Ancient and Egyptian Architecture

Name: Ancient and Egyptian Architecture
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Description: Ancient and Egyptian Architecture

Ancient and Egyptian Architecture
Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Topics Egyptian Civilization Egyptian Architectural Characteristics
Mastabas Saqqara Pyramid at Medum Khufu’s Pyramid at Giza Additional Giza Structures Characteristics Beni Hasan Mortuary Temples Middle Kingdom Mortuary Temples New Kingdom Mortuary Temples Egyptian Civil Architecture

Egyptian Civilization
Egypt and Mesopotamia are the earliest known recorded civilizations Nile River was the driving force for ancient Egypt Egyptians were obsessed with the afterlife and the dead These beliefs had a great impact on the culture and its architecture

Egyptian Civilization
Ancient Egyptian Periods: Old Kingdom (c – 2158 B.C.) Middle Kingdom (c – 1786 B.C.) New Kingdom (c – 1085 B.C.) Landscape Nile Valley cliffs provided a rich assortment of building stone Varieties include sandstone, granite, and alluvial clay for bricks

Egyptian Architectural Characteristics
Egyptians commonly imitated nature in their architecture In a historical sense, nature is a key element in architecture, no matter the culture Only recently has this process been neglected

Old Kingdom Architecture: Mastabas
First known Egyptian tombs Bench-shaped masses rising above 30 ft. Composed generally of sun-baked mud brick Featured sloping walls and a flat roof Burial chamber usually was surrounded by storage rooms Used to store goods for the deceased to take along their journey in the afterlife

Serdabs State chambers that featured an effigy of the deceased False doors were included to allow for the soul of the deceased to escape the structure Mastabas served as a model for the later Egyptian pyramids

Old Kingdom Architecture: Saqqara
Enormous funerary complex built by the Great King Zoser in 2750 B.C. Key features: Residence for the king in the afterlife (tomb) Replica of the royal palace Stage for the enactment for the rituals of kingship

Designed by Imhotep The first recorded architect in history Would later be considered a god by the Egyptians First conceived as a mastaba with huge stone blocks Unlike earlier mastabas which used mud-bricks

The complex was repeatedly enlarged over time Layers were added in an upward fashion These additions by Imhotep eventually created the first Egyptian pyramid Step pyramid Differs from the geometrically perfect pyramids (i.e. the Great Pyramids) Successive layers of smaller structure added upwards

Stands 204 ft. , present day Surrounded by a 33 ft. high wall Entrance Hall Columns are used to imitate the bundles of reeds found along the Nile Real reeds were commonly used to construct residential structures during this time

Photo: Sullivan

Old Kingdom Architecture: Pyramid at Medum
c – 2656 B.C. Demonstrates Egyptian attempts at building a steeped, rather than stepped pyramid Geometrically perfect pyramid Requires at least a 52° angle from the horizontal Outer layers were insufficiently supported Gave way to the immense pressure

Old Kingdom Architecture: Pyramid at Medum
Photo: Sullivan

Old Kingdom Architecture: Khufu’s Pyramid at Giza
The first successful steep pyramid Created by the great pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) Also known as the Great Pyramid Originally 482 ft. high on a plan of 760 ft. Modern scientists remain puzzled on its construction

Photo: Sullivan

Many scientists theorize its massive stone blocks were quarried and transported by large sleds and barges Blocks were then lifted atop ramps to be placed at higher levels Photo: Sullivan

Queen’s Chamber The original burial place Located underground, beneath the Great Pyramid King’s Chamber Replaced the original chamber Constructed within the pyramid itself Considered one of the finest examples of megalithic architecture in existence

Grand Gallery Grandiose passage leading from the entrance to the King’s Chamber Originally intended to be used only once, for the king’s burial

Old Kingdom Architecture: Additional Giza Structures
Chefren Followed the Great Pyramid in construction c B.C. Built for the pharaoh Chefren Smaller than the Great Pyramid Photo: Sullivan

Old Kingdom Architecture: Additional Giza Structures
Mycerinus Built after Chefren’s Pyramid c B.C. The last of the large Egyptian steep pyramids Photo: Sullivan

Middle and New Kingdom: Characteristics
Egyptian tombs return to below the ground Many tombs begin to appear in the cliffs of the Nile Valley Builders decide to sacrifice the monumentality of tombs for security from grave robbers Shaft tombs Long, underground corridors and chambers hollowed out of Nile Valley cliffs Little architectural significance

Middle and New Kingdom: Beni Hasan
125 miles upstream from Giza on the East bank of the Nile River Hollowed out of the Nile Valley cliffs Features: Colonnaded portico for public worship Combined chapel and effigy chamber

Middle and New Kingdom: Beni Hasan
Photo: Sullivan

Middle and New Kingdom: Mortuary Temples
Followed the decline of the pyramids and the concealment of burial chambers Developed into Egypt’s most important monumental form Funerary complexes set before the Old Kingdom pyramids are some of the most striking mortuary temples

Usually comprised of three interconnected parts: A temple near the Nile where the king’s body was embalmed A mortuary temple where rituals were performed A long, narrow causeway between thick walls connecting the two temples

Temple Complex of Khafre One of the most impressive preserved temple complex’s Photo: Sullivan

Middle and New Kingdom: Middle Kingdom Mortuary Temples
The Sphinx Represented the god Re-Harakthe on guard over the king’s tomb Contained an intricately constructed set of interiors Photo: Sullivan

Mortuary Complex of Mentuhotep II Located at the base of the cliff at Dier el Bahari The first monumental structure against the Nile Valley cliffs in Egyptian architecture Huge complex developed some 500 years after the decline of the pyramids

Photo: Sullivan

Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra Located next to the Mortuary Complex of Mentuhotep II Built some 500 years later Considered the “least Egyptian” of the Egyptian monuments Closest Egyptians ever came to the architecture of Classical Greece

Photo: Sullivan

Middle and New Kingdom: New Kingdom Mortuary Temples
Thebes Originally built in two locations on the East bank of the Nile River Known today as Karnak and Luxor Connected by great avenues of Sphinxes

Photo: Sullivan

Thebes Temple of Khons Erected around 1100 B.C. Original temple that other structures would be modeled after in the construction of Thebes Photo: Sullivan

Thebes Temple of Amun Features two giant obelisks that were created for visual accent to the structure Obelisks tested Egyptian builders to the full Great complexity, detail, and sheer size Created from two giant stones

Middle and New Kingdom: Egyptian Civil Architecture
Evidence shows that life in Egypt was somewhat secular Evidence of country houses and cities where trade flourished

Town of Tell el Amarna Early example of Egyptian urban planning Lies between Luxor and Cairo Features: Large estates for the wealthy Smaller houses for middle class Shows signs of slum areas

Photo: Sullivan

References Sullivan, Mary; http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/
Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Architecture

Ancient and Egyptian Architecture
Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Ancient and Egyptian Architecture

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