Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Architectural Ideas
Ancient Egyptians viewed earthly dwellings as temporary They paid little attention to house construction The tomb was seen as a permanent dwelling for the afterlife Tremendous effort was exerted in tomb construction The mummified dead body was buried in a stone box called sarcophagus in the tomb
Lets Recap
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Architectural Ideas
Believed a dead person needs all her/his worldly goods Tomb usually packed w/ all the treasures of dead person If anything cannot be provided, it is painted on the walls of the tomb
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Architectural Ideas Tombs also have charms to protect dead person & her/his property Dead buried in cities of the dead, called Necropolis located in desert
During the old Kingdom, the pharaoh and his court lived in Memphis
When they died they were buried at the Necropolis at Saqqara The earthly dwelling of the ancient Egyptians was seen as temporary and the tomb as a permanent dwelling
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, the people dug deeper In the end they built a bench-like structure over graves to create first burial structure called Mastaba
Above ground the Mastaba is a large bench of sun-baked bricks rising 9 meters high
It had a flat top and slanting walls
The earliest royal tombs were decorated with painted patterns in brilliant colors
Early Kingdom Tombs Mastaba 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 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
Some mastabas had fence walls, and chambers for burial of servants Mastaba served as an embryo for the evolution of the pyramid
Early Kingdom Tombs Steppe Pyramid King Zoser (Djoser) was the powerful pharaoh of the third dynasty of the old kingdom The steppe pyramid was built for king Zoser by Imhotep It was built as a funeral complex in the necropolis at Saqqara Imhotep initially conceived of the tomb as a large Mastaba of stone
Fence wall of funeral complex has breaking pattern of ~200 projections/recessions Fourteen were larger than the others & 13 out of the fourteen had false doors False doors for use of Pharaohs Ka
Zosers funeral complex designed as model of his palace, city & kingdom
Shape of pyramid suggests stairway to the sky to join the sun God Amon Ra
After the stepped pyramids, there were several attempt at building a pure geometric pyramid Among the prominent attempts:
pyramid at Medun two pyramids built by Snefru at Dashur
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 The pyramids were also a product of the will to achieve immortality by the pharaohs Pyramids are the everlasting home of the pharaohs ka
More pyramids were built later but they were smaller and less complex
Later pharaohs could not afford the cost of huge pyramid construction Grave robbers learned how to break into and steal the goods buried with pharaohs End of the Old Kingdom therefore marked the end of the great era of Egyptian pyramid construction.
Focus in architectural development was however still on tombs and burial chambers Two categories of structures came into use- mortuary temples and underground tombs
Mortuary temples served as place for burial and worship of pharaohs Temples dedicated to Gods were also located in them Mortuary temples owe origin to pyramid funeral complex, particular the valley and pyramid temples Underground tombs became popular because of the belief that they could not be robbed Many powerful and wealthy pharaohs and nobles carved tombs directly into rock cliffs and underground during the Middle and New kingdoms Most of the tomb and burial chamber construction was carried out at Del Al Bahari
Rock cut tombs are tombs that are carved out of rocks
Many of theses are found along the cliff of the Nile A very good example is the Rock cut tomb at Beni Hassan
The columns on the exterior were shaped like a prism with 8 or 16 sides
The columns in the interior were designed as a bundle of reed tied together by rope
Shaft tombs were a complex series of underground corridors and rooms cut out of the mountains in the valley of the King at Del-Al-Bahari Large # of rooms & complicated arrangement deliberate--to create a maze or puzzle
This is designed to make it difficult for robbers to determine where a dead person is buried A dead pharaoh or nobleman is buried in one of the many underground rooms Once the burial is finished, the entrance is sealed permanently and hidden from everybody
Plants consist of readily available material like reeds, papyrus and palm ribs and shaft Timber was available in limited quantity; used for roofing Clay was used for construction either as for frame construction or as sun dried brick Stone was not much used during the early period of ancient Egyptian civilization It became popular after the 3rd dynasty of the Early Kingdom and was used for tombs and temples
Construction system in ancient Egypt reflected the availability of materials Two construction systems were predominant: Adobe construction and post and beam construction Adobe construction took the form of clay on vegetable material or sun dried brick construction This construction was reserved for houses and other buildings of daily life These buildings are supposed to last for only a generation
Egyptian monumental construction is mainly of a post and beam style This is expressed mainly in pyramids, tombs and temples Columns are designed to look like plant material Their shaft resemble bundles of plant stems tied together Their capitals are derived from the lotus bud or the papyrus flower or the palm leave Great importance was attached to relief carving and it was an integral part of the architecture
The true arch was not extensively used in ancient Egypt The principle was however known Construction in Egypt took place during the period of floods It took 30 years to build a pyramid with a team of 100,000 men working three to four months during the floods
The Most important compositional principle in ancient Egypt is linearity and axial organization Linearity means organization along a line, while axial organization means that there is a defined axis running through the whole composition Almost all the predominant monuments have a linear & axial organization These include the pyramid funerary complexes, the mortuary & cult temples
Egyptian architecture also displays an understanding and application of geometry in design This is noticeable in the pyramids at Giza All the three main pyramids are Geometrical pyramids A geometric pyramid has a square base and 52 inclination of its sides All the pyramids are also aligned in a straight line along their axes This could only have been achieved with the understanding of geometry
Architecture in ancient Egypt also displays understanding of the principle of Harmony and contrast Example of this reflected in pyramids at Giza The color and material of the pyramid create a harmony between the pyramids and the desert The form and shape of the pyramids however contrast sharply with the smooth undulating desert
This understanding is also displayed in the temples of Mentuhotep and Hatshepsut A double row of columns used to front the lower and upper terraces create a harmony with the rugged background of the mountain cliffs The terraces of the temples are however in sharp contrast with the mountainous nature of the environment The temples appear like an island of peace in a rugged and violent environment
Ancient Egyptian architecture can only be understood by also looking at the environment in which it is located Egypt is essentially located in a desert and the desert is empty space For anything to be visible and considered monumental, it must match the scale of the desert This understanding may have influenced the architects of ancient Egypt to focus on building and creating the massive buildings that we have studied
The Nile had an important influence in the linearity and axiality of ancient Egyptian Architecture
The Sphinx
Located in Giza is the great Sphinx with the body of a lion and head of Chefren Reason for its construction is not clear A theory holds that it was produced from leftover material It may also have been carved to stand guard over the temple and tomb of Chefren
The Sphinx
Originally commissioned by Kaphre<Chefren> (a son of Cheops) Constructed from a single piece of stone <bedrock> weighing hundreds of tons bedrock found within the Valley of Giza. Age of the Sphinx: ~5,000 years old
The Sphinx
Archeologists and historians found many pictures of the Sphinx drawn with wings, the body of a lion and ox, and the face of man
Theories: Muhammad Saim al-Dahr British Turks Napoleon Bonaparte Mamluks
1867
1925
restoration
The Sphinx
MAJOR WORKS
Major 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 @ Beni Hasan New Kingdom 5. Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut 6. Temple of Amen-Mut-Khonsu @ Luxor 7. Temple of Amun @ Karnak 8. Temple of Rameses II @ Abu Simbel 9. Mortuary Complex of Rameses III @ Medinet Habu 10.Temple of Horus @ Edfu 3200 - 2258 BC 2650 BC 2575 BC 2530 BC 2500 BC 2134 - 1570 BC 1975 - 1800 BC 1570 - 1085 BC 1500 BC @ Deir el-Bahari by Senmut 1390 - 1260 BC 1314 - 1200 BC 1257 BC 1198 - 1166 BC 322 BC
Team Prompts 1
1. Analyze the evidence supporting the claim that Ancient Egyptians used a concrete-like mixture in constructing some segments of the pyramids. 2. Discuss the evidence/arguments refuting the above claims. 3. Make the best case for either side.
FOR FULL CREDIT, BE SPECIFIC IN CITING EVIDENCE/SUPPORT FROM THE READING.
Team Prompts 2
1. Discuss the significance of the Nile river in the development of the Egyptian civilization. 2. What was the significance of -- and discoveries at -- Kom elAhmar (Greek name: Hierakonpolis) 'the Red Mound'.
FOR FULL CREDIT, BE SPECIFIC IN CITING EVIDENCE/SUPPORT FROM THE READING.
EACH PROMPT RESPONSE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF FOUR COMPLETE AND DETAILED SENTENCES, FILLED WITH SPECIFICITY FROM THE SOURCES AND REFLECTING INSIGHT AND ANALYTICAL THOUGHTNOT MERELY SUPERFICIAL GENERALITIESTHANK YOU!
Team Prompts
1. Analyze the evidence supporting the claim that Ancient Egyptians used a concrete-like mixture in constructing some segments of the pyramids.
2. Discuss the evidence/arguments refuting the above claims. 3. Make the best case for either side.
FOR FULL CREDIT, BE SPECIFIC IN CITING EVIDENCE/SUPPORT FROM THE READING.
Important Notes Below
EACH PROMPT RESPONSE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF FOUR COMPLETE AND DETAILED SENTENCES, FILLED WITH SPECIFICITY FROM THE SOURCES AND REFLECTING INSIGHT AND ANALYTICAL THOUGHTNOT MERELY SUPERFICIAL GENERALITIESTHANK YOU!