Abhishek K. Venkitaraman Assistant Professor

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURELECTURE 3

Egyptian Architecture

natural determinantstopography (location)

climatenatural resources, building materials and technology

man-made determinantstrade

political powerreligiondefensemobility

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

EGYPTIANCIVILIZATION

E g y p t – T i m e l i n e

1. Prehistoric Period, B.C. 23000-4777.

2. The Ancient Empire (Dynasties I.-X.), B.C. 4777-2821. The capital being at Memphis, the tombs of this period are atAbydos, Nakadeh, Memphis, Sakkara, Giza and Abusir.

3. The Middle Empire (Dynasties XI.-XVI.), B.C. 2821-1738. A prosperous period which includes the dynasties of the ‘Hyskos’ or shepherd kings.

4. The New Empire (Dynasties XVII.-XX.), B.C. 1738-950. This period had Thebes as the capital, and many imposingbuildings were erected at Karnak, Luxor, and elsewhere.

5. Period of Foreign Domination and the Late Egyptian Period (Dynasties XXVL--XXX.), B.C. 663 – 332 B.C. This period includes the Persian Domination.

6. The Graeco-Roman Period, B.C. 332 – 640 A.D:

i. Alexander the Great and Ptolemaic Period, B.C. 332-30.

ii. The Roman Period, B.C. 3O-A.D. 395.

iii. The Byzantine Period, A.D. 395-640.

8. Medieval Egypt (Mohammedan Period), A.D. 640-1517.

9. Modem Egypt

The Ten Commandments 1956

O v e r v i e wof A n c i e n tE g y p t i a n C i v i l i z a t i o n

LOCATION: Along the river Nile up to the Mediterranean Sea – A desert with a strip of fertile country

SOCIETY:• The areas were unified into one territory by the first Pharaoh around 3000 BCE.• Pharaoh was considered as a part God himself• The Pharaoh had absolute power over all political and religious decisions in the country, including complete control over the

army.• They favoured the execution of monumental works more than anything else.• The period of unification in Egypt can be split into three different kingdoms; the Old, Middle, and New.• Memphis was the capital of the Old Kingdom, while Thebes was the capital of the Middle and New Kingdoms

The

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NORTH CITY

CENTRAL CITY

SOUTH SUBURB

All the main settlements developed in a linear pattern along the River Nile, which was the primary resource.

“Just as life arose from the waters of the primeval sea, so the waters of the Nile gave birth to the pharaonic kingdom. A gift to the people of EgyptIts flood plain was an extensive oasis, a magnet for life -- human, plant and animal. Humans were drawn there because they could grow crops and settle into permanent villages. The annual flooding of the Nile deposited nutrient rich silt on the land, creating all the ingredients needed to support life and the growth of a great civilization.”The settlement of a town had to take two main considerations into mind The proximity to a water source and the height it was built above the flooding of the Nile.

A N C I E N T E M P I R E - P r e a n d e a r l y d y n a s t i c E g y p t

( 5500 - 3 0 5 0 B C )

MAIN FEATURES:• Different tribes evolved and hence cultures developed.• Naqada culture had developed as a very strong civilization in the Nile Valley• Made high quality ceramics, stone tools, and used copper.• Manufactured societal personal-use items, such as combs, small statues, painted pottery, high

quality decorative stone vases and jewellery made of gold, lapis lazuli and ivory• Use of written symbols that eventually developed into a full system of hieroglyphs for writing

the ancient Egyptian language

ARCHITECTURE:

• Royal tombs of first dynasty• Simple brick-lined rooms with wooden roof• Foods, wines bearing official seal were kept for after life• 3 chambers for family members.• 9 other chambers for servants.

Plan of Royal Tomb at Abydos (3200 BC)

E g y p t i a nS o c i e t y

• Bureaucrats were in charge of tracks of land on which poorer people or farmers lived.

• The bureaucrats were considerably richer than the peasants.

• Farmers were taxed by the bureaucrats.• Peasants made up a large portion of the

population.• All foreigners were considered enemies.

Social structureInfluenced the city planning & Architecture

E g y p t i a nS o c i e t y

• The Nile River flooded the fields every year at the same time, after harvesting season, and when it receded, it left behind fine silt – Cultivation by farmers

• Domesticated animals were used to pull ploughs• Crops like barley were planted because they would withstand the harsh sun.• Irrigation canals were dug from the river to the fields as well• Grain and other non-perishable goods were stored for drought• Dikes were built on the sides of the Nile to protect villages and farmland from

over-flooding• Papyrus plants that grew on the coast were used to make sails, ropes, and

paper• They were also hunters and fishermen.• Specialized in crafts such as tool-making, architecture, and trades.• The Egyptians developed stone tools, and made bricks out of mud and clay• The creation of the Pyramids, Sphinx, and other fantastic temples not only

represented the amazing advances in technology and science made by the Egyptians, but art as well

C u l t u r e

• People believed that life was made up of continuous cycles, like

the flooding of the river

• Their religion was based on nature around them, and the Pharaoh

was their link to the gods

• Religion stressed preparing for the afterlife; those who could

afford it were wrapped in linens (called mummification) and buried

in elaborately decorated sarcophaguses - tombs filled with their

possessions and wealth.

• The Pharaohs were buried beneath the most elaborate

archaeological tombs

Each successive Pharaoh was free to spend his reigning life on earth preparing his tomb for the life after death in a different location from that of his predecessor.

R e l i g i o n

• A close connection between religion and architecture.

• The priesthood was powerful, possessed of almost unlimited authority, and equipped with all the learning possible

• The religious rites were traditional, unchangeable and mysterious

• A very high degree of learning in astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy

• The remains of their literature have been preserved in the papyrus scrolls

• Monotheistic in theory but polytheistic in practice

• A multiplicity of gods was created by personifying natural phenomena,such as the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the creation

• Strong beliefs in an afterlife; hence preservation of the dead, and the building of everlasting monuments like the Pyramids

E c o n o m y

• No real money• Trading system based on grain and coins made of silver and copper.• Trade routes were developed between neighbors like Aegean islands, Nubia and Canaan.• Good timber was obtained from Lebanon.• Minerals such as Obsidian and lapis lazuli were imported from Anatolia and Afghanistan.

NEW LANDMARKS IN ARCHITECTURE AND CITY

PLANNING

EGYPTIAN TOWN PLANNING

• SECURITY• ECONOMICS• ELEVATIONS, KEPT ABOVE THE SLOWLY RISING PLAINS.

• WHEN OLD HOUSES CRUMBLED, NEW ONES WERE BUILT ON TOP OF THE DEBRIS.

•Didn’t continue to occupy the same site

•No economic necessity, to take advantage of the enormous economic capital investment of walls

• Each successive Pharaoh had the freedom to spend his reigning life on earth preparing his tomb for after-life.

• Less time to settle down in each place• Most permanent building materials were used in temple or tomb construction

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations.

Tombs

• Mastabas• Pyramids

• Tombs consisted of a main chamber surrounded by storage rooms with provisions for a lavish lifeafter death

A N C I E N T E M P I R E - P r e a n d e a r l y d y n a s t i c E g y p t( 5500 - 3 0 5 0 B C )

T h e O l d K i n g d o m( 3 0 5 0 - 2 0 8 6B . C . E )

T h e O l d K i n g d o m( 3 0 5 0 - 2 6 8 6B . C . E )

MAIN FEATURES:

• Capital city was at Memphis

• Large work force having a population of several millions

• Abundance of stones like red granite, white marble, black basalt and

sand stone

ARCHITECTURE:

• 41 meters high Obelisk near Aswan

• Material used is Red Granite

National capitals – Memphis and Thebes• National capital / administrative centres

– most important towns• Memphis – Capital of Northern Egypt• Thebes – Capital of Southern Egypt

On east bank of Nile, houses Temple of Luxor, Temple complex at Karnak with the great temple of Amun (c.1991-785 BC)

Right across on west bank, was the Necropolis of Thebes – Tomb of Tutankhamun

On the fertile west bank of Nile

Numerous temples and palaces, and pyramid complex of Sakkara (step – pyramid os Djoser)

A BC ED

F G H

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Memphis

Thebes

Thebes. General plan showing principal urban areas.

T h e O l d K i n g d o m- A r c h i t e c t u r e

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES:• Tombs• Temples• Mortuary Complex• Mastabas and evolution of Pyramids from them

AVAILABLE BUILDING MATERIALS:• Mud, reeds, palm trunks, bricks and stone, mainly Limestone (in

northern region)• Sandstone and granite was available in abundance in central

andsouthern regions respectively.

A very distinct reminiscence of the primitive reeds tied together at intervals, and crowned with the lotus bud, is found in the later granite column and capital.

To m b s d u r i n g M i d d l e E m p i r e – M a s t a b a s a n d R o c k – C u t To m b s

• In the Middle Empire tombs were either of the Pyramidal form, as at Abydos, or were rock-cut, as in the vertical cliffs bounding the Nile valley.

Dwelling house – Mere temporary lodging ; Tomb – Permanent abode

Mummy – Embalmed corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burialThe ‘Ka’ was a spiritual double, born with every man and lived on after he died aslong as it had a place to live. Hence tombs had a statue of Ka.

M a s t a b a

• Ancient form of Tombs – Flat roofed rectangular structure with sloping sides

• Mastaba – Arabic word for ‘bench of mud’• Probably derived from heaps of stones piled up over

earlier mummy holes• Design and decoration on the tombs• Standard type of tombs for the Pharaohs and also the

social elite• Brickwork

3100 BC

EVOLUTION OF PYRAMIDS

•At first priests & high ranking officials came to be buried in tombs that were known as mastabas. Most of them had many storage chambers for storing all types of goods needed in the next life. However, due to frequent thefts, an under ground tomb known as the stairway mastaba came to be preferred. The picture above shows the early mastabas at Giza with false doors & other safety devices.

M a s t a b a– F u r t h e re v o l u t i o n

• These were rectangular structures, with sides sloping at an angle of 75 degrees, and having flat roofs

• They were divided into three parts:

III.

I. The outer chamber, in which were placed the offerings to ‘Ka’, having its walls decorated with representations of festival and other scenes

II. Inner secret chamber, known as the ‘serdab’, containing statue of Ka and other items- grains, clothes, jewellery, etcA shaft of great depth, leading to the chamber containing the sarcophagus with its mummy

E x a m p l e - M a s t a b ao f T h y, S a k k a ra

• Well preserved and restored.• Thy was a royal architect and manager of pyramids in 5th dynasty.• It consists of a small vestibule, beyond which is a large court

where offerings to the deceased took place, and from which a mummy shaft led through a passage to a tomb chamber

• The masonry of this tomb is carefully jointed and covered with flat reliefs.

• The decorative reliefs represent harvest operations, shipbuilding scenes, scenes representing the arts and crafts of the period, the slaughtering of sacrificial animals, and Thy himself sailing through the marshes in a boat with papyrus plants surrounding

M o r t u a r yC o m p l e xo f D j o s e r ( a t S a k k a ra )

A r o u n d 2 6 3 0 B . C . E

• Pharaoh Djoser – capital city of Memphis• Burial site changed from Abydos to Sakkara• Imhotep – Architect, Astronomer, High Priest• Low Mastabas were no longer considered to be worthy

of Pharaohs• Hence- Original Mastaba was covered with a stone super

structure• Expanded again into a 60 m high structure (6 steps)• Complex consisted of courtyards and temples

M o r t u a r yC o m p l e xo f D j o s e r

• The temple is situated at the north face of the step pyramid, whereas in later pyramids it is on the east side.

• Orientation to 4 cardinal directions• Light Tura limestone• Roofed colonnade leading to court• Fluted stone columns

ZOSER’S STEPPED PYRAMID AT SAKKARA

The step pyramid of pharaoh Zoser was an intermediate stage in the evolution of the pyramid. Its architect Imhotep built it in stages. It was started as a square, solid mastaba, but a series of extensions made it into a six stepped pyramid with a rectangular ground-plan.

The Zoser complex is rectangular in plan & the enclosure wall measuring 549m x 274m &rises to a height of 9m. The old structure was an under ground burial chamber, which was extended to a 25’ht rectangular base. In the 2nd stage it grew into a step pyramid with 4stages. Later 2 more stages were added to make it a 6 tiered pyramid. The entire complex is built of tura limestone including the offering chapel.

S t e p P y ra m i d a t S a k k a ra

A r o u n d 2 6 3 0 B . C . E

Ka statue of Djoser

P y ra m i d a t M e y d u m

A p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 5 0 0B . C .

E

• Snefru – 4th Dynasty, 2613 – 2589 BCE• Started a step faced faced pyramid at Meydum –

Influenced by the Step Pyramid of Djoser• The first Egyptian pyramid with an above ground burial

chamber

• The structure of this pyramid represents the efforts toraise the chamber to be closer to the Sun God Ra

• The burial chamber could be accessed through a sloping shaft

• Interior structure of arch-like walls within the burialchambers

• Now collapsed under its own weight

• Work was abandoned after 15 years

T h e B e n t P y ra m i d ,D a h s h u r

• Constructed at Dahshur• Originally planned to be 150 m high• The ground started giving away under part of it• The angle of the slop had to be change and hence the bend• 2 chambers with separate entrances• After this failure, Snerfu asked the builders to return to the Meydum

Step Pyramid –• A layer was added to transform it into a true pyramid

T h e B e n t P y ra m i d ,D a h s h u r

C o m p a r i s o n o f S c a l e so f P y ra m i d s

• The Giza pyramid complex, on the outskirts of Cairo is considered to be the only remaining monument of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It consists of the great pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), the pyramid of Chephren (Khafre), the smaller pyramid of Mykerinus (Menkaure), the great Sphinx & other valley pyramids & offering chapels. These 3 pyramids are a testimony to the engineering skills of the ancient Egyptians.

THE GREAT PYRAMIDS AT GIZA

• The Great pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) is the largest & about 760’ square in plan, rising to a height of 480’, & covers an area of 13 acres. The 4 sides facing the cardinal points of the compass are nearly equilateral triangles, making an angle of 52 deg. with the ground. Of the 3 pyramids the original polished limestone casing is seen at the base of the Cheops pyramid, the top of the Chephren pyramid, but not on the Mykerinus.

•The most astonishing fact in the construction of the pyramids is - how did the Egyptians manage to raise these enormous blocks of stone, weighing 2.5 tons & measuring 8’x8’x8’ each, to a height of 480’ ?. One of the theories is that ramps were built of mud brick & rubble on which the stone blocks were dragged on sledges to the required height. Another theory suggests that first a step pyramid was carved out of an existing mountain to form the core, around which the ramps were built in a concentric fashion to raise the stone blocks to each stage & fill up the steps to form the pyramidical shape. Finally the pyramid was finished off by adding a casing of tura limestone, as shown below.

•The entrance on the north side is 47’ 6” above the ground (Z), opens into a passage that descends downwards leading to the subterranean chamber, about 60’ below GL, which was subsequently abandoned as a burial chamber. Midway from the descending passage an ascending passage was cut into the rock that leveled off after a certain height, leading to the Queens chamber, which was discarded. Finally a grand gallery of about 7’ width, tapering by corbelled courses of stone to a width of 3’ 6” at a height of 28’, was built that led to the Kings chamber, entirely constructed with granite. It measures 34’ 6”x 17’x 19’ ht, is roofed by 5 enormous blocks of stone & capped by 2 stones in an embryonic arch. The chamber is sealed off by stone portcullises, weighing 50 tons each, fitted into recesses cut in the rock. An air shaft of 8”x8” connects to the exterior for the Ka (spirit) to escape.

• The section above clearly shows the descending corridor leading to the subterranean chamber, the ascending corridor leading to the Queens chamber & the grand gallery leading to the Kings chamber in the Great pyramid of Cheops.

• The section on the right is through the Kings chamber showing the roofing by massive slabs of stone at 6 levels. The grand gallery & the ante chamber that would seal the entrance by accommodating the portcullises can also be seen.

• The external casing of limestone has entirely disappeared in the Cheops pyramid, excepting some parts around the base. The smaller pyramids of the nobility can be seen in the background & Idu’s tomb can be seen in the fore ground.

• The pyramid of Chephren (Khafre) is built next to the Great pyramid of Cheops, as he is the son & successor. The Chephren pyramid is actually 10’ shorter & 46’ more narrow at the base than the Cheops pyramid. But it looks taller than the great pyramid because it is built on higher ground. The slope of the pyramid is 53 degrees.

• The top of the Chephren pyramid has retained the original limestone casing. There are 2 entrances located one above the other at a height of 50’, that lead to a large limestone chamber through a descending passageway. The lower corridor directly below the upper corridor joins after a distance & leads to the inner chamber which is lined with granite.

• This is a reconstructed diagram of the pyramid of Chephren with its causeway connecting to the valley temple, the pyramid of Cheops & the surrounding environs.

S p h i n x

• An Egyptian Sphinx had the head of a king, a hawk, a ram (or more rarely a woman) on the body of a lion

• The Great Sphinx, which represents a recumbent lion with the head of a man, was excavated in 1816 in Pyramid complex of Giza, near Cairo

• Exact date unknown

• Height – 64 ft• Length – 188 ft• Face is 13 ft 6 inches wide• Mouth is 8 ft 6 inches long

• The walls in the tomb were painted in Egyptian art and can be seen in

modern Museums on tiles and pottery

• The writing system developed by the Egyptians was called Hieroglyphics,

which consisted of a variety of pictograms and some phonetic syllables.

• In Egypt, women had more rights than their Mesopotamian counterparts.

They were able to own business' and were not bound to men.

Temple districts     •Temple districts were better

planned.

• The outlay of individual temples was basically symmetrical.

•Walls surrounded them.

•At hotep-senusret :- a) the brick wall was on three sides of the temple Was 12 metres thick and lined with limestone.     Avenues leading through the city to the temple district were wide, suitable for processions.

Temple districts

   

• The temple complexes had extensive storage space

• The thickness of the brick wall lined with limestone hotep senusret (kahun) was about 12 metres .

• Its height must have been correspondingly great.

• When walls were built completely of stone, their thickness could be reduced, but they were still quite massive. • Paved street five metres wide was discovered.

• Pavement of streets was restricted to the temple complexes • Temples were surrounded by an empty space

• Over time houses were built right up to the outer temple walls. • Houses decayed and were rebuilt many times , result that the

ground level of the residential area rose

• The temples which, being built of stone, were not periodically rebuilt, seemingly sank into the ground.

•The detail plan of the Ammon temple shows the 4 pylons leading to the sanctuary, which has been mostly destroyed. However, the plan shows the 6 pairs of central columns in the hypostyle hall with 126 (9 rows x 7 lines x 2 sides) shorter columns on either side.

• The top view shows the view of the great court with the temple of Seti I.

• The bottom view shows another part of the court with the north gate in the middle.

• The row of columns near the enclosure wall have bud capitals & the 2nd pylon can be partially seen on the right.

• The great hypostyle hall is about 320’ x 160’ internally & is roofed by enormous slabs of stone, supported by 138 columns. The roof of the central avenue is raised to a height of 80’ with the columns itself rising to 69’ ht & having a diameter of 11’ 9” with lotus bloom capitals. The side avenues are lower in order to admit light through clear storey windows with the columns rising to 42’ ht and 9’ diameter, having lotus bud capitals. The effect produced by this forest of columns is most awe-inspiring.

• The 2 views above show the columns of the central avenue with lotus bloom capitals & the columns of the side avenues with lotus bud capitals. The clear storey windows through which light was brought to the interior of the temple can also be seen.

• This picture clearly shows the clear storey windows made of stone located above the roofing of the side avenues & the columns of the central avenue with hieroglyphics.

• Not much of the actual sanctuary remains today as can be observed from the picture on the top.

• However all the walls & columns were covered with incised inscriptions in colour giving the history of the temple, the names of the gods to whom it was dedicated & the royal people who contributed to its grandeur.

• The picture below shows the festival hall of Thutmose III, which was constructed during the last period. The column capitals & shafts resemble bundled reeds of papyrus and look more elegant.

• They are also considered to be the fore runners of the fluted columns of the Greek.

• The awesome effect of perspective & monumental scale produced by the forest of columns in the hypostyle hall can be observed from the picture on the left. The obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, located between the 4th & 5th pylon rises to height of 30m.

• This is the view of the Ammon temple from across the sacred lake that shows the ruined condition of the sanctuary. The obelisks erected by Thutmose I & queen Hatshepsut can also be seen.

• The great temple at Abu simbel is one of the most stupendous of Egyptian rock-cut tombs. The impressive façade, 119’ wide & 100’ high, is formed as a pylon with 4 colossal statues of Ramesses II, who built it. The vestibule beyond has 8 Osiris pillars & vividly colored wall relief's. Eight small chambers used for storage adjoin this vestibule. Beyond it is a small hypostyle hall with 4 pillars that leads to the sanctuary having altar.

• The Temple at Edfu is the best preserved since it was built during the last period. The massive entrance pylons with relief sculptures leading to the colonnaded great court & the hypostyle hall with its façade of pillars can be seen in these 4 pictures.

The Temple at Edfu

Palaces

   

The whole compound was enclosed and separate from the rest of the capital, Albeit close to suppliers of services, temples and the seat of the administration

   

Workers' dwellings

   

 The houses of the workmen had two to four rooms on the ground floor (44 and 60 m²)

• access to the flat roof, which was used as living and storing space.• The houses abutting the inner wall on the eastern side were bigger, having up to seven rooms. •Some of the dwellings had conical granaries on the ground floor. The doorways were arched

•Traces of brick barrel-vaulting have been found on supporting walls.

•Roofs were made of wooden planks supported by beams and plastered over with mud.    

Deir-el-medina: Worker’s villages

Comparative Plans of Houses

   

The Great Houses

   

    The Great Houses covered about 2700 m² each and served as offices and living quarters for the high officials in charge of the construction work and their families. There were four almost identical houses and one differently built one north of the street and another three with a completely different ground plan south of it.

    After the pyramid had been built and the officials had left, people began to take over their houses, adapting them to their own needs by walling up entrances and creating new walls and passages. 

   

The Great Houses

   

The layout of one of the northern Great Houses 1 Main entrance2 Doorkeeper's lodge3 Offices, guest rooms4 Pillared hall5 Private quarters6 The mandara, i.e. reception room for strangers7 Open courtyard8 Best hall, with columns and tank9 Private rooms10 Visitors' passage to the mandara11 Women's hall12 Women's quarters13 Store rooms

   

What was meant to be the Home for the Pharaoh after his death is One of the major tourist attractions today….

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