Egyptian Architecture

Prepared By: Jorene Lei

 Introduction

For at least ten thousand years, the Nile Valley has been the site of one of the
most influential civilizations in the world which developed as vast array of
diverse structures which we refer to as Ancient Egyptian Architecture. The
architectural monuments, which include the Great Pyramid of Giza and the
Great Sphinx of Giza, are among the largest and famous.
Map of Ancient Egypt
 Characteristics of
EGYPTIAN Architecture:
• Architecture - The style developed during the Pre-
dynastic period remained unchanged for 2000 years
• Crafts & Sculpture  - Symbolic elements were widely
used and strict laws were applied
• Paintings  - The pictures found in Egyptian tombs
were connected with the idea of afterlife.

Due to the scarcity of wood. the two predominant

building materials used in ancient Egypt were sun-
baked mud brick and stone, mainly limestone, but
also sandstone and granite in considerable quantities.
 Characteristics of
EGYPTIAN Architecture:
From the Old Kingdom onward, stone was generally reserved for
tombs and temples, while bricks were used even for royal palaces,
fortresses, the walls of temple precincts and towns, and for
subsidiary buildings in temple complexes.
 Climate Religion
Egypt has two seasons, Over many centuries, the ancient
spring and summer. The
conditions of having no Egyptians developed a method of
snow or frost, or even
preserving bodies so they would
rain had contributed to
the preservation of the remain lifelike. The process
buildings.
included EMBALMING the

bodies and wrapping them in

strips of linen. Today we call this

process mummification.
The Goddesses and Gods
of Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses.
Each one with their own role to play in maintaining peace and
harmony across the land.
The Giza Pyramid Complex
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures
located in Egypt. It was built with such precision that our current technology
cannot replicate it.
• Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death , that is why preserving the
body of the dead was important to keep their soul alive, enabling them to
transcend into the heavens.
• They make tombs to protect these preserved bodies.
• Pyramids for Pharaohs represent a gigantic stairway for the Pharaoh to climb
to join the sun god in the sky
Description:

Pyr amid of Khufu Pyr amid of Khafr e Pyr amid

of Menkaur e

•This Ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of Pyramid of Khufu, the somewhat

smaller Pyramid of Khafre , and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of
Menkaure, along with a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as “queens”
pyramid, and the Great Sphinx.
•The Great Pyramid, which was probably completed c. 2580 BC, is the oldest and
largest of the pyramids, and is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of
the World.
•With few openings, the pyramids had complex mazes of tunnels and rooms all hidden
by the massive hunks of stone.
 Inside the Pyramid
From an entrance just above
the base of the Great Pyramid,
a cramped Ascending Passage
climbs for 36 meters up
through the solid stone core to
a towering Grand Gallery. 
This climbs another 46 meters
to reach the King's Chamber
and an empty sarcophagus in
the heart of this colossal
pyramid. 
What does a pyramid look like
inside?
 Did you know that?
A planetary alignment between the
Orion belt and the pyramids of Giza
took place at December 3, 2012.
 Did you know that?
• The relationship between Pi (p) and Phi (F) is expressed
in the fundamental proportions of the Great Pyramid.
The key to this relationship is knowledge of the value of
Pi and designing the angle of the pyramid to be exactly
51 degrees, 51 minutes, and 14.3 seconds.
• The pyramid is estimated to have about 2,300,000 stone
blocks weighing from 2-30 Tons each with some
weighing as much as 70 tons
• The Great Pyramid is located at the center of the land
mass of the earth. The east/west parallel that crosses
the most land and the north/south meridian that crosses
the most land intersect in two places on the earth, one in
the ocean and the other at the Great Pyramid.
 Step Pyramid
• Built during the 3rd dynasty,
Zoser’s architect, Imhotep,
added steps above Zoser’s
mastaba to create a step
pyramid -- a stairway to the
heavens.
• On either side of chamber are
store rooms for king’s
treasures.
• All treasures buried w/ Zoser
have been stolen.
 The Sphinx of Giza
Commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of
a reclining or couchant sphinx (a mythical creature with a
lion's body and a human head) that stands on the Giza
Plateau. The original purpose of the Sphinx is unknown. It
may have been built to symbolically guard over the Giza
plateau, and it may have been a portrait of Pharaoh Khafre.
It's face seems to bear a resemblance to Khafre's, and the
royal headdress that it wears is particular to pharaohs.
 Egyptian Temples
• Temples were found everywhere in ancient Egypt as a place
to worship their endless pantheon of major and minor gods,
and to worship their pharaoh as their god. Each city had a
temple built for the god of that city, which acted as a cosmic
center by which men had communication with the gods.
• Not for public worshiping.
• Only the Pharaohs as the priest, and the one he appointed as
substitute, are allowed into the innermost chamber and
perform the rituals inside.
 Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex
located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today
known as Luxor (ancient Thebes).
The Temple of Luxor was built largely by Amenhotep III and
Ramesses II around 1400BC. Many rulers built on to the
temple yet it always remained a place of worship for
Christians and later Muslims.
 Temple of Horus
The well preserved Ptolemaic Temple of Horus
is the second biggest temple in Egypt. Second
only to the Temple of Karnak in sheer size, the
temple was one of the last attempts by the
Ptolemaic dynasty at building in the style and
grandeur of their predecessors. Construction on
the site took about 200 years.
Other examples of
Egyptian Temples

Karnak Temple

Temple of
Hatshepsut
Hypostyle hall
The Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak, located
within the Karnak temple complex, in the
Precinct of Amon-Re, is one of the most visited
monuments of Ancient Egypt.
 Sarcophagus
In Ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus formed the
external layer of protection for a royal mummy,
with several layers of coffins nested within, and
was often carved out of alabaster. All were
usually decorated with painted or carved
representations of the deceased.
This incredible solid gold coffin belongs to king
Tutankhamen.
Other Architectural Character:

Obelisk

Reliefs Hieroglyphics
 Did you know that?
• Egyptians invented the 365 days calendar.
• The Great Pyramid has always been a mysterious symbol. It
has attracted the attention of a virtual directory of the orthodox
as well as unconventional disciplines.
• Ancient Egyptian writings often talk of beings from the sky, the
sky opening and bright lights coming down to teach them
technology and give them wisdom. Many pictures and symbols
resemble UFOs and aliens.
Mesopotamian Architecture
Architecture of Mesopotamia
The architecture of Mesopotamia is the ancient architecture of
the region of the Tigris–Euphrates river system (also known as
Mesopotamia), encompassing several distinct cultures and
spanning a period from the 10th millennium BC, when the
first permanent structures were built, to the 6th century BC.
 Ziggurat of Ur
The ziggurat was built by King Ur-Nammu who dedicated the great
ziggurat of Ur in honour of Nanna/Sîn, in approximately the 21st
century BC (short chronology) during the Third Dynasty of Ur.
Like many ancient people, the ancient Sumerians believed that
powerful gods lived in the sky. They built huge structures, called
ziggurats, with steps climbing up to the top.
.
Tower of Babel
• Tower of Babel - (Genesis 11:1-11)
a tower built by Noah's descendants
(probably in Babylon) who intended
it to reach up to heaven; God foiled
them by confusing their language so
they could no longer understand
one another
 Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• legendary terraced gardens at Babylon, watered by
pumps from the Euphrates, whose construction was
ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar (circa 600 bc). They
were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• King Nebuchadnezzar II dedicated hanging gardens
of Babylon to his precious and marvelous wife
Amytis, of Media.
 Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a well-
preserved Babylonian law code, dating
back to about 1772 BC. It is one of
the oldest deciphered writings of
significant length in the world. It is the
most complete and perfect extant
collection of Babylonian laws,
developed during the reign of
Hammurabi (1792–1750 BC). It
consists of his legal decisions that were
collected toward the end of his reign
and inscribed on a diorite stela set up
in Babylon’s temple of Marduk, the
national god of Babylonia.