Egyptian

EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE

Aparna Pathak Aastha Sharma Ankita Gupta Bhavya Mathur Diksha jhoshi Samyukta Nayyar Toolika saini

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INTRODUCTION Ancient Egypt was an ancient

civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt.

The civilization coalesced(mass/as a whole) around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, and it developed over the next three millennia.

Its history occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods.

Ancient Egypt reached its pinnacle during the New Kingdom, after which it entered a period of slow decline.

ARCHITECTURE The architecture of ancient Egypt includes some of the

most famous structures in the world: the Great Pyramids of Giza and the temples at Thebes. Building projects were organized and funded by the state for religious and commemorative purposes, but also to reinforce the power of the pharaoh. The ancient Egyptians were skilled builders; using simple but effective tools and sighting instruments, architects could build large stone structures with accuracy and precision.

The domestic dwellings of elite and ordinary Egyptians alike were constructed from perishable materials such as mud bricks and wood, and have not survived. Peasants lived in simple homes, while the palaces of the elite were more elaborate structures.

A few surviving New Kingdom palaces, such as those in Malkata and Amarna, show richly decorated walls and floors with scenes of people, birds, water pools, deities and geometric designs. Important structures such as temples and tombs that were intended to last forever were constructed of stone instead of bricks. The architectural elements used in the world's first large-scale stone building, Djoser's mortuary complex, include post and lintel supports in the papyrus and lotus motif.

The earliest preserved ancient Egyptian temples, such as those at Giza, consist of single, enclosed halls with roof slabs supported by columns. In the New Kingdom, architects added the pylon, the open courtyard, and the enclosed hypostyle hall to the front of the temple's sanctuary, a style that was standard until the Graeco-Roman period. The earliest and most popular tomb architecture in the Old Kingdom was the mastaba, a flat-roofed rectangular structure of mudbrick or stone built over an underground burial chamber. The step pyramid of Djoser is a series of stone mastabas stacked on top of each other. Pyramids were built during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, but later rulers abandoned them in favor of less conspicuous rock-cut tombs.

ART These artistic standards

— simple lines, shapes, and flat areas of color combined with the characteristic flat projection of figures with no indication of spatial depth — created a sense of order and balance within a composition. Images and text were intimately interwoven on tomb and temple walls, coffins, stelae, and even statues.

Ancient Egyptian artisans used stone to carve statues and fine reliefs, but used wood as a cheap and easily carved substitute.

Paints were obtained from minerals such as iron ores (red and yellow ochres), copper ores (blue and green), soot or charcoal (black), and limestone (white). Paints could be mixed with gum arabic as a binder and pressed into cakes, which could be moistened with water when needed.

During the Middle Kingdom, wooden or clay models depicting scenes from everyday life became popular additions to the tomb.

CONSTRUCTION IN ANCIENT EGYPT There is consensus(general agrrement) among historians

and Egyptologists that the ancient Egyptians were the first builders ever known to man; they taught humanity how to design and erect buildings; thus laying grounds for human civilization, urbanization and man's settlement in a specific homeland of his own for the first time in history.

Their knowledge was purely experimental and their tools so simple. These mainly consisted of a builder's thread to delineate(describe/indicate) vertical lines, an angle, a measuring arm (52cm-long) and a straight edge. With these primitive tools, however, they could make schematic drawings, plans and cross-sections for their colossal but very fine structures that still astound the world.

Looking at the existing Pharaonic monuments, we should keep aside our conception of today's technological advancement. At that early time in history, stone blocks were molded with solid stones, copper or bronze tools. Courses of block work, column bodies and crowns, beams and ceilings were hoisted to the required level over mud and earth ramps up to the top of sand heaps adjacent to walls.

Lifting devices used consisted of wooden gliders, rollers, ropes and levers.

BUILDING AND STATUS OF STONE Ancient Egyptians used two words for stones; one

to denote precious stones, such as turquoise and emerald brought in small bags from eastern mines, red carnelian from Nubia and lapis lazuli from Asia. Semi-precious stones were used most adroitly in making amulets or inlaid into wood or gold.

The other type was stone blocks used by sculptors and builders. These were found in plenty, especially lime stone. Rough stones were used in building interior walls and foundations, while fine stones, cut out with special care, were used in decorating main walls or erecting colossal temples.

Yellow limestone was brought from Al-Silsila Mount, white limestone from Tura, and gray or red granite from Aswan and alabaster from central Egypt. The temple of Ramsis I, where almost all these types of stone were used, is the best illustration.

Basalt was often used in paving roads and laying lower courses of buildings. Generally, the above-mentioned stones, in addition to diorite, marble and porphyries were used in making statues and utensils. Convertible diorite was used in making the famous Chephren statue. Many scarabaeuses and other objets d'arte were made of soft steatite.

EVOLUTION OF PHARAONIC ARCHITECTURE

Ancient Egyptians knew how to fortify their cities and to surround their tombs with mud bricks and to build roomy temples; for almost in 3200 BC, ancient Egyptians started using sun-dried mud bricks on a large scale; a practice that persisted for long. However, the temples of the most famous deities were built with beautiful stone to stand time.

However, in 2800 BC, a genius architect called Imhoutep thought of using stones in building premises of secret rituals where people lived in life and afterlife.

Years after years many generations of skillful builders invented new architectural styles. They improved the style of building the pyramids and temples by using more stone blocks. The Old Kingdom witnessed setting of features, styles and decorations of ancient Egyptian architecture.

THE PYRAMIDS

The pyramids have the deepest impression on the whole world's imagination. They are the greatest and most famous structures ever in human history.

The extraordinary great pyramid was built by Cheops, son of Snefro. It covers an area of 13 feddans with an original height of 146, of which 9 meters at the top were lost. The four angles of the pyramid tilting at 51 and 52 degrees, face the original four directions. The interior of the pyramid was built with decorated stones. It was coated with a bright layer of which only some traces still remain. The only entrance of the pyramid is located to the north side at a 16 meters height.

The burial chamber, where the sarcophagus of the king lies bare, is made of granite. The ceiling of the chamber consists of nine granite blocks weighing some 400 tons. Above, there lie five separate niches, of which four have flat ceiling, while the upper one has a slanting one to avoid collapse under the weight of the overlying building.

FORTRESSES Skillful ancient Egyptians later devised more sophisticated

methods for transporting earth and stone to build defense structures. Through out Pharaonic eras, sensitive border were secured by strong defense means. From the early dynasties onward, royal palaces were surrounded with high clay walls erected around the outer courtyards of the tombs of princes in later eras. Other examples include Zoser wall in Sakkara and walls around certain sarcophagi. Oval-shaped fortresses were built with round supports in the same style used in earlier epochs.

During the Middle Kingdom, more sophisticated defenses were erected, consisting of huge 5-6 meter-high, mud brick castles with dual walls, barriers and terraces and sometimes with mobile towers and trenches. Fourteen fortresses were ingeniously built on the islets and mountains lying between the first and third cataracts on the Nile by Snosert III, conqueror of Nubia. Another manifestation of this style can be seen in the Prince's Wall, built by Amnemhat I in Al-Tolombat Valley to fend off Asian invaders.

Probably, that style of fortress building may be the origin of the myth widely circulated up to the time of the Arab conquest of Egypt, that an ancient Egyptian king had built a defense wall extending from Al Farama in Sinai to Heliopolis. To a large extent, the fortifications built by ancient Egyptians in that area are much similar to the Great Wall of China. Later, when ancient Egyptians conquered Asia during the Modern Kingdom, they adopted the common Asian fortress design known as the Migodol.

This was almost similar to the European castles of the Middle Ages, with the outer walls fitted with arrow shooting ports and small towers. On the other hand, the gate of the temple of Ramsis II in Habu was only a replica of the Asian-Syrian-style fortress. Since time immemorial, Egyptian fortresses were totally invulnerable.

EDFU TEMPLE Edfu was the capital of the second region in Upper

Egypt. It was a city of great importance and prosperity during the Old Kingdom. It owes its fame to a spacious Ptolemaic temple, one of the most famous religious monuments in Egypt.

The 137-m-long, 79-m-wide and 36-m-high temple is still exceptionally almost intact, with its hall, columns, stairs and ceiling still maintaining their original state. In addition, its colors and decorations still look fresh. It is not even hard to imagine how all these looked like at the peak of their glory. At the entrance, there lie two obelisks in front of the entrance with statues in the courtyard. The hall of columns look so live that a visitor may think he will soon see priests with their immaculate robes strolling around the place.

KARNAK TEMPLE "All I have seen in Thebes

and all I have strongly admired on the west bank of the Nile was by no means comparable to the Karnak. No people, ancient or modern, had thought of art or architecture in such a superb and extensive scale or with such grandeur as the ancient Egyptians did. They made me think of people each 100-feet-tall," said Champillion.

Al Karnak temple itself is a world where one may get totally lost. In order to perceive the overall system of these mind-boggling buildings, one should climb to the top of the first edifice built there. In front of the Temple, there lie the grand court of the Ethiopians and Sheshanq Gate. At the back there lies the great roofed hall built by Ramses, followed by Hetshepsut's obelisk and Thohomous' granite temple and ceremonial hall.

In the background, there lie the eastern gate, with the Sacred Lake, ruins of Osiris tomb, the temple of the infant deity Khonso, faced by Eurgetes edifice and Opit temple.

TEMPLE OF KHONS -PYLON DESCRIPTION

The temple is entered by a large Pylon 105ft/32m long, 33ft/10m deep and 59ft/18m high. Like the facades of other temples, it has four vertical grooves, with corresponding apertures in the masonry, for the fixing of flagstaffs. The reliefs on the towers depict a High Priest of the 21st Dynasty and his wife making offerings to various gods. In front of each tower stood a portico with a wooden roof; the bases of the columns are still in situ.

TEMPLE OF KHONS -CHAPEL DESCRIPTION The door in the middle of the rear wall leads into a larger

hall in which is the Chapel (open at both ends), designed to house the god's sacred boat. The reliefs on the outer walls of the chapel depict the King (Ramesses IV or XII) in the presence of various gods. Built into the walls are blocks bearing reliefs and cartouches of Tuthmosis III.

On each side of the chapel are dark chambers with reliefs of Ramesses IV, and to its rear a doorway built by one of the Ptolemies gives access to a small chamber with four 16 sided columns, the reliefs in which show Ramesses IV and (to the right and left of the entrance) the Emperor Augustus in the presence of the Theban gods.

TEMPLE OF KHONS -VESTIBULE DESCRIPTION

On the far side of the forecourt a ramp leads up to the Vestibule or Pronaos, with 12 columns. Beyond this is a transverse Hypostyle Hall with eight papyrus columns; the four columns flanking the central aisle have open capitals, while the columns between the lateral aisles (which are 5ft/1.5m lower than the central aisle) have closed capitals. On the walls and columns Ramesses XII and Herihor, High Priest of Amun, are depicted sacrificing to various gods.

Mastaba tombs

The mastaba tombs are so named because they resemble the benches outside shops in the markets. Mastaba is an Arabic word.

The mastaba tombs beside the Pyramids were laid out on a grid, providing laneways for access to the tombs.

Each mastaba tomb had at least one shaft burial. The mummys in their mummy cases were lowered into the shaft and grave goods were placed around them. Then the shaft was filled with stones to prevent looting and vandalism.

The tombs also had other functions in addition to burial.

Rectangular tomb-chapel belonging to Ancient Egypt, beginning to be constructed from the earliest dynastic era (around 3500 BCE).

The mastaba both represents the forerunner of the Pyramids, and the simpler alternative to Pyramids throughout the centuries when the Egyptians were erecting their famous pyramids.

Mastaba are structures with flat roofs, and normally built from mudbrick or stone. The mastabas had burial chambers that often were dug out in the ground, deep under the mastaba, with shafts connecting to the entrance

The theory is that the pyramid of Zoser in Saqqara was at first constructed as a mastaba, even if it differed from the ordinary mastabaa by being made all in stone.

This mastaba was extended by building five new, and gradually smaller, squares on top of it. By adding these new "stories", the pyramid was born.

All over Egypt, there are thousands of mastaba with a great variety of wall paintings, many of high artistic value. These depict everyday life in Ancient Egypt, and the mastabas represent a central source of information from that period in world history.

On the other hand, the wall paintings in the pyramids depicted life in the court and among the royals.

The tombs also had a chapel that was accessed from the outside. These were often decorated. Offerings to the spirit of the deceased were left by their decendants.

An additional feature was a Serdab room and statue. This room was created inside the tomb and was completely enclosed. Inside was a statue of the deceased. The statue was lined up to be opposite a small opening in the wall between the room and the chapel. In that way the spirit of the deceased could see the activities in the chapel and presumably the decendents could peek into the room and see the statue of their ancestor by flickering torchlight.

One of the most famous Serdab statues is that of King Djoser at Saqqara. His Serdab was a small building beside the Step Pyramid.

THE MORTUARY TEMPLE Like the King's Pyramid, the

mortuary temple too was built according to the standard layout. Even its decoration, which was reconstructed from many fragmentary reliefs, appears to have been a copy of the decorative programme from the complex of 5th Dynasty king Sahure, at Abusir.

The entrance to the temple, located in the eastern wall, led to a transverse hall, followed by an entrance hall or vestibule.

Map of Pepi II's complex, highlighting the funerary temple and the Queen's Pyramids.

The vestibule was decorated with reliefs showing the king destroying the forces of evil symbolised by animals, such as the hippopotamus, or by human enemies of Egypt.

It was followed by an open court surrounded by 18 rectangular quartzite pillars. The side facing the court of each pillar was decorated with a relief showing the king with a god. The floor of the court was paved with limestone and its walls were left undecorated.

The vestibule and open court are flanked to the north and south by some magazines. 

A second transverse hall to the west of the open court leads to the actual inner temple through a doorway in the west and to the satellite pyramid through a passage in the south. Fragments of relief found in the transverse hall show the king performing the ritual run of the Heb-Sed festival, needed for his eternal rejuvenation. Another relief showed the king ready to strike down a Libyan chief in front of his family.

Detailed map of the funerary complex linked to this pyramid.Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids. 

This type of scene sometimes refers to actual events that occurred during the king's reign, but is sometimes a mere symbolic representation of the king's duty to protect the country -and hence the entire creation- against its enemies.

The transverse hall is followed by the 5 statue niches, framed in red granite, of which the one in the middle was not only slightly larger than the others, but still held the limestone base of the statue that once stood there.

A doorway to the south of the 5 statue niches and a turn to the east leads to the antechamber, supported by a single, octagonal quartzite pillar. The chamber is decorated with reliefs showing the king being welcomed by more than 100 gods and goddesses and some 45 high officials.

The decoration on the north wall depicts the king enthroned and protected by Anubis and Nekhbet.

From the antechamber, a door in the north finally leads to the sanctuary, at the western end of which once stood a false door through which the king's Ba could access the world of the living.

The reliefs decorating the sanctuary show the king seated in front of an immense offering table, overseeing the many products of his royal domains that are brought to him.

On the eastern wall, the slaughtering of the offering-cattle was represented.

THE GREAT PYRAMIDS OF CHEOPS (KHUFU)

Not much is known about Cheops (Khufu). The tomb had been robbed long before archeologists came upon it. Any information about him was taken with the objects inside the tomb. He is thought to have been the ruler of a highly structured society and he must have been very wealthy. He was buried alone in this massive tomb. His wives may have been buried nearby in smaller mastabas.

The encasing marble which covered the outside of the pyramid has eroded or been removed over time. With this casing off, the pyramid lost 33 feet (11m) of all of its dimensions. The top platform is 10m square. The base of the pyramid is 754 feet and covers 13 acres.

The original entrance to the pyramid was about 15m higher than the entrance that is used today. Apparently Al Mamum, who opened up the new passage, could not find the original opening.

The new passageway leads straight across and joins in with the original passage, the descending passage. The descending passage led only to a subterranean chamber.

This descending passage that leads down is set at a 26 degree angle that descends down 345 feet (105m) into the earth under the pyramid. The passageway is only 3'6" (1.1m) wide and 3'11" (1.2m) high.

The chamber is closed to the public. The chamber itself is room that measures about 46' x 27'1" x 11'6" (14 x 8.3 x 3.5m).

There is a passage that leads 100 feet horizontally to the western side. The purpose of the pit is uncertain. It is possible that it could have been the burial chamber, but after a change of plan, it was abandoned.

The descending passage beyond where the new entrance meets it, is closed off by a steel door. The ascending passage rises at the same angle as the descending, 26 degrees.

The ascending passage leads up into the pyramid. The ascending passage is the same dimensions as the descending, 3'6" (1.1m) wide and 3'11" (1.2m) high. It can be quite a difficult trek for some people.

The passage leads on for 129 feet (39m).

AROUND THE PYRAMID

As you come out of the pyramid you can see the remains of the original enclosure wall which is on the north and east side. It lies about 10m from the base of the pyramid. Little remains of Cheops' Mortuary Temple. What is left is basalt paving and lies near the east side of the wall. You may also see occasional traces of the causeway that led from the valley temple in the village, Nazlat al-Samman, at the foot of the plateau. This causeway collapsed during the last 150 years. Three small pyramids stand to the east of Cheops' pyramid. These are thought to have been for his sister, Merites, who was also his wife, and possibly two other queens.

To the west of the great pyramid is the Royal Cemetery. It contains 15 mastabas which have just recently been opened to the public after having been closed for over 100 years.

Discovered at this site was the mummy of a 4,600 year old female. She had a completely unique plaster encasement that has never been seen or found anywhere else.

At the base of the south face of the Great Pyramid, sits the Boat Pits and Museum. The five boat pits were discovered in 1982. One boat is located at the site and can be seen at the museum.

The boat, which is encased in the stones, has no nails. It was held together with ropes and pegs, but not nails, and is amazingly intact.

The purpose of these boats may have been intended for travel to the after-life or to accompany the Sun-God on his journey.

EGYPTIAN GALLERY

Detailed map of Edfu with aerial imagery.

Approach to the Temple of Edfu and its great pylon from the southwest.

Edfu half-buried in the sand in the 1860s.

Birth House with the pylon in the background.

The Greco-Roman Birth House.

Tourists stream towards the pylon.

Inside the Court of Offerings, looking north to the Hypostyle Hall.

A Ptolemy makes offerings to the Edfu Triad: Horus, Hathor and Ihy.

Facade of the Hypostyle Hall from Court of Offerings.

Two views of the single granite statue of Horus

at the Hypostyle Hall.

Columns and reliefs in the Hypostyle Hall.

The Sanctuary of Horus, with ritual barque (barge) in front and black

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