History of Architecture 1_PRELIMS

Lecture 1: Pre- Historic Architecture

INFLUENCES
1. History
 Direct human ancestors evolved in Africa from 2.3 million years ago - Homo habilis, Homo erectus, homo
sapiens, homo sapiens sapiens
 The success of the human race was largely due to the development of tools – made of stone, wood, bone
2. Religion
 No Organized Religion
 The dead are treated with respect with burial, ritual and monuments.
3. Geology/Geography
 Prehistoric people are known as Nomads.
 Fire- Chief invention of Man.
3 Periods Of Prehistoric Age
1. Stone Age (Paleolithic Era) – characterized with stone implements such as use of chipped stone tools.
2. Bronze Age (Mesolithic Era) – cultural period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic era marked by the
appearance of cutting tools
3. Iron Age (Neolithic Era) – last phase of prehistoric age characterized by the civilization of growing crops,
domestication of animals, settlements.

Architectural Character
1. Construction System – Uses of Large Stones or Megalith
Monolith/Menhir- Upright Single Stone
Dolmen -- 2 or more upright stones supporting a horizontal slab.
Cromlech- Stone Circle / Stonehenge
Cairn- A heap of Stone piled up as a monument, tombstone or a landmark

Primitive Dwellings
• Mostly had one room
• The development of more complex civilizations led to division of the room into smaller ones for
eating,sleeping,socializing.
• In places where no industrial revolution has occurred to transform building methods and increase population
density,houses show little difference from primitive ones.
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Lecture 2: Ancient Near East (3_Ancient Near-east.ppt)

Mesopotamia = Iraq

3 periods of Ancient Near East Civilization

1. Mesopotamian

a) Sumerian Architecture – develop by Sumerians dominated in southern Mesopotamia, characterized by

temples of sundried brick faced with burnt or glazed brick , often built upon the ruins of their predecessors
b) Hittite Architecture – characterized by fortifications or cyclopean stone wall and gateway with with portal
sculpture (eg; Istar Gateway in babylon)

Architectural Structures
 White Temple – Origin of Ziggurat; serves combined 2 function concept of function ( religious= recreation of
sacred mountain ; Secular= permanent reminder of populance of political, social and economic pre-
eminence of temple which is dedicated to sky God Anu)
 Ziggurat precinct of Ur – remodeled by Urnammu, Complex comprised the ziggurat, court attached to it and
three great temples.
 Temple complex at Ischali – terrace type of ziggurat
 Temple oval at khafaje – the ovals lay-out was rectilinear, the corners are oriented to four cardinal points of
three ascending terrace levels
 Royal cemetery at Ur – Displayed at its best engineering skills of Sumerians featuring the vaults, domes and
pendetives.
 Royal Palace at Mari - destroyed by Hammurabi, function as a royal residence, center for receptions and
audiences, offices and a school for civil service, servants quarter and numerous store rooms (trivia: One of
the room of the palace stores a thousand of cuneiform tablets (pictographs) constituting the royal archives
which has been evidence to uncovered the history of ancient near east).
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2. Assyrian Architecture

a) Assyrian Architecture – Developed under the Assyrian King- Emperors of the 9 th-7th Centuries BC;
characterized by towers with crenelated battlements, places precedence over religious buildings;
vaulting played a greater role rather than southern Mesopotamian (ziggurats) and polychrome
glazed brickwork showed to influence Egyptian Decorations.
 City of Ashur – religious and national Center of the Assyrian State
 City of Nimrud – Restored and Enlarged by Ashurbanipal who made the capital of his
kingdom
 City of Khorsabad – Square planned city with a Defensive Perimeter coverd nearly one
square mile., Built by Sargon II and abandoned at his death
 City of Nineveh – Made as a Capital of Sargon’s Son; Sennacherib who spent the first 2
yrs of his reign on the work of raising mighty walls and built his palce without rivals
b) Neo- Babylonian Architecture – Mesopotamian Architecture developed after the decline of Assyrian
empire, deriving much from Assyrian architecture and enhanced by figured designs of heraldic
animals in glazed brickwork.
 City of Babylon – Ruins Differ from earlier cities because of it is made of Brunt bricks; the
city was rebuild by Nebuchadnezzar II for it was destroyed by Sennacherib. The inner and
outer portion of the city is heavily fortified, where the city is in front of a river to the north
and occupied by a temple dedicated to God Marduk, and expansive precinct rose a seven
storey Ziggurat Etemenanki popularly known as “ Tower of Babel”
 Tower of Babel - as told in Genesis 11:1-9 is an origin myth meant to explain why
the world's peoples speak different languages; According to the story, a united
humanity in the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and
migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar There they agree to build a city and a
tower tall enough to reach heaven. God, observing their city and tower, confounds their
speech so that they can no longer understand each other, and scatters them around the
world.
 Hanging gardens of Babylon – Built by Nebuchadnezzar II for median wife, Amytis
A series of irrigated ornamental gardens planted on the terraces of the citadel, the palace
complex in ancient Babylon also regarded as one of the 7 wonders of the world listed in
ancient Hellenic culture.
c) Early Anatolian Architecture
 Palace of Beycesultan – an Outstanding use of Timber as reincement for walls
constructed of mudbricks with footings of limestone.
d) Cannanite, Phoenician and Israelite Architecture
 Palace at Tel Atchana
 Palace at Ras Shambra

e) Syro- Hittite Architecture

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 Citadel of Zincirli – Oval Plan, Standing Centrally on a mould in a Walled Town which like
so many in Ancient Cities in Near east
 City of Hamath

f) Urartian Architecture
Fortress – Most typical type of Building, massive stone masonry of cyclopean walls with buttresses
irregular mud bricks was used as super structures
Temples – Characterized with tall fortified towers having standard square plan, with very fine
footings and dressed basalt ashlar

g) Phygian Architecture – Houses wre built on Megaron plan, megaron plural megara
 Megaron – Semi- Independednt Unit of a building Typically having a rectangular
Principal chamber with a center hearth and a porch, often in columns in antis (belief
as ancestor of Doric temples).

3. Persian Architecture - The Architecture developed under Archamenid Dynasty who rule Persia from 550 BC
until its conquest by Alexander the great in 331 BC.

The Architecture developed under Archamenid Dynasty who rule Persia from 550 BC until its conquest by
Alexander the great in 331 BC.

 Palace of Persepolis (hall of hundred Columns)– Begun By Darius I but Exected by

Xerxes I and Finished by Antaxerxes I, Apadana wall is located.
 Seleucid, Parthian and sassanian Architecture
 Place of Feruz- Abad
 Palace of Sarvistan
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Lecture 3: Egyptian Architecture

GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
 “The Land of Pharaoh “, & “desert Land “. The “Nile River” is their means of communication ,highway , &
lifeline . Egypt’s greatest wealth was its fertile “soil”.
 Egypt occupies the north eastern of Africa today
 Settlement took place around the head of Nile Delta (lower Egypt), and along banks of river of hospital
environment of Nile Valley (Upper Egypt).
 North- Meditterean Sea, East- Red Sea and Highland, West and south - Desert

GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE
 STONE – abundant building material except on temples & pyramids (Soft stone – limestone , sandstone ,
alabaster Hard stone – granite , quartzite , basalt , porphyry)
 SAND DRIED BRICKS – made up of clay & chopped stone for pyramids & temples.
 DATE PALM – for roofing’s & PALM LEAVES – for roofing materials .
 ACACIA – for their boat
 SYCAMORE – mummy cases

CLIMATIC INFLUENCE
Structures have no downspout, drainage, gutters due to absence of rain. No windows to cut heat penetration and
sandstorm.

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
 Pyramids were built because they believe in “ Life after Death “ & for the preservation of the
deadbody.
 Pharaoh is not only king but also “god” both political & religious ruler, when he dies he becomes
“osiris”, god of dead.
 They’re “Monotheistic” in theory & “ Polytheistic ” in practice .

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Typical Occupation include: Bureaucrat, priest, soldiers, artisan, herdsmen and cultivator
 MONARCHY - form of government
 PHARAOH – King of Egypt, ruler , highest priest in Egypt
 SON OF PHARAOH – normal successor to the throne
 VIZIER – King’s most powerful official
 CHANCELOR- controls the royal treasuries, granaries ,& supervises the census
 CHIEF STEWARD- in charge of the King’s personal estate & household.
Kingdom where divided into 3 Periods:
a) Old Kingdom (1st-10th Dynasty)
 under king Narmer(Menes), powerful kingship and bureaucracy developed
 Development of 2 tombs; Mastaba and Pyramid
b) Middle Kingdom(11th-17th Dynasty) –
 under King Seneferu and cheops
 3rd type of tomb(rock-cut) - MENTUHETEP II
 Erected the earliest known “Obelisk” @ Heliopolis - SENUSRETS
 founded “Great Temple of Ammon Kharnak” Grandest of all temples-
AMENEMHAT I
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c) New Kingdom (18th-30th dynasty)

 THOTMES 1- began the additions to the Temple of AMMON, Kharnak.
 HATSHEPSUT – queen of Egypt, famous for her funerary temple @ Mt.Der-El-Bahari.
 THOTMES IV – the one responsible for the cleaning away of sand fr. the “Sphinx”
 AMENOPHIS III – erected the “Colossi of Memnon”,one of the wonders of the world.
 RAMESES I – began the construction of the “Great Hypostyle Hall”, @ Kharnak
 RAMESES II – finished the construction of the“Hypostyle Hall”, & erection of the
“Rock Temple @ ABU- SIMBEL ”, and the “Remission”,Thebes.

d.) Late Kingdom

 PTOLEMY II – built the Pharaohs or the “Light House” .

 PTOLEMY IlI - founded the “Greatest Serapeum” at Alexandria.

ARCHITECTRAL STRUCTURES
1. TOMBS
Necropolis- Burial ground especially a large one on ancient city.
Cenotaph- a monumental erected in memory of one the dead.
Serdab- a small chamber inside a mastaba containing a stutue of death
Sarcophagus- Coffin for important Personage
Stele- is the upright stone slab containing the name of the dead found in the mastaba. (lapida)
 MASTABA
o Flat-topped funerary mound with battered walls covering a burial chamber below the
groud and sealed by means of a portcullis (a strong grating of iron or timber hung
over the gateway of a fortified place to prevent passage)
 PYRAMIDS
Types Of Pyramids
a. Step Pyramid - ex: Pyramid of King Zoser built by IMHOTEP,oldest surviving masonry
bldg.structure in the world .
b. Bent Pyramid – also known as Blunt Pyramid , ex: Pyramid of King Seneferu
c. Slope Pyramid - 3 great pyramids ex :
1) Pyramid of The Cheops or “ Khufu “ (146.4 mts. High and (750 sq. ft. )
2) Pyramid of Chefren or “Khafra” ( 143.0 mts. high ) & ( 705 sq. ft. ) in plan
3) Pyramid of Mykerinos or “Menkaura “ (109.0 mts. high) & ( 218 sq.ft. high).
 ROCK HEWN TOMBS –known to be “The Tomb of Nobility” cut deep into the mountain rock

2. TEMPLE – An Edifice or place dedicated to worship or presence of deity

2 Main Classes of Temples
a. Mortuary Temple – temple for offering and worship of a deceased person usually a deified king.
 Great Temple of Rameses at Abu Simbel – immediately in front are four rock-cut seated colossal
staues of ramese over 20 m. high; took 20 yrs. to build and serve as a lasting monument to the king
and his queen Nefertari and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
b. Cult Temple - Temples for popular worship of ancient and mysterious Gods.
 Temple of Amun Ra at Karnak – Grandest of all Egyptian temples; a monumental massing of temples
containing hypostyle hall crammed with 134 columns and rows of ram-headed sphinxes.
 The Karnak Temple Complex, is a series of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings
constructed during the Ptolemic Era reign of Senusret I. Note that there are other pharaohs that
helped build the holy city but Senusret I is the most important. 'Karnak', translated as "The Most
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Selected of Places" was the main Egyptian religious center during the eighteenth dynasty Theban
Triad who widely worshiped the god Amun.

3. DWELLING – Residential / Domestic Settlement.

a. Ordinary Dwellings – Made of crude brick one - two storey high & has flat arched ceilings
with parapet roofs partly occupied by a Loggia – an arcaded/ colonnaded structure open
on one more side.
b. Mansions- Better Houses ; ¾ Storey High, Laid out formally with grooves, garden, pools
surroundings the crude brick dwelling and contains reception suite, service and private
quarters.