EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE 3000 BC to 1st AD •Egyptian Columns

Physical Characteristics Large proportion showing vegetative origin

Nile river - good setting for early settlement Shafts to base from bundle of plant stems
–water used for transportation and irrigation Capitals from lotus bud, papyrus flower and palm
Climate-
the Nile valley strip was bordered with alluvial soil and Types of sphinxes
desert sand. 1. Androsphinx -Body of a lion, head of a man or a woman
Temperature rarely exceed 38º C with little or no rain
The heat and humidity was conducive to variety of plants
and animals
Geological Materials –
desert rich in natural building stones and minerals.
Limestone, sandstone
The desert shielded Egypt from external attacks
Nile River –efficient form of transportation, affected
culture and economy of and fertilized the land ancient
Egypt
2.Criosphinx –body of a lion, head of a ram
Social Structure
1. Pharaoh
2. Government Officials- nobles, priest
3. Soldiers
4. Scribes
5. Merchants
6. Artisans
7. Farmers
8. Slaves and servants
RELIGION
•Polytheism 3.Hieracosphinx –body of a lion, head of a hawk
•Worship wind and water
•Horus –god with a human body and falcon face
•Osiris- god of death and rebirth
•Believe in life after death
•Mummified the dead bodies

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
•Walls diminished course by course toward the top due to
the shrinkage caused by annual inundation.
Interior face of the wall was vertical.
The outer face showed the inward inclination or the
“batter” which is the characteristic of Egyptian architecture. Egyptian Temples
•Fiber or reed were placed in between bricks to reinforce •Great courts
•Arches were adopted in the 3rd dynasty •Massive pylons
Available materials •Great hypostyle hall
•Papyrus, Reeds, palm-branch ribs plastered with clay for •Dim inner sanctuaries
walls •Secret rooms
•Buildings circular in plan with domical roof •Egyptian temples composed of several buildings
•Rectangular in plan with tunnel-shaped covering or flat diminishing in height behind the imposing pylon
roof •Hypostyle hall-a pillared hall in which the roof rests on
•Egyptian gorge cornice- produced by the pressure of the columns; applied to many columned halls of Egyptian
mud roof against the wall architecture
•Timber were used for buildings
•Palm logs used for roofs Tomb Architecture
Stones were used in the 3rd Dynasty for rubble masonry, BELIEF IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
stiffening , and foundation for religious buildings •Mummification
Mud brick for other structures •King had two tombs (archaic period) one in Lower Egypt
and one in upper Egypt.;
Wall decorations •Cenotaph was placed to tomb not used. The cenotaphs
•Masonry walls surface decoration done by scratching were at Sakkara
pictures on early mud-plastered wall •First Dynasty-mastaba evolved
•Wall are windowless suitable for wall surface writing and
art-incised relief and hieroglyphs
•Simulation of house plan with several rooms and a central
room where the sarcophagus and others to receive
abundant offering; located below the ground Bent Pyramid at Meydum
•Examples: •King Huni of the 3rd Dynasty
Mastaba of Thi at Sakkara •144.5 m square base and 90 m high
Mastaba at Gizeh •Corbel –roofed tomb chamber at the heart of the
Mastaba at Beit Khallaf structure
Mastaba- an ancient Egyptian, rectangular, flat topped •Stone wall enclosure 233 m north to south
funerary mound with battered (sloping sides) covering a •East side at the center was an offering chapel with
burial chamber below the ground offering table flanked with two stelae
•No mortuary temple but an access from the eastern part
Tomb Architecture: mastaba, pyramid, rock-cut tomb led to the Valley Building
1. MASTABA
•During the third Dynasty, “stairway mastaba” were buried Bent Pyramid of South Pyramid
deep under the ground cutting the rock below. •Pharoah Seneferu
•The main axis of the tomb is oriented north and south •Square in plan 187 m height about 102 m
•Steps and ramps led from the north end of the top of the •Local stone with tura stone facing
mastaba to connect with the shaft which descended to the •Tomb chambers covered with corbelled roof
level of the tomb chamber. •Double walled rectangular enclosure
•Two well-spaced recesses were at east side fronting the •Mortuary temple on east side, causeway leading to the
Nile. Valley Building
• the southern part of the recesses had false doors where •Upper inclination of the pyramid is 54º15’ and lower
the deceased spirit will leave. inclination is 43º 36’

2. ROYAL PYRAMIDS Great Pyramid of Cheops

Third to Sixth dynasty •Pharoah Cheops (Khufu) son of Seneferu, 2nd king of 4th
Located on the west side of Nile River Dynasty
•Evolved from mastaba, the first was the •Largest of the three in the site
• Step pyramid by Pharoah Zozer of Djoser at Sakkara •Nearly an equilateral triangle with 51º52’ with the ground
•Bent Pyramid at Meydum and two at Dashur By Pharoah •abandoned queen’s chamber
Seneferu of the 4th Dynasty •King’s chamber with sarcophagus
•True pyramids are at Gizeh (three of them) built by Pyramid of Chefren (Kafra)
Seneferu scuccessors •Second biggest at Gizeh
•216 m side and 143 m high
Tomb Architecture • steeper slope of 52º20’
Pyramids •Great sphinx of Chefren head of Chefren 73.2 m long and
•Primary building of a complex of buildings enclosed with 4.1 m across and 20 m high
walls Pyramid of Mykerinos (Menkaura) 4th Dynasty
•Had offering chapel with stele at the east side of the •Smallest at Gizeh
pyramid •109m square by66.5 m high
•Mortuary temple for the pharoah usually at the north side Pyramids at Gizeh near Cairo
•____________–embalming and interment is carried out.
•Materials used were limestone and rarely granite
Step pyramid at Sakkara 2778 BC

Step Pyramid
•Pharoah Zoser
•Architect-____________
•First large scale monument in stone
•Underwent five changes
•1. complete mastaba 7.9 m high with square plan of 63 m
sides
•2. plan extended eastward 8.5 m for a f stepped pyramid
•3. plan was rectangular with 83mx 75 m
•Final dimension was 125 m from east to west 109 m. and
60 m high
•A pit of 7.3m x 8.5 m deep approached by a horizontal
tunnel emerging at the north side in an open ramp
•Wall of Tura Stone around the complex 547 m from north
to south and 278 m wide.
3 Rock-hewn tombs Beside mentuhetep 500 years previously
A mortuary temple dedicated to Amun and other gods
1.Tomb of _____________ Her tomb was in the mountains beyond
• imitating wooden construction in the character of the Consisted of three terraces approached by ramps leading to
eight of sixteen sided slightly fluted tapered column the base of the cliffs, their faces lined with colonnades
2.Tomb of _____________ Upper terrace contained the queen’s mortuary chapel and
•Slightly vaulted rock ceiling supported by column altars for the gods
•Walls were stuccoed The chief sanctuary was laid deep in the rocks
3. _____________ Minor sanctuaries of Hathor and Anubis were located on
Queen Hatshepsut temple at der el Bahari the second terrace

2 classes of temples
1. ____________ Great Temple of Amun, Karnak
•for the ministration to deified pharoahs 1530-323 BC
•started in mastabas and pyramids • grandest of all Egyptian Temples
2. ____________ •owes its size, disposition
- worship of the gods and magnificence to many kings
•Started as a modest shrine
Features - mortuary and cult temple in the Middle Kingdom in 2000 BC
•Main axis was not specific oriented •Thotmes I (1530 BC)
•Walled open court with hypostyle hall- started the enlargement with 366m x 110 m dimension
•leading to covered structure with Surrounded by wall with sacred
lake and other temples
•had 6 pylons added by
TEMPLE OF KHONS, KARNAK successive rulers
1198 BC Had avenue of sphinxes connected with the temple at
Cult temple with pylon, court, Hypostyle hall, sanctuary, Luxor
and various chapels enclosed by high wall
Entrance pylon with obelisk Large ceremonial hall added by Thotmes III 103 x 84 m Seti I
with avenues of sphinxes and Rameses II added grand court and hypostyle 103x 54 m
Hypostyle was lighted thru clearstory windows formed by Roof made of stone slab supported by134 columns in 16
increased in height of the column rows 24 m h and dim. 3.6 m Central hall supported by 21
Beyond the sanctuary with front and rear access was a columns 13 m h and diam 2.7 m with papyrus-flower or bell
circulating passage. type Clearstory placed to admit light. Incised inscription of
royal personages, events , praises to gods covered the walls
Other features ,column shafts, architraves. This idea was borrowed by the
•Other rooms and chapels for priests Christian churches
•Axial gateway to the court with pylon.
•Avenue of sphinxes lined along the entrance Great Temple of Abu Simbel
•Services were held 3x a day by priests and selected few. •C. 1301 is one of he rock –hewn temples built by Rameses
•Circulation was needed in cult temple for procession II
during festivals. •Entrance fore court has imposing façade 36 m wide and 32
•Walled containing priest house, granaries, sacred pool, m high formed as pylon
buildings •In front are rock-cut seated colossal statues of Rameses II
20 m high
Temple of Mentuhetep, Middle kingdom 2130-1580 BC •The hall beyond has 8 Osiris pillars 9 m high and vividly
Terraced in two main levels colored reliefs
At the base of steep cliffs •Eight smaller chambers were placed asymmetrical with
Upper terrace with colonnades apprroahed with tree-laned the axis
inclined way; •The central chamber is the sanctuary containing statues of
with solid pyramid raised on a podium gods and the sacred boat
And surrounded with walled hypostyle •The temple was moved from its original site due to the
Pyramid was a cenotaph below it is a dummy burial construction
chamber
Rear of the temple is a pillared hall recessed in the rock
face to an an open court to the ramp going down to the Temple of Isis, Island of Philae
Mentuhetep’s tomb. -Ptolemaic and Roman Periods 332 BC to first century AD
Valley Building was connected by a shielded causeway 3 •Belonged to the Thirtieth Dynasty of Ptolemies II-XIII
quarters of a mile away. •Irregularities of the plans due to piece meal buildings but
the building principles are similar to the New Kingdom
Temple of Hatshepsut 1580-332 BC Period
New Kingdom •Column capitals are coarser and more ornate and varied in
Architect- ____________ design from one column to another
•Have very deep abacus blocks •Living rooms raised high to allow light coming from
•Colonnades are at the exterior of the building clearstory
•Columns linked by a screen wall reaching about half-way •Thee parts of the house: reception suite on the north side,
service and private quarters
Temple of Isis columns
•Columns with Isis capital and
•Abaci or the screen wall between the columns

Temple of Horus, Edfu

237-57 BC Fortresses
Cult temple •Fortress of Bunen
Well-preserved structure of that period •The best preserved monument of the twelfth century
Built in 3 stages, the first temple proper by Ptolemy III (Middle Kingdom) located in Nubia
the outer hypostyle hall and the perimeter walls and pylon • Built by succession of kings especially Senusret III
A passage surrounding the sanctuary which serves also as •The main wall was 4.8 m thick and 11 m high
access to the 13 chapels •With semi-circular bastions with 3 loopholes with single
the grand pylons are 62.6 m across and 30.5 m high. embrasure through which the archers could cover the ditch
Hypostyle hall with palm capital of varying design and below them by cross-fire.
____________-screen walls between the columns
•Showing the portico
and the
•abaci or the screen wall between columns r

Temple of Hathor, Dendera

110 BC to AD
•Most imposing, standing in brick-walled temenos 290 m x
280 m.
•No pylons
•Hypostyle hall
•Peripheral walls with passages to allow complete
processional circuit
•Four –sided Hathor- headed capital of the hypostyle hall
•With deep abaci

Obelisks
•Sacred symbol of the sun god ____________
•Usually in pairs astride temple entrances
•Huge monoliths, square on plan and tapering to an
electrum-capped pyramidion at the summit, which was the
sacred part
•Height is nine or ten times the diameter at base
•The four sides with hieroglyphs
Cleopatra’s Needle
•Located at Thames, London
•With Thotmes III and Rameses II inscriptions
•20.9 m high x2.4m x2.3 m base

Dwellings
•Ordinary dwellings were bricks
•One or two storey high with arched ceiling and parapet
roof partly occupied by a loggia
•Rooms facing the north-facing court
•Barrack-like dwelling for the workers at the pyramid
complex
•Houses of the rich were two or three floors high due to n
constricted lots
•Gardens, pools laid out formally surrounding the crude
rectangular dwelling with doors and windows on dressed
stones
• columns, beams and window frames were made of
timber