HOA1 Lecture in Egyptian Architecture PDF

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EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE (5000 BC – 1ST CENTURY AD)

GEOGRAPHICAL Influence – Egypt is known as the Land of the Pharaohs and the Desert Land. - a narrow strip of land located near the famous Nile River, which is also their means of communications, highways, and source of life. - a barren land with rugged cliffs, the reason why most structures were monumental in character and usually along the river Nile. GEOLOGICAL Influence – Egyptians usually use stones for their monuments and structures due to the abundance of stone materials like sandstone, limestone, alabaster, granites, basalt and porphyry. – they also made sun dried bricks made up of clay and chopped straws for their pyramid building and temples. – for their roofing materials, Egyptians commonly use date palm leaves which are also abundant in their country. – Acacia wood were used for building their boats and Sycamore tree barks for their mummy cases.

CLIMATIC Influence – Egypt has only two(2) main seasons which is the spring season and summer season. This is the reason why they built simple structures, and the uses of windows were very minimal to cut off excessive sunlight in the interior and also as protection against sandstorms. – absence of downspouts, drainages and roof gutters was very common in their buildings due to lack of rainy season. RELIGIOUS Influence – has two predominant types of Egyptian religious buildings: a. Temples for the gods – solemn and mysterious b. Tomb pyramids – built by the early pharaohs and kings – the religion in Egypt was Monotheistic in theory, but Polytheistic in practice through the cult of many gods representing natural phenomena and the heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, stars and by the worship of animals as personifications of gods. – they have a strong belief in a future state, the reason why they built everlasting monuments such as the pyramids for the preservation of their dead. – Egyptian gods were frequently associated in triads:

Theban Triad

AMMON RAH

MUT

KHONS

(The Sun god)

(The Mother of all things)

(The Moon god)

Memphis Triad

PTAH

SEKHMET

NEFERTEM

(The Creator)

(The goddess of War)

(The son god of Ptah)

Other Egyptian gods: OSIRIS – god of the dead ISIS – wife of Osiris HORUS – son of Osiris and also the reincarnation of RAH HATHOR – goddess of love SET – dread god of evil, brother of Osiris SERAPIS – bull-god representing the strange cult of their sacred bull ANUBIS – jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife THOT - God of Knowledge, Hieroglyphs and Wisdom

AMMON RAH and MUT

OSIRIS and ISIS

PTAH and SEKHMET

HORUS and ANUBIS

HISTORICAL and SOCIAL Influence – Egyptian civilization is considered as the most ancient of all civilizations of which its information is only derived from ancient literary sources, from records on old papyrus and stone tablets and from inscriptions from early Egyptian buildings. – Social life of the Egyptians were graphically depicted in wall sculptures of tombs which portray Egyptians at war, at play, at the chase, on the farm, at business, and in the weaving sheds and workshops. – Craftsmanship was very highly developed mainly in the royal workshops, and they attained great skills in weaving, glassblowing, pottery, metal works, musical instruments, jewelry and furniture making. – Egyptian priests carried out the pursuit of learning in astronomy, mathematics and philosophy. PHARAOH – title given by the Hebrews for the kings of the Ancient Egypt. – derived from the Egyptian word “Per-aa”, which means the “Great House”. – there are 30 recorded dynasties of Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt based from the writings of Manetho (an Egyptian priest in 300 BC) who compiled ancient Egyptian History in Greek. • Seen as gods dwelling on earth • Sole masters of the country and its inhabitants • Builders and leaders • Initiated the design, financing, quarrying and transporting of materials, organization of labor and construction itself DIVISIONS OF DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT EGYPT: a. Ancient Kingdom – divided into 3 periods: Archaic period (1st - 2nd Dynasties), Old Kingdom (3rd – 6th Dynasties), and 1st Intermediate period (7th – 10th Dynasties). – its early capital was located in Memphis throughout the pyramid building periods. – it is this period were the art of writing and the hieroglyphic system were already being developed. HIEROGLYPHS - were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. - derived from the Greek words “Heiros” (sacred) and “Glypho” (carve or engrave).

b. Middle Kingdom – divided into two(2) periods: the Middle Kingdom (11th – 12th Dynasties) and the Second Intermediate period (13th – 17th Dynasties).

Key Pharaohs: 1. MENTUHETEP II – unified the whole country of Egypt under his reign. - he built an elaborate terraced mortuary temple combined with a small completely solid pyramid raised on a high base. 2. AMENEMHAT I – was energetic and enterprising and consolidated the administrative system of Egypt. – he made the survey of all Egypt and set boundaries to all its provinces, restored all its temples and built the Great Temple at Karnak. 3. SENUSRET I – erected the earliest known Obelisk at Heliopolis.

“Obelisk” - in architecture, it is tall pillar of square section tapering upwards and ending i a pyramid at the tip. • sacred symbol of sun-god Heliopolis • usually came in pairs fronting temple entrance • height of nine or ten times the diameter at the base • four sides feature hieroglyphics

c. New Kingdom (18th – 30th Dynasties) – the country was glorious in the likes of art peace and War and its main capita was established at Thebes. Key Pharaohs: 1. THOTHMES I – began the additions to the Temple of Ammon at Karnak – first Pharaoh to be buried in the rock-cut corridor Tombs of the Kings in the Thebes mountains. 2. QUEEN HATSHEPSUT - patronized the arts of peace, re-established religious rites and built the fascinating funerary temple at Der el-Bahari. 3. THOTHMES III – one of the greatest Pharaohs of Egypt who is known for foreign wars and home reforms, rebuilt and decorated many temples. 4. RAMESES I – began the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Kharnak. 5. RAMESES II - continued and finished the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Kharnak and also built the Rock Temple at Abu Simbel and the Rameseum at Thebes.

d. Ptolemaic Period (332 BC-30 BC) – this period covers the time of Alexander the Great when he rescued Egypt from the Persian invasions and then he made Alexandria as the new capital of Egypt. – after Alexander the Great died, Egypt fell to his General Ptolemy and the lower valley of the Nile was the seat of a prosperous and powerful kingdom. Ptolemy II – famous for the erection of Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria Ptolemy III – he founded the Great Serapeum of Alexandria, which was among the most magnificent buildings of the ancient world, and later rebuilt during the Roman period. Ptolemy V – inherited the valuable Rosetta stone (already displayed in the British Museum), which has provided a valuable key to the hieroglyphic records of Egyptian history – after the death of Queen Cleopatra, Egypt became a Roman province. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER: a. SIMPLICITY – use of simple geometric shape in their base plans for temples b. SOLIDITY and MASSIVENESS – building are made of solid stone boulders and large mud bricks for their external battered walls due to unstable shrinking foundation bed, and for their structures to last eternally. c. GRANDEUR – Egyptian structures tend to look monumental because it essentially uses a columnar and trabeated style especially in their pyramids, tombs and temples, of which can be seen by their massive pylons, great courts, hypostyle halls and secret rooms. “Trabeated” – a style in architecture like in the Greeks structures, where beams forms the constructive feature of a structure “Battered walls” – a term in architecture applied to a wall with an inclined face.

Trabeated

Battered walls of the Egyptians

ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLES: A. TOMBS Egyptian Architecture has three(3) types of Tombs: 1. MASTABA – in Egyptian Architecture, it is an ancient rectangular, flat-topped funerary mound with battered or sloping walls, covering a burial chamber below ground. -ancient Mastabas contains the following: a. An offering chapel with a STELE or upright stone slab inscribed the name of the dead, funerary text, and relief carvings intended for offering in case of failure in the supply of daily offering. b. Contains the SER-DAB, a closed statue chamber of the dead. c. A COLUMN HALL with walls lined with presentations or hieroglyphs depicting the life of the dead. d. An underground chamber containing the SARCOPHAGUS, an elaborate Egyptian coffin for an important personality or Royal person.

2. ROYAL PYRAMIDS – originally evolved from the mastaba tomb, it is made of massive funerary structure with a square base and sloping with triangular sides meeting at the apex. - Royal Pyramids usually contains the following: a. An offering Chapel with a STELE. b. Mortuary – a temple for worship of the dead Pharaoh. c. Causeway – a passageway that leads to the Valley building d. Valley building – chamber where embalmment and interment rights are held. It also have a “canal” to connect it to the Nile river for a magnificent entrance of the funeral cortege. – Pyramids were built massively in the lifetime of the Pharaohs concerned, to secure the preservation of the body after death till that time should have passed when, according to the belief of the Egyptians, the soul would once more return to the body. – Entrances to the pyramids is normally located at the North side and the sides were accurately oriented at the four cardinal points. EVOLUTION OF THE ROYAL PYRAMIDS: 1. STEP PYRAMID – an ancient Egyptian tomb derived from the Mastaba tombs that was composed of a series of successively smaller mastabas one on top of another. – an existing example of this tomb was the Step Pyramid of Zoser at Sakarra, which was the world’s first large-scale monument made of stone, and designed by the famous ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep.

Step Pyramid of Zoser

2. BENT PYRAMID – a kind of Egyptian pyramid that has two slopes on each sides. – the purpose of having two slopes on each sides is to lighten the weight of the upper masonry of the pyramid. – the most famous example of the bent pyramid was the South Pyramid of Seneferu at Dashur, which is 102 meters (335 ft) high and has an inclination of the sides of 54015’ halfway of its height, and then inclination of 430 in the upper part of the pyramid.

South Pyramid of Seneferu at Dashur

3. SLOPE PYRAMID – a kind of Egyptian pyramid which is considered as the most famous of all types of Egyptian pyramids. – its four sides is oriented at the four cardinal points of the compass and nearly equilateral triangles with an inclination of 51052’ to the ground. 3 Famous Slope Pyramids in Giza: a. Pyramid of Mykerinos (Menkaura) – built during the 4th Dynasty and considered as the smallest pyramid of the three famous pyramids of Giza. – has a square base of 109 meters(356 ft) and a height of 66.5 meters(218 ft) and with each sides sloping at 510 to the ground. b. Pyramid of Chephren (Khafra) – built during the 4th Dynasty and considered as the 2nd largest pyramid of the three famous pyramids of Giza. – has a square base of 216 meters(708 ft) and a height of 143 meters(470 ft) and has a steeper inclination in each sides sloping at 510 to the ground. – included in the complex building is the famous Great Sphinx of Chepren. Great Sphinx – the colossal enigmatic monster carved from a spur of rock which bears the head of the Pharaoh Chephren wearing the royal head-dress, false beard and cobra brow-ornament and has a body of a recumbent lion. c. Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) – built during the 4th Dynasty and considered as The largest pyramid of the three famous pyramids of Giza. – Cheops was the son of Pharaoh Seneferu and the 2nd King of the 4th Dynasty. – has a square base of 230.6 meters(756 ft) and a height of 146 meters(480 ft) and has an inclination in each sides sloping at 51052’ to the ground. Four (4) Main Parts of Pyramid of Cheops: 1. King’s Chamber – it is where the granite sarcophagus of Cheops is located. 2. Grand Gallery – a passage covered by a ramped corbelled vault of seven great courses and closed by stone slabs. 3. Queen’s Chamber 4. Subterranean Chamber

The Royal Pyramid Complex at Giza

Entrance

King’s Chamber showing the Sarcophagus

King’s Chamber

Queen’s Chamber

3. ROCK CUT or ROCK HEWN TOMBS – are tombs that are rare and are cut deep into the mountain rocks and which usually consists of passages leading to an Ante-room and beyond which is the Sepulchral chamber.

Tomb of the Kings at Thebes – located in the rocky mountains on the west side of the Nile river. - contains the important tombs of Seti 1 and Rameses III, IV, and IX. B. EGYPTIAN TEMPLES: 2 Types of Egyptian Temples: a. MORTUARY TEMPLES – built to honor defied and dead Pharaohs. b. CULT TEMPLES – built mainly for worship of the Egyptian ancient gods and goddesses. 4 Main Parts of a typical Egyptian Temple: a. ENTRANCE PYLON – massive sloping towers fronted by an obelisk, and considered as the main Gateways to an Egyptian temple.

Entrance Pylon at the Temple of Horus, Edfu b. HYPAETHRAL COURT – a large outer court of Egyptian temple usually open to sky and without the support of a roof structure. c. HYPOSTYLE COURT – a pillared hall usually consists of many columned halls of an Egyptian temple. d. SANCTUARY – usually surrounded by passages and chambers used in connection with the temple service including the Avenue of Sphinx.

Examples of Famous Egyptian Temples: 1. TEMPLE of KHONS in KARNAK – an example of Egyptian cult temple characterized by various chapels and the main parts, all enclosed by a high girdle wall.

2. GREAT TEMPLE of AMMON, KARNAK – considered as the most grandest temple in Egyptian planning and was commenced by Amenemhat I and occupying an area of approx.1,200 feet x 360 feet.

3. TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT AT DER-EL-BAHARI, THEBES – built by her Architect Senmut - it is a terraced temple wherein the burial place of Hatshepsut is located far away in the corridor tomb in the mountains beyond and is solely a mortuary temple dedicated to Ammon and other gods.

4. RAMESSEUM, THEBES – built by Rameses II in the New Kingdom period of Egypt. - Oriented northwest and southeast, the temple itself comprised two stone pylons (gateways, some 60 m wide), one after the other, each leading into a courtyard.

5. GREAT TEMPLE AT ABU SIMBEL – took about twenty years to build, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramesses the Great. - It was dedicated to the gods Amun Ra and Ptah, as well as to the deified Rameses himself. - It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Rameses II - The colossal statues, over 20mts(65 ft.) high were sculptured directly from the rock in which the temple was located before it was moved. - All statues represent Ramesses II, seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The hypostyle hall inside the Great Temple, 18 meters long and 16.7 meters wide and is supported by eight huge Osiris pillars depicting the deified Ramses linked to the god Osiris, the god of the Underworld, to indicate the everlasting nature of the pharaoh.

6. SMALL TEMPLE AT ABU SIMBEL – built also by Ramses II and is close to the Great Temple – was dedicated to Ramses’ defied Queen Nefertari and to the goddess Hathor. – The rock-cut facade is decorated with two groups of colossi that are separated by the large gateway. – The statues, slightly more than 10mts. high, are of the king and his queen. – On either side of the portal are two statues of the king, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt (south colossus) and the double crown (north colossus); these are flanked by statues of the queen and the king.

C. OBELISKS Obelisks – derived from the Greek word “obelos” which means nail or pointed pillar. – are tall pillar of square section tapering upwards and ending in a pyramid. – in ancient Egypt, it originated in the sacred symbol of the sun-god of Heliopolis and which usually stood in pairs in temple entrances and are huge monoliths, square in plan and tapering to a capped pyramidion at the summit which was the most sacred part. – it was believed that obelisks were transported on sledges and river barges and were erected on their foundations by hauling them up by earthen ramps and then tilting them into position. – many obelisks were removed from Egypt by the Romans and there are at least 12 that were present today in Rome. 1. OBELISK at the PIAZZA ST.GIOVANNI, ROME – built by the Pharaoh Thothmes III in his temple in Ammon at Karnak, Thebes and is considered as the largest of the obelisks in Rome. - It is 32 mts.(105 ft) high without the added pedestal, and 2.7 mts (9 ft) square at the base, the 1.9 mts.(6 ft) at the top most part, and weighs approx. 230 tons (240,000 kilos).

2.

CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE, THAMES EMBANKMENT, LONDON - Originally built in Heliopolis, Egypt, and was brought to London from Alexandria in 1878. - It has the inscriptions of the Pharaohs Thothmes III and Rameses II. - It is 20.9mts. (68 ft) high, 2.4 mts x 2.3 mts. (8 ft x 7.5 ft.) at the base and weighs 180 tons (180,000 kilos).

3. THE VATICAN OBELISK, ROME - At the center of the ovato tondo stands an Egyptian obelisk of red granite, 25.5 meters tall, supported on bronze lions and surmounted by the Chigi arms in bronze, in all 41 meters to the cross on its top. - The obelisk was originally erected at Heliopolis by an unknown pharaoh of the 5th dynasty of Egypt but during its history of c. 4400 years (at the start of the 2010s), the obelisk has been successfully moved 3 times. - In 37 A.D., Caligula ordered the forum demolished and the obelisk transferred to Rome. He had it placed on the spina which ran along the center of the Circus of Nero, where it would preside over Nero's countless brutal games and Christian executions. - Vatican Obelisk is the only obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since ancient Roman times. During the Middle Ages, the gilt ball on top of the obelisk was believed to contain the ashes of Julius Caesar.

C. EGYPTIAN CAPITALS AND COLUMNS - Egyptian columns have distinctive characters and a very large proportion of them plainly illustrates their vegetable origins, their shafts indicates bundles of plant stems gathered in a little at the base, and with capitals seemingly derived fron the Lotus bud, the papyrus flower or the tree palm.

D. EGYPTIAN MOULDINGS AND ORNAMENTS - Egyptian mouldings seldom are used with few designs because of the presence of hieroglyphics in their exterior and interior wall. - Egyptian ornaments are very symbolic and the most frequently used motif for their ornaments were of Lotus, Papyrus, and Palm.

EGYPTIAN “GORGE” MOULDING or sometimes called also as HOLLOW AND ROLL

Scarab or Sacred Beetle – symbolizes resurrection

Lotus, Papyrus and Palm – symbolizes fertility

Solar discs and winged vulture – symbolizes protection Spiral and feather – symbolizes eternity...