History of Architecture-I

Egyptian Architecture

Semester-I
18.09.2018

Varish Panchal
Assistant Professor
Amity School of Architecture and Planning
The early river civilizations:

• Egyptian
• Mesopotamian
• Indus
 Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age

3100 B.C. 30 B.C.

Egyptian Civilization
 Three kingdoms of ancient Egypt:
Ancient/Old Kingdom
Dynasties • 1st – 10th Dynasty
Capital/Location • Thinis, Memphis, Herakleopolis
Ruler/Pharaoh • Narmer, Djoser, Snefru, Khufu
Structures • Mastabas, Step pyramids,
The Pyramids
Power Struggles, Crop failures,
Cost of pyramids contributed to
the collapse of Old Kingdom
30 Dynasties
Middle/Intermediate Kingdom
• 11th – 17th Dynasty
• Thebes, Itjtawy, Avaris
• Mentuhetep, Senusret, Amenemhat
• Temple of Karnak
Large drainage project created
arable farmland. Trade with
middle east was established.
Problems of corruptions and
rebellion within.
Invasion by other kingdoms
Later/New Kingdom
• 18th – 30th Dynasty
• Abydos, Amarna, Thebes, Memphis
• Hatshepsut, Rameses I & II
• Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor Temple
Temple of Abu Simbel
Pharaohs became more
powerful as their empire grew.
Trade was encouraged.
Expanded till Euphrates and
then Persia.
Egyptian power declined.
Social structure:
Culture:

• Egyptian aristocratic culture focused on preparation of life after death

• Dead body had to be preserved to house the spirit
• Preservation of bodies through mummification and providing goods for
afterlife were considered essential
• Developed a language to write and keep records: Hieroglyphics; These
were pictorial representations of religion, history and daily life which
had decorative purpose as well.
Egyptian structures:

Category of Egyptian Structures:

• Tombs and funerary complexes

• Temples

• Fortresses

• Dwellings

• Obelisks
Evolution of tomb structures:

Developed from small and inconspicuous to huge an imposing

Matabas:

• Early old kingdom aristocratic and royal burial structures built with mud bricks
• First type of Egyptian tomb
• Rectangular flat-topped funerary mound, covering a burial chamber below
ground which was connected by shaft.
• Structure above the ground were relatively low.
• Inward sloping walls (sloping at an angle of 75 degrees)
• Exteriors were plain and undecorated
• Interiors were decorated with texts and images, illustrating scenes from the
daily life of the deceased, offering scenes and ritual hunt scenes
 Matabas:

Parts:
• Stairway with 2 doors: one for ritual, second
was a false door for spirits
• Three major parts:

Outer Chamber:
o Chapel
o Offering room with Stelae (stone with
name of deceased inscribed)
o Offering table

Inner secret Chamber:

o Also known as Serdab
o Contains statue of deceased

Sarcophagus:
o Chamber containing the Egyptian
coffin
o Reached by an under-ground shaft
The Step Pyramid:
• The earliest example of Pyramids and first large-scale monument in stone
• It is an enormous mass rising six steps having an almost flat top
• Built in Saqqara by the chancellor of Djoser, Imhotep who erected this
funerary monument in 3rd dynasty
• Also called as the Step Pyramid or Step Mastaba.
• The first to be built of local stone faced with limestone
• Height: 200 feet, Base: 358 x 397 feet.
• Came in complexes
Boundary wall:
• Pyramid dominates a complex of buildings
surrounded by a massive bastioned enclosure
wall within a rectangular space making it an
articulated facade.
• Height: 33 feet
• Of the fourteen gateways that interrupt the
rhythm of the bastions on the enclosure wall,
only one is the true entrance.
The Bent Pyramid:

• Also known as the Southern pyramid of Sneferu.

• The name Bent pyramid derives from the clear break in
the slope about half way up. Instead of continuing the
angle of slope of 54 degrees at the base of the pyramid
upwards to the apex, a sudden change to an angle of
42 degrees appears.
• Suggested that this was due to the pyramid having to
be finished in a hurry.
• Height: 318 feet, Base: 618 feet
• The original Tura Limestone casing is the best
preserved of all the Pyramids.
• It is unique also in having two separate entrances.
 The Great Pyramids of Giza:

• The pyramids at Giza were in built in 4th Dynasty

• King Kheops (Khufu), Khephren (Khafre) and
Mycerinus (Menkaure) had their tombs built on this
plateau.
 The Great Pyramids of Giza:

• Each complex comprised

o A pyramid sheltering the royal vault
o A funerary temple (upper temple) attached to the
eastern face of the pyramid
o A reception (lower temple) at the foot of the plateau.
These were linked by a long passage (causeway).
o Mastaba tombs
o Smaller subsidiary pyramids in which members of
the royal family & officials were buried.
 The Great Pyramids of Giza:

Mortuary Temples:
• Next to the great pyramid there is a mortuary
temple.
• It is believed that this temple was where
offerings were left, and daily rituals were
carried out for the king.

Causeway:
• The causeway was a long walkway that joined
the valley temple and the mortuary temple.
• Had walls decorated with painted reliefs
The Great Pyramids of Giza: Key Plan:

Pyramid of Khufu

Legend:
A - King's Chamber with relieving chambers above
B - Queen's Chamber
C - subterranean chamber
D - air shafts
E - Grand Gallery
F - horizontal passage
G - ascending passage
H - descending passage
I - entrance
J - enclosure wall
K - two southern boat pits
L - boat pits
M - eastern boat pits
N - mortuary temple
O - cult pyramid
P - Queen's pyramids
Q - causeway
 The Great Pyramids of Giza: Key Plan:

Pyramid of Khufu

• The highest ever built by the Egyptians which

marked the climax of this development.
• Original Height: 480 feet, Base: 755 feet,
Slope: 51 degrees 56’.
• Built of local stone on a core of rock with
casing blocks of Tura limestone.
• Its construction took over two million large
blocks of limestone.
The Great Pyramids of Giza:
Pyramid of Khufu
 The Great Pyramids of Giza:
Pyramid of Khafre

• Second pyramid built for Khephren (Khafre), a

successor of King Kheops.
• Height: 470 feet, Base: 706 feet, Slope: 52 degrees 20’
• Built of massive blocks of limestone faced inside and
out with slabs of polished red granite.
• Lost its roof and its outer granite facing, but inside walls
and supports are more or less intact up to ceiling level.
• At the side of this temple a huge sphinx has been
carved in the rock of the plateau here used as a quarry.
• Length: 187 feet, Height: 66 feet

Key Plan:
 The Great Pyramids of Giza:

Pyramid of Mycernae

• The smallest pyramid in the Giza complex.

• Height: 203 feet, Base: 355 feet, Slope: 51 degrees
• Built of massive blocks of limestone faced inside and
out with slabs of polished red granite.

Key Plan:
Egyptian Temples:
• Ancient Egyptian temples were aligned with
astronomically significant events, such as solstices and
equinoxes.
• Required precise measurements at the moment of the
Mortuary Temples
particular event.
• Measurements at the most significant temples may • Were part of the Royal
have been ceremonially undertaken by the Pharaoh burials/Pyramids and thus were
himself located near tombs
• Entire temple was surrounded by windowless walls • Created as shrines for the dead
• Within the temple, light and shadow were important kings/pharaohs in honour to worship
features them
• Two major types of temples, though the types had most
features common like: Cult Temples
o Were built along a main axis, not specifically
oriented. • Worship/ in honour of mysterious and
o Had walled open court, with colonnades around ancient Gods.
leading to covered structure • Housed images/statues of Gods
Egyptian Temples: Development

Early Development
Layout – Found in single pattern which was rectangular mud-brick enclosure.
Materials – Wood, reed matting and mud-brick.

New Kingdom
During this period The large temple buildings were made of stone so that
they would last forever.

Later Development
During this period the focus was much on male gods, goddesses
and child deities.
They focused on popular religious activities.
Column style got more elaborate in this period.
 Egyptian Temples: Design

Layout Complex plan - courts, halls and chambers with the sanctuary deep inside the temple

Roof Flat stone roof - columns closely packed to support roof

Façade All columns are concealed inside the external walls

Section Raised flooring and lowered roofs deeper inside the temple, with the sanctuary having
the highest ground level and the lowest roof

Landscape The external wall resembled a fortress isolating the temple from its surroundings which
symbolically, represented the forces of chaos and evil

Decorations The scene on the outer walls of the temple, and the walls of the outer courtyard, show
the battle of the forces of light, represented by the Pharaoh, subduing the forces of
darkness, represented by the foreign enemies.
The scenes in sanctuaries and hypostyle halls show sacred offerings to gods.
Egyptian Temples: Components

There were six main parts to ancient Egyptian temples built during the New
Kingdom period.

• The pylon
• The courtyard
• The hypostyle hall
• The second hall
• The sanctuary
• The sacred lake
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Pylon :
• The pylon was the large gate at the front of the temple.
• The walls of the pylon were decorated with carved and painted
scenes of the pharaoh, gods and goddesses.
• In front of the pylon were obelisks and large statues of the pharaoh.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Obelisks :
• Upright stone square in plan, with an electrum-capped pyramidion
on top
• Sacred symbol of sun-god Heliopolis
• Usually came in pairs fronting temple entrances
• Height of nine or ten times the diameter at the base
• Four sides feature hieroglyphics.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Courtyard :
• This was a large open Hall, which decorated walls showing
scenes of the Pharaoh and the gods.
• It had a transitional purpose, serving as an interface between the
outside world and the sanctified regions deeper within the temple.
• People were only allowed to enter the Outer Courtyard
on festival days.
• Sometimes there was a second pylon leading to the Hypostyle
hall deeper in.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Hypostyle Hall :

• This is a large colonnaded hall entirely roofed except for the
• central aisle which was lit by windows. Scenes of religious rituals
were carved into the walls.
• The capital of the massive column often in the shape of
the papyrus Flower.
• This was considered the reception area of the god and
accessible only to the priests and the Pharaohs, which was used
for religious rituals.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Second Hall :

• It was filled with columns and was very dark.
• Only the high priests and the pharaoh could ever enter this part
of the temple.
• The walls of the second hall were decorated with carved and
painted scenes showing the pharaoh with gods and
goddesses.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Sanctuary:
• The sanctuary was the most special and important part
of the temple. It was a very dark and relatively small
room.
• The floor sloped steadily upwards until the sanctum
was reached, while the roof was lower
• Only the High Priest and the Pharaoh could ever enter
the sanctuary.
• In the middle of the sanctuary stood the Naos with
the statue of the god.
• A temple could be consecrated to more than one god,
but the Naos of the main deities was always situated
along the main axis, and lesser deities were placed on
either side.
• If both deities had the same importance, than a double
sanctuary was constructed along the main axis.
• In close connection to the sanctuary there were other
rooms for storage of the god's belongings, jewellery,
insignia and ritual tools.
Egyptian Temples: Components

The Sacred Lake:

• The sacred lake was a pool of water next to the temple.
• It represented the world before time began. The priests
used water from the sacred lake to perform rituals in the
temple.
Temple of Amon, Karnak
Temple of Amon, Karnak
Egyptian Architecture:
Characteristics:

• Massive structures favoured.

• Religion is dominant element in Egyptian architecture
• Scarcity of Wood in the region. Predominant building materials were:
Mud Bricks Stone
• Mud collected from flooding of river Nile • Favoured for temples and tombs
• Were placed in moulds and left to dry in the • Were abundant, specially Limestone
hot sun to harden for use in construction. • Sandstone and granite were also used
• Principle building material for domestic • Features and details of mud construction were
buildings repeated in stone

• Batter wall - diminishing in width towards the top for stability

• Unbroken massive walls, uninterrupted space for hieroglyphics
• No windows; Spaces were lit by skylights, roof slits, clerestories
• Roof was not an important consideration. Flat roofs sufficed to cover and exclude heat
• All monumental buildings are post and lintel construction.
• Column shafts represented bundle of stems whereas capitals were inspired by indigenous plants
• Many other Egyptian ornamentation were symbolic; eg: Scarab, vulture, solar disk