and roof slits, there was no need for
windows, and thus unbroken massive walls not only protected the interior from the
fierce heat of the sun, but also provided an uninterrupted surface for hieroglyphics or
pictorial representations of religious ritual, historic incidents, and daily pursuits.

• In the absence of rain, roof drainage was not a consideration, and flat roofs of thick
stone slabs sufficed to cover in the building, and to exclude the heat.
 EGYPTIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURAL CATEGORIES:
1. MASTABA TOMBS
2. P Y R A M I D S
3. VALLEY OF THE KINGS
4. T E M P L E S
5. PALACES/ HOUSES
6. SPHINX
7. OBELISK
8. PYLON
9. COLOUMNS
ART CULTURE:
• APART FROM THE PYRAMIDS, EGYPTIAN BUILDINGS WERE DECORATED WITH
PAINTINGS, CARVED STONE IMAGES, HIEROGLYPHS AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL
STATUES.
• THE ART TELLS THE STORY OF THE PHARAOHS, THE GODS, THE COMMON PEOPLE
AND THE NATURAL WORLD OF PLANTS, BIRDS AND ANIMALS.
 MAJOR ARCHITECTURAL WORKS

Old Kingdom
1. Mastabas
2. Stepped Pyramid of Zozer @ Saqqara by Imhotep
3. Great Pyramids @ Giza Cheops (Khufu)
Chephren (Kafra)
Mykerinus (Menkaura)

Middle Kingdom
4. Rock Cut Tombs at Beni Hasan

New Kingdom
5. Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
6. Temple of Amen-Mut-Khonsu at Luxor
7. Temple of Amun at Karnak
8. Temple of Rameses II at Abu Simbel
9. Mortuary Complex of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu
10.Temple of Horus at Edfu
 TOMBS

• TOMBS WERE MOST OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT OF THE PERIOD

• TOMBS ALSO SERVE AS THE FOCUS FOR THE WORSHIP OF THE DEAD
• THE TOMB EVOLVED DURING THE OLD KINGDOM FROM THE MASTABA,
THROUGH THE STEPPED PYRAMID TO THE RENOWN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
PYRAMID

MASTABA STEPPED PYRAMID

PYRAMID BENT PYRAMID

EVOLUTION OF PYRAMID

Bent Pyramid
 MASTABA
• The earliest method of burial in ancient
Egypt was in shallow pits in the desert
• The desert dried the bodies and preserved
them
• When animals preyed on bodies, they
people dug deeper
• In the end they built a bench-like structure
over graves to create first burial structure
called MASTABA

• The Mastaba tomb had two structures, one underground; it was called substructure
and one above ground that was called superstructure
 The name mastaba is derived from
podiums found in the front of traditional
houses
 Above ground the mastaba is a large

9M
bench of sun-baked bricks rising 9 meters
high
 It had a flat top and slanting walls
• Internally, a mastaba consist of three parts-
– burial chamber,
– serdab and
– Chapel
• The burial chamber was located 10 Meter
below ground
• Mastaba was connected to burial chamber

10 M
above ground through a shaft
 In the chamber is found
the sarcophagus where
the dead body was placed
• The burial chamber is packed with all the necessary things needed in
the afterlife
• After burial, the shaft to the burial chamber was sealed
• The serdab is a room where the statue of the dead person is kept
• False doors were included to allow for the soul of the deceased to
escape the structure

• Egyptians believed that the Ka must return to the body or a copy of it

each night If both body and statue are destroyed, the ka would die
 SECTION

1. Chapel
2. False Door PLAN
3. Shaft
4. Serdab
5. Burial chamber

VIEW
SECTIONAL
VIEW
• The chapel is where the ka is supposed to live forever

– Colorful room meant to deceive the gods into letting the ka enter the next world
– false door leading to the land of the dead
– The earliest royal tombs were decorated with painted patterns in brilliant colors
– Some mastabas had fence walls, and chambers for burial of servants
STEPPED PYRAMID
• Pyramids were funeral monuments to the
Pharaohs of The Old and Middle Kingdoms, and
the burial place of all the monarch's treasures
and household goods that they would need on
their journey to the afterlife.
• The shape of the pyramid represented the sun
and its rays descending to earth. Connected to
the sun God Amon Re.
• The first pyramid in Egypt; which is the famous
Step Pyramid of Saqqara.
• The stepped pyramid was built for king Zoser
(pharaoh of the third dynasty of the old
kingdom) by Imhotep

• Imhotep initially conceived of the tomb as a

large Mastaba of stone Dissatisfaction with
result led to stacking of mastaba, Result was
stepped pyramid with five sloping setbacks

• The steppe pyramid is the intermediate step

between mastaba and geometric pyramid
 STEPPED PYRAMID

204’

92’
• It rose 204 feet and was composed of 6 separate steps. The base of the pyramid is 358
by 411 feet and the steps, or layers, were constructed and faced with limestone.
• The substructure of the pyramid comprises a maze of tunnels and chambers, including
several burial chambers, 92’ down
• and to the north of the pyramid is a mortuary complex which encompassed a life-size
limestone statue of Djoser.
• Funeral complex consisted of palaces, temples &
stepped pyramid
• All surrounded by fence wall 33’ high
• Fence wall of funeral complex has breaking pattern of
200 projections/recessions
• False doors for use of Pharaoh’s Ka
• Entrance door leads to long hall with two rows of
columns; One of the 1st uses of columns in history.
• Columns designed to look like bundles of reeds… &
flutes
• In North Palace also
stone columns with capital
capitals Designed to look
like papyrus plant
Shaft
• Zoser’s funeral complex
designed as model of his
palace, city & kingdom
BENT PYRAMID

• Located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur,

approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, built
under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600
BC).

• The Bent Pyramid represents a transitional form

between step-sided and smooth-sided pyramids.
 BENT PYRAMID

43.35

54.52

• The Bent Pyramid rises from the desert at a 54-degree inclination, but the top section
(above 47 meters) is built at the shallower angle of 43 degrees, lending the pyramid its
very obvious 'bent' appearance.

• It has been suggested that due to the steepness of the original angle of inclination the
structure may have begun to show signs of instability during construction, forcing the
builders to adopt a shallower angle to avert the structure's collapse.
 THE PYRAMID AT GIZA

MYKERINUS CHEFRON CHEOPS

PYRAMID FOR QUEENS

 THE PYRAMID AT GIZA
• The best known of all three pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Giza, the burial place of
King Khufu (or Cheops), who lived around 2600 BCE.
• Until the 19th Century CE, the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure in the world.
• Historians estimate the number of the builders to be around 20,000 and it took more
than 20 years to build.
• It was originally 481 feet
high. Now, it has lost the
top 30 feet.

• The sides point to the 4

directions of the

481’
compass, and the length

450’
of each side at the base is
about 755 feet.
52

755’
• Two additional pyramids built at
Giza

• The Middle Pyramid was built

for Khufu's son: Khafre
(chefron). It was originally 471
feet high and the basis
measured 707 feet on each
side.

• The last of the 3 pyramid was

that of Menkaure, and its
height was about 218 feet, and
each side measured only 356
feet.

• The three together are referred to

as the Pyramids at Giza

• Three are aligned diagonally along the projection of the diagonal of the great pyramid

• The small pyramids close by were built for queens

• The pyramids also do not reach their original
heights because the outer casing of smooth
white limestone have been almost entirely
stripped-down, except perhaps for the Middle
Pyramid that still has on its uppermost point the
limestone layer that gives it its shine.
• The pyramids designed as part of a funeral
complex for burial of pharaoh. Complex consist
of three interconnected units:
• A valley temple by the river Nile where the
pharaoh’s body was embalmed
• A pyramid mortuary temple for rituals
• A long narrow causeway connecting the
two
• There were also solar barques buried around the
4 sides of the pyramids,
• and there were also other pyramids, smaller in
size, and mastabas where members of the royal
family were buried.
• Sphinx with the body of a lion and head of
Chefren (a son of Cheops)
DETAILS OF PYRAMID • Larger burial chamber known as the king’s
chamber built center of pyramid
• Chamber where the king was buried in his
Sarcophagus
• King’s chamber 35’ x17’ and 19’ high
• Another chamber built above it known as
queen’s chamber
• Both king & queen chamber connected to
the entrance on the north side
• Two air shafts connect king’s chamber to
outside for ventilation
• Once a king is buried, burial chamber used
to be sealed
PYRAMID CONSTRUCTION
• No accurate knowledge about the method of construction of
the pyramids
• Estimates vary:~ 100,000 men worked 3-4 months each year
for 30 years to build the pyramids. Paid in food, clothing and
drinks
• Limestone quarried from nearby --transported by lever
action
• The pyramids were in general a response to the vast desert
landscapes. For structures to be visible in the desert they
have to be of huge size

• After the Mykerinus period, the era of

pyramid construction ended
• More pyramids were built later but they were
smaller and less complex
• Later pharaohs could not afford the cost of
huge pyramid construction and
• Grave robbers learned how to break into and
steal the goods buried with pharaohs
 THE SPHINX
• Located in Giza is the great Sphinx with the body of a lion and
head of Chefren (a son of Cheops)
• It sits on the eastern side of the plateau apart from the
pyramids
• Reason for its construction is not clear
• It may have been carved to stand guard over the temple and
tomb of Chefren
 It was called " Horus of the Horizon“ and " Horus of the
Necropolis“ meaning the sun god that stands above the
horizon.
Dimensions of the Sphinx
Paws: 50’ long (15m)
Head: 30’ long (10m) 14’ wide (4m)
Entire Body: 150’ (45m)

 The Sphinx was carved from a single mass of

limestone.
 Age of the Sphinx: ~5,000 years old
 Dates from 4th Dynasty.
 ROCK-HEWN TOMBS
A rock-cut tomb is a burial chamber that is cut into an existing, naturally-occurring rock
formation, usually along the side of a hill. It was a common form of burial for the wealthy in
ancient times in several parts of the world.

Tombs, Beni hasan Tombs of the kings, Thebes

TOMBS, BENI HASAN
is an Ancient Egyptian cemetery site. It is located approximately 20 kilometers to the south
of modern-day Minya in the region known as Middle Egypt, the area between Asyut and
Memphis.[
TOMBS OF THE KINGS, THEBES
• The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from
the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful
nobles of the New Kingdom.
• The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor),
within the heart of the Theban Necropolis.
• In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of
Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), and is one of the most
famous archaeological sites in the world. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site,
along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis.
 EGYPTIAN CULT TEMPLE

• Egyptian temples were built for the official worship of

the gods and in commemoration of the pharaohs in ancient
Egypt and regions under Egyptian control.
• Within them, the Egyptians performed a variety of rituals.
• The most important part of the temple was the sanctuary,
which typically contained a cult image, a statue of its god.
• Their typical design consisted of a series of enclosed halls,
open courts, and entrance pylons aligned along the path
used for festival processions. Beyond the temple proper
was an outer wall enclosing a wide variety of secondary
buildings.
• Temples were key economic as well as religious centres.
 KARNAK TEMPLE
The most important god of the time was Amun, whose main cult centre,
the Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak in Thebes, eventually became the largest of all
temples.
Extending over an area of 1,200 feet by 360 feet,
and originally was connected with the Temple of
Luxor by an avenue of sphinxes, was not built on an
original plan, but owes its size, disposition and
magnificence to the additions of many later kings.

It has six pylons added in successive generations, a great

court measuring 338 feet by 275 feet, the great hypostyle
hall, and other halls, courts and a sanctuary.

 The hypostyle hall measures 338 feet by 170 feet. The roof
is supported by 134 columns in sixteen rows. The central
avenues are about 80 feet in height, and have columns 69
feet high and 11 3/5 feet in diameter, the capitals of which
are of the lotus blossom type. The side avenues are about 46
feet high and have columns 42 feet 6 inches in height and 9
feet in diameter, the Capitals being of the lotus bud type, on
which the clerestory light would fall.
 KARNAK TEMPLE
69’ high and 11’3” in diameter
42’6” high and 9’ in diameter

80’

46’
1200’

338’

360’
275 170

SECTIONAL VIEW
The impression produced on the spectator by the forest of columns is most awe inspiring,
and the eye is led from the smaller columns of the side avenues, which gradually vanish into
semi-darkness, giving an idea of unlimited size, to the larger columns of the central avenues
lighted by the clerestory, which is formed in the difference of height between the central
and side avenues, a form of lighting more fully developed in the Gothic period.

• Located at the northern end of the

town of luxor, karnak temple has three
main sacred areas that honour three
gods

• An avenue of sphinxes with curly-

horned rams’ heads leads to the
entrance to the first pylon. The sphinxes
represent a form of the sun god.
 The walls of the hall, the column shafts,
and the architraves are covered with
incised inscriptions, still retaining their
original colored decorations relating to the
gods and personages concerned in the
erection of the structure.
 OBELISK

PYLON

WRITE A SHORT NOTE ON OBELISK AND PYLON