Lecture 4 gondarian architecture

Gondarian Architecture

Prep. By Ephrem N.

Gondar Background

• After the rise of Islam in the middle east there followed

almost one thousand years when Christian Ethiopia was

more or less isolated from the outer world.

• The effect was strengthened by the surrounding belt desert

scrub and true desert.

• The war between Mohamed Gragn and Ethiopian

highlanders around 1527-1543 resulted in the destruction of

much of the Christian medieval architectural heritage in

Ethiopia.

• While the Ottomans were helping the Muslims The

Portuguese were assisting Christian Ethiopia during the war.

Gondar

• Until the 16th century, the Solomonic Emperors of

Ethiopia usually had no fixed capital.

• One exception to this rule was Debre Berhan, founded

by Zara Yaqob in 1456

• Before Fassiladas came to power Emfraz, Ayba,

Gorgora and Dankaz flourished as cities for a short

time.

Gondar

Foreign influence and local contribution in Gondar architecture

• Jesuit missionaries

• The Jesuit father Pedro Paez supervised the construction of

the cathedral and castle in Gorgora for Emperor Susniyos

in 1621

• The Jesuit fathers brought a number of Indians as

craftsmen and assistants to help them realize their projects.

Gondar

• After the war with Gragn the Portuguese soldiers had

been assisting the king in construction

• They introduced some new methods by working

themselves and also through Indians

• They thought the locals

- the arts of burning lime,

- preparing good mortar,

- constructing true masonry arches.

Gondar

• Gorgora, Gomange, Guzara and Gannata Iyasus; former

cities of the royals.

• From site to site, the royal residences follow the same

general architectural pattern: quadrangular castles in

stone and mortar, with adjacent cisterns to maintain a

permanent water supply, surrounded by roughly circular

walled compounds surmounted by cylindrical towers with

egg-shaped tops

Early structures of the Gondarian style(16th

century)

1. The palace at Guzara

• Belongs to king Sartsa Dingil

• Constructed around 1570.

• A two story rectangular

building with two round corner

towers topped with domes

• It has a battlement parapet

wall at roof level, with a small

vision of the building acting as

a third story

Early structures of the Gondarian

style(16th century)

• Stone an mortar were used for the masonary wall, and

curved stone employed for the construction of arched

windows and dores.


style(16th century)

2.Martula Maryam

• Located in the Gojam district of Mota

• stand the tall ruins of the ancient rectangular

church dating from the time of King Susneyos

• The three-nave building started by the Jesuit

missionary Bruno Bruni and Brother Juan Martinez

(the architect of the Jesuits) in 1628


style(16th century)

• Indo-Portuguese decorative art

• The bas-reliefs and other stone decoration

in the altar area and around the windows

and chapel doors are of Western Catholic

origin, as are the anthropomorphic corbel

figures.


style(16th century)

3.Gorgora palace

• Situated on a small peninsula on the northern side of

Lake Tana, in the region of Dambya.

• Between 1611 and 1618, Gorgora became the royal

camp of King Susneyos

The Gondar period • Gondar was founded around 1635 by Emperor Fasiladas.

and grew as an Agricultural and market town.

• Five years after his coronation he started the construction

of his grand palace

Gondar

• After the restoration of peace and the steady

establishment of trade routes, Gondar emerged as the

new capital of Christian Ethiopian kingdom

• Taxes collected from the trade routes

• Existence of commerce and craftsmanship creates

employment for the urban population

• Its inhabitants engaged in different occupations

- merchants

- craftsmen(mostly builders)

- clergy

- servants

- palace guards and farmers

Gondar

• During the seventeenth century, the city's population is

estimated to have exceeded 60,000

• Gondar traditionally was divided into several

neighborhoods or quarters: Addis Alem, where the

Muslim inhabitants dwelled; Kayla Meda, where the

adherents of Beta Israel lived; Abun Bet, centered on the

residence of the Abuna, or nominal head of the Ethiopian

church; and Qagn Bet, home to the nobility

• Much more local in character.

• Design is often non-symmetrical in Gondar Architecture

• If the principal originators of the castles and churches at

Gondar had been Portuguese immigrants or Jesuit

missionaries from Portugal, Spain, and Italy , the style

would have been more like contemporary Baroque

architecture in Europe.

Gondar style

Characteristic features

• Batelements

• Most of the gondar castles are not in the first place real

castles of fortresses rather imposing palaces serving as

symbols and as useful spaces for the imperial court.

Battlements for real defense

(open parts narrower than

protecting parts; mostly in

Europe

Battlements mostly for

decoration and visual

expression of power; in Gondar

Characteristic features Arches

• Arches in Gondar architecture are semicircular or sometimes

lower(but never higher) than a circle

• They often stand out visually by being of a different and more

easily cut kind of stone,

• Wine read instead of black stone or light plaster as for the walls

Characteristic features • Types of arches

1.The simplest case

- a window is made by 3

straight stone slabs

2. The normal arch

3. A more elaborated arch

4. Windows as slots

Characteristic features

• Social hierarchy is reflected in the settlement pattern

of the city as a whole.

• Pyramidal development symbolizes the hierarchy….

The city character of Gondar

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Gonder_from_the_Goha_hotel.jpg

The Imperial compound of Gondar

• The great palace of Fasilladas was used for ceremonial

occasions by subsequent kings

• Both emperor Yohanis(1667-82) and Emperor Iyasu I

(1682-1706) continues to construct buildings in Gondar

• The imperial compound is subdivided into small

enclosures, with the main areas serving ceremonial, state

and other functions

• The large space in front of the Fasiladas palace was an

adebabay (Public Square)

• The palace faces Lake Tana and the nearby Jan Tekel

square.

The palace complex

The Imperial compound Approximately (1640-1750)

Fasil Palace

Tsadiku Yohannes Palace

Iyasu Palace

Dawit Palace

Bakafa Palace

Mentuab Palace


• The use of raised platforms and bridges indicate that the

royal family preferred to be segregated from the ordinary

inhabitants of Gondar

• Every monarch after Fasiladas who built a structure

followed a strict northward sequence


The palace complex


• The last Palace in the compound was built by Queen

Mintwab who was an important patron of the arts,

spending most of her time building castles and churches.

• She purchased a vast area of land from land lords

• She built her new palace and the church of Dabra

S’ahay (Qwsqwam).


The palace of Fasiladas

• One of the possible models for his palace is the castle at

Guzara

• It was an imposing structure of four storeys, the height of

the building being about 32m.

• The walls at ground level are more than a meter thick,

• Built of basaltic rubble

• It took about 6,000 cubic m. of stone, sand and

limestone for the walls, and large number of timber for

the beams, floor planks, window and doors



• The main entrance stairway rises to the 1st floor on a

north –south axis, and has a storage space under it.

• The depth of each thread is 31cm with a width of 3m.

• According to oral traditions the Emperor employed

Turkish and Portuguese-Indian craftsmen who were

brought over for the construction work.


• Arched window and door openings were built of reddish

volcanic tuff, which was curved and brought from a

quarry around Qusquam.

The Imperial compound of Gondar The palace of Emperor Yohanis and his Library

• A very small and humble structure

• Not too much decorated


The palace of Iyasu I

• His palace is known as the saddle castle, for the shape

of its roof supported by arches.


• Ceiling details



The palace of Emperor Dawit II

• The palace is famous for its large internal dancing hall.


The palace of Emperor Bakafa

• A stable for horse of noble people is located next to the

palace creating a long courtyard


The palace of Mintwab and he son Eyasu II

• Famous for its decorations at the entrance


• The 12 imperial compound gates

1. Jann Tekel Ber-Imperial Gate

2. Wember Ber- Gate of the Judges

3. Teskar Ber- Funeral Commemorations

4. Azash Tukure Ber- secret Gate of Azash Tikur

5. Adenager Ber (Kob Astel)- Gate of the spinners

6. Quali Ber

7. Imbilta Ber(Balderas Ber)- Gate of the flute player

8. Elfign Ber- Gate of private chamber

9. Ras Ber(Kwarenyoch Ber)- of high persons

10.Kechin Ashewa Ber(erigib Ber)- of priests

11.Inqoye Ber

12.Gimja Ber

Details

Details

Examples outside of the Imperial

Compound

Bath of Fasiladas

Bath of Emperor Fasiladas (built from 1662 to 1667)

• located outside of the imperial compound

•The walled compound with the large man-made pool

• Is situated in an open plain where large crowds of

people can gather for parades and ceremonies.

Bath of Fasiladas

Mintwab Palace at Qusquam

The castle of Ras Mikael Sihul

• Probably the last castle in Gondar outside of the Imperial

compound

Church of Debra Berhan Selassie

• Architecturally important church which was never

destroyed and is still existing.

• it is known for its painted ceiling with the many heads of

angels

Church of Debra Berhan Selassie

• These crosses were treated in

decorative manner

• The influences of these designs

is still vivid.

Gondar Crosses

Now

Lecture 4 gondarian architecture

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