Egyptian Architecture

Geographical Condition
Egypts landscape varies from the strip of a fertile land in the valley of the river Nile, then arid
region and finally to a vast desert.
The lower northern part, the river meets the Mediterranean Sea and in eastern part it extends
upto Red sea.
Egypt is known as the gift of river Nile. Egyptian Pharaohs found their cities.
Egypt is built of massive royal pyramids and priestly temples.
Geological Condition
The availability of building materials determines the character and style of Architecture.
Rich Clay was abundant from the Nile delta. To strengthen the clay, it was mixed with palm
leaves, reeds etc. Fine lime stone was quarried from Mokattam hills, and from Tura near Saqqara
for the construction of Pyramids. Sandstone was plenty at Silsila, with which the ancient
Egyptians constructed the finest temples and sacred sarcophagus or the stone coffin to
preserve the dead bodies.
Red and grey granite was brought from Aswam, to make columns and architraves. Quarrying was
done by copper chisels and timber wedges. The stone slabs were transported by placing them on
sledges made from large wooden beams, the men pulled them along with ropes. The
transportation routes followed the valley of the Nile, and during the flood seasons, the large
stone slabs were carried by boats.
It is remarkable to note that only the temples and tombs were built with stones whereas all the
houses and even palaces were built with unbacked bricks.
Climate Condition
There are only two seasons spring and summer. The climate is bright and warm. Snow and frost
are unknown to them. Due to the bright sunshine, interiors of building, temples got sufficient
light through doors and roof slits. So they provided very few windows. The massive, unbroken
walls thus obtained, helped to protect the interiors from the intense heat of the sun.
Except on the Nile delta, storm and rain are very rare so there was no problem of roof drainage.
Hence flat roofs were most common.
Religious Condition
The mysterious tradition and religious rites are reproduced in their architecture both in the
form of tombs and temples.
Egyptians are worshippers of gods and heavenly bodies like the sun, moon, stars and animals as
embodiment of gods. So Egyptian constructed many temples within great enclosures consisting
of a pillared court, hypostyle hall the dark mysterious chamber and a chapel.

In the early history of Egypt there was no distinction between the gods and the almighty kings
known as Pharaohs. The Egyptian gods were frequently associated in Triads, namely

Great Theban Triad

Amon Into him were assimilated many other gods, Ra and gods of war and conquest.
Mut Mother of all things.
Khons - The moon god.

Memphis Triad
Ptah A creator.
Sekhmet Goddess of war.
Nefertem Their son.

Egyptians was their strong belief in future life. And to secure immortality of the soul the
pharaohs preserved their dead bodies in the royal pyramids and nobles in the mastabas the
modest tombs and the poor were simply buried in pit grave without being mummified.
Social Condition
Egyptian literature has been preserved on papyrus plant and tablets. It was rather social custom
and manner to record the historical events on the temples and social matters on tombs.
The wall sculptures also show the Egyptians at war, hunting, fishing, servant bringing crops,
working in weaving sheds, workshops etc.
Pharaohs owned the whole country. They distributed the land amongst all their relatives as a
reward.
Egyptian developed medicine and surgery. They also achieved great skill in pottery, metal
making, weaving, glass blowing, jewellery, musical instruments and furniture. They produced
poetry, hymns, memories, educational works, humorous stories and novels.
There was large class of traders, good sailors and ship builders. The craftsmen and lower clergy
formed a small middle class.
Characteristic Features
Egyptian architecture which is essentially a columnar and trabeated (trab-beam) style was
mainly employed on

Tombs
Temples

The Egyptian architecture consists of massive walls, made of sun dried mud bricks, the Nile mud
being reinforced by reeds, papyrus and palm-branch ribs.
The houses were one or two storeys high, with a living hall in the centre to protect it from
fierce heat of the sun.
Egyptian temples were fronted by Obelisks or Monolithic pillars and approached by a row of
sphinxes-mythical monsters-the structure with body of a lion and the head of a man.

The Egyptian columns have distinctive character and they exhibit their vegetable origin like a
lotus stalk, tied an intervals by bands. The capital appears like an inverted bell or like a lotus
bud, or papyrus flower.
Egyptian were also advanced in the use of colors and they presented schemes of decoration,
mainly in blue, red and yellow.

TOMBS

Tomb was eternal home to Egyptians.

The tombs were always built on the west bank of Nile.
There are three types of tombs such as:Mastabas
Royal Pyramids
Rock cut caves

MASTABAS

Mastaba is an Arabic word meaning a bench.

Mastaba was constructed for noblemen who had privilege to afford.
The mastaba is also called the House of the double was constructed in a board pit
below ground. The superstructure was covered by a rectangular flat roof, with sloping
sides.
Mastaba of Aha, Saqqara
Mastaba of Giza

Pyramids

Pyramids are built only for pharaohs.

Pyramids are massive and impregnable tombs.
Early pyramids were similar to mastaba.
The stages of development of pyramid can be observed in the stepped pyramid of
Zoser at Saqqara and next came the Bent Pyramid at Dashur .
The finest and the most geometrically pure form was attained such as at Giza.
The chief material used for sore is lime stone.
Granite is mainly used for kings chamber and passages.
The entrance was usually from north and sides were almost exactly aligned with cardinal
points of the compass.
The dressing of the finished faces was carefully done from top to bottom and the apex
stone block was sometimes coated with gold.
The pyramids were enclosed by high massive walls, and within them were a temple for
worship, a chapel for offering, a small cause way over the canal to connect the Valley
Building with the river Nile.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza

This pyramid is built outside the Memphis city limit near Cairo for Cheops also known as
Khufu, the second King of Forth Dynasty.
The pyramid measures 230.5 x 230.5 meters and the thrusts 146 meters into sapphire
sky.
The four faces form roughly equilateral triangles and their sides, makes an angle of
51dec 52 with the ground.
The four corners are oriented with the cardinal points of the compass.
The pyramid is built of solid stones with casing of finally dressed Tura Lima stones and
apex stone was once coated with gold.
From the north, an entrance is provided nearly at a height of 17m from the ground
through which a small corridor is built. The corridor descends at an angle of 26 degree.
The ascending corridor is constructed through the descending corridor nearly at ground
level and the latter is sealed off due to certain changes in plan or to foil possible grave
robbers.
The ascending corridor rises at an angle of 30 degree, about 18m along for a height of
21m above the ground and connects to the Queens chamber.
The Queens Chamber is also on central axis.
The ascending corridor is widened into large passage which is now well known as the
Grand Gallery.
The Grand Gallery contains a passage 2.1m wide and 2.3m high covered by a corbelled
vault in seven courses up to a height of 8.5m where it tapers to a width of hardly 1.1m.
At the end of Grand Gallery is the Kings Chamber where, the granite sarcophagus is
placed.
The Kings Chamber is 10.36m long, 5.23m wide and 5.8m high is lined with granite and
covered with five tiers of stone beams raising to a height of 21m from the floor.
Two air-shafts about 20cm x 15cm are provided from outer faces of the pyramid to the
Kings Chamber to serve as ventilation as well as a free passage for the Ka-the spirit of
the deceased Pharaoh.
The largest stone building in the ancient world with more than two million lime stones
and granite blocks each weighing about two to three tonnes.

Temples

Mainly there are two types of temples, one is temple for ministration to Pharaohs and
the other, the cult temple for worship of Gods.
The temples were constructed within great enclosures and consider of
Series of rooms
A pillared court
Hypostyle hall-the dark mysterious chamber
Chapel
Sloping tower
Residences for priest
Office building
Panties
A sacred water tank for religious rites.
The temple were usually oriented toward the Nile.
Sphinxes and Obelisks were set up in pairs to dignify the temple entrances.

The Temple Of Khons at Karank

It is a temple dedicated to Khons-the Moon God.

It is rectangular in plan.
The temple was fronted by Obelisks and approached through an impressive avenue of
Sphinxes.
The height of the temple goes decreasing from front to rear.
The roof is of stone slab and the stone slab is supported by 28 columns.
At the end was chapel were they conducted all the rites.

The Great Temple Of Amon Of Karank At Thebes

The temple of Amon-Ra, the Sun God.

This temple is largest of all Egyptians Temples.
The temple plan was rectangular plan measuring 366m long and 110m wide.
6 pairs of Pylons built one Pylon after another by successive Pharaohs.
The great court measures 103m by 84m deep.
The hypostyle measures 103m by 52m and it is supported by 134 gigantic columns in
sixteen rows.
21m high and 3.58m in diameter with papyrus flower of bell type capital.
The wall surfaces, shafts of columns and architraves are covered with incised relief
work in different colours.

Obelisks

These are large sized monoliths square in plan.

Tapering upwards and converging to a pyramidal end with a metal capping at the summit,
which was scared symbols of the Sun God of Heliopolis.
The Obelisks developed into the most graceful symbol introduced in the long history of
sun worship.
Obelisks were set up in pairs as a sacred symbol of the Sun God to dignify the temple
entrances.
The height of Obelisks is 9 or 10 times its lower diameter.
The 4 sides of the base are cut with figures of Hieroglyph.