Arts and Humanities

Ephraim Herreria

Egyptian Architecture (4000 - 2280 BC)

-Art in ancient Egypt continued strangely unchanged through the various phases of foreign influence
from Assyria, Persia, Greece and Rome, the close connection between religious rites and architecture
is everywhere manifested, the religious rites of the Egyptians were traditional, virtually
unchangeable, and mysterious, and this trait are reproduced in the architecture, both tombs and
temples.
Egyptian monumental architecture, which is essentially a columnar and trabeated style, is expressed
mainly in pyramids and in temples. Egyptian temples approach by expressive avenues of sphinxes
mythical monster, each with a body of lion and the head of a man hawk, ram or a woman- possessed
in massive pylons, great Courts, hypostyle halls, inner sanctuaries, and dim, secret rooms, a special
character, Greek temples were each planned as one homogeneous whole,
And the components parts were all essential to the complete design.
Egyptian architecture persistently maintained is tradition, and the materials used, the traditional
forms were perpetuated in spite of novel conditions. It is impressive by its solemnity and gloom,
as.well as by its solidity, Which suggests that the buildings were intended to last eternally. This is
because the purpose of the pyramids was not only to preserve the mummy of the pharaoh for the
return of the soul in the infinite hereafter, but also to the center of the cult of the royal dead, and as a
consequence, the dominant element of the vast monumental complex.
Mesopotamian Architecture (6th century BC)
-The Mesopotamians regarded "the craft of building" as a divine gift taught to men by the gods, and
architecture flourished in the region. ... However, the invention of the round arch in the general area
of Mesopotamia influenced the construction of structures like the Ishtar Gate in the sixth century
BCE.
Greek Architecture (1100 - 100 BC)
-Ancient Greek Art (c.1100-100 BCE)
Ancient Greek art is traditionally divided into the following periods: (1) the Dark Ages (c.1100-900
BCE). (2) The Geometric Period (c.900-700 BCE). (3) The Oriental-Style Period (c.700-625 BCE).
(4) The Archaic Period (c.625-500 BCE). (5) The Classical Period (c.500-323 BCE).

Roman Architecture (1000 BC - CE 4000)

-Roman Architecture
(1000 B.C.E-C.E., 4000)
The Romans adopted the Columnar and trabeated style of the Greeks and developed also the arch and
vault from the beginnings mady by the Etruscans (the early inhabitants of west central Italy)
Byzantine Architecture (200 - 1453)
-Byzantine architects were eclectic, at first drawing heavily on Roman temple features. Their
combination of the basilica and symmetrical central-plan (circular or polygonal) religious structures
resulted in the characteristic Byzantine Greek-cross-plan church, with a square central mass and four
arms of equal length.
Western Architecture in the Middle Ages (CE 400 - 1500)
-Western architecture
 order Classical architecture Renaissance architecture picturesque Neoclassical architecture
The history of Western architecture is marked by a series of new solutions to structural problems.
During the period from the beginning of civilization through ancient Greek culture, construction
methods progressed from the most primitive shed roof and simple truss to the vertical posts, or
columns, supporting horizontal beams, or lintels (see post-and-lintel system). Greek architecture also
formalized many structural and decorative elements into three Classical orders—Ionic, Doric, and
Corinthian—which, to a greater or lesser extent, have influenced architecture since that time. The
Romans exploited the arch, vault, and dome and made broader use of the load-bearing masonry wall.
In the late medieval period, the pointed arch, ribbing, and pier systems gradually emerged. At this
point all the problems of brick and stone masonry construction had been solved, and, beyond
decorative advances, little innovation was achieved until the Industrial Revolution. Not until the 19th
century, with the advent of cast-iron and steel construction, did a new architectural age dawn and
higher, broader, and lighter buildings become possible.