Egyptian Culture and Architecture

ARC60103/ARC1313 Architecture, Culture and History I

Image Credit: Ricardo Liberato

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035655291@N01/171610084/
 Egyptian Architecture
and Culture
Cosmology Pyramids Temples
Worldview Space Features
Religion Evolution Types
Immortality Hierarchy

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Image Credit: http://egyptianmythology.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Egypt-Gods-BC.jpg
 Israel

The Great Pyramid

Sinai Peninsula

The Sahara

The Nile
Egypt “is the gift of the river.” - Herodotus
Image Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=64868 The Red Sea
 The Nile
1. A major source of water
2. The Inundation (flooding of the Nile) occurs yearly - peaks in June - October

3. Residue after the flood, the black soil created fertile land for agriculture -

Emergence of the Fields from the Water (crop planting) November - February

4. Drought season - harvesting period March - May

Image Credit: http://emerald.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/spring2007/images/features/A4763_NS.jpg

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print. p.189-190
 Kemet
“the black land”
Deshuret
“the red land”

“To the Egyptian, time flowed in endless, repeating cycle” (Roth, 1993)

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/waldenpond/4241812718/in/set-72157623122095180/

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print. p.189-190
 Ancient Egyptian Culture
The ancient Egyptians were content in the endless
cycles of life determined by the sun and river. (Roth p.190)

To them, the cosmos1 was an unchanging continuum.

Death Afterlife

1.cosmos: the universe seen as a well-ordered whole

Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12587661@N06/2658551967

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print. p.189-190
 ma’at
universal order
truth, order, justice, stability, cosmic order of harmony

Radical change (material, social,

religious) is a violation to ma’at

Birth Death
Creation Existence Afterlife
judgement

weighing of the heart


with the feather of ma’at

Image Credit: By Jeff Dahl - Own work, GFDL, Ba-Link

Image Credit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/past_exhibitions/

2011/book_of_the_dead.aspx?fromShortUrl

 “The unperfected soul will be reborn again (re-incarnated) in a new physical vehicle
(body), in order to provide the soul an opportunity to further development on earth.
This cycle of life/death/re-newal continues until the soul is perfected, by fulfilling the
42 Negative Confessions1, during his life on earth.” (Gadalla, 2001)

1.42 Laws of Maat

Image Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/BD_Weighing_of_the_Heart.jpg

Gadalla, Moustafa. Egyptian Cosmology: The Animated Universe. Greensboro, NC: Tehuti Research Foundation, 2001. Print.
 ba

free to roam

Birth Death
Creation born with Existence Afterlife
akh

ka

remains close to body

ba ka

“The Egyptians did not make the sharp distinction between body and soul that is basic to many religions.
Rather, they believed that from birth, a person was accompanied by a kind of other self, the ka (life force),
which on the death of the body, could inhabit the corpse and live on” (Kleiner, 2010)

Image Credit: By Jeff Dahl - Own work, GFDL, Ba-Link

Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. 13th Ed. Vol. 1. Print.

 “Preserving the deceased’s body by mummification

was only the first requirement for immortality in ancient
Egypt. Food and drink also had to be provided, as did
clothing, utensils, and furniture.” (Kleiner, 2010)

Image Credit: https://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/tag/egyptian-mummies-2/

Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. 13th Ed. Vol. 1. Print.

 see
ks
rev
ere d! d!
kille

en
murd

ge
murders Osiris &
distribute his
body all over

in!
new aga Osiris Seth Isis

uses magic to stitch back the body of Osiris

Osiris and Isis gave birth to Horus

Why is this important?

Osiris - God of the Underworld Horus
Reincarnation of the Pharaoh Pharaoh as Living Horus

Image Credit: By Jeff Dahl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(deity)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis
 The Pyramids
“…the Egyptians perhaps held the clearest idea of their
collective destiny and focussed upon one main objective -
the building and completion of a monumental burial place
for their king …” (Stalcup. p.18, 2000)

Image Credit: Ricardo Liberato https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035655291@N01/171610084/

Stalcup, Brenda. Ancient Egyptian Civilization. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print. p.18
 Entrance to chamber
Place for offerings

Burial shaft

Burial chamber

Mastabas (“bench” in Arabic)

an ancient Egyptian tomb rectangular in shape with sloping sides and a flat
roof, standing to a height of 17–20 feet (5–6 m), consisting of an underground
burial chamber with rooms above it (at ground level) in which to store offerings.

Image Credit: http://www.ancient-egypt.info/2013/08/the-mastaba-tombs.html

Clusters of mastabas would often be built together for members of a

family, so that in death they the family as a group maintained the
same physical proximity they had in life.

Image Credit: http://www.ancient-egypt.info/2013/08/the-mastaba-tombs.html

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print
 The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
Designed by first known architect - Imhotep, who was also the high priest, grand vizier and chief
judge. The Step Pyramid consists of a receding stack of six stone mastabas. It was the first
monumental structure constructed of stone.

Image Credit: http://www.panoramio.com/user/2767468/tags/Stepped%20Pyramids%20at%20Saqqara!

 1. Stepped pyramid derived from square-plan mastaba

2. Funerary temple of Djoser
3. Large court with altar and two B-shaped stones
4. South tomb
5. Entrance portico
6. Royal Pavilion
7. South Palace

6 5
e ters 4
5 m 7
54 1 3

27 7
me t
er s

Image Credit: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140205-egypt-pyramids-edfu-archaeology-science/

 The Perfection
of Pyramids

The Pyramid of Meidum The Bent Pyramid of Dashur The Red Pyramid of Dashur

Image Credit: http://pyramidgrid.com/img/step/03.jpg

Image Credit: http://hawkebackpacking.com/egypt_2009_cairo_dahshur.html

Image Credit: http://www.touregyptclub.com/en/travel/Egypt-sightseeing-holidays-Tourist-information/Giza-travel-guide/Dahshur-Necropolis

 Menkare Khafre Khufu

The Pyramids of Giza

Pyramid built for Khufu (Cheops), second pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, is the largest. Next to it is
the pyramid for Khafre (Khufu’s son), third pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. Menkare (Kharfre’s son) is
the last and smallest pyramid in the complex.

“The pyramids are symbols of the sun. The pyramids were where Egyptian Kings were reborn
afterlife, just as the sun is reborn each day and dawn.” (Kleiner, 2010)

Image Credit: http://www.conscious-collective.com/blog/mystery-of-the-great-pyramids-at-giza/

Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. 13th Ed. Vol. 1. Print.

 ~230m

~230m
Khufu Pyramid

~215m
~215m

Khafre Pyramid
~104m

~102m
Menkare Pyramid

Image Credit: http://content.satimagingcorp.com/static/galleryimages/quickbird-pyramids-egypt.jpg

 View of the Grand Gallery leading to the King’s Chamber

Image Credit: http://hubpages.com/education/Elements-of-Egyptian-Architecture#

Image Credit: http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-egypt/pictures/egyptian-

pyramids/view-of-city-and-giza-pyramids-from-cairo-citadel-cairo-egypt

Egypt Historical
Timeline

Pre-Dynastic The Golden Age

and Early Period Old Kingdom Middle Kingdom New Kingdom Late Period Ptolemic Period
3500 - 2575 2575 - 2134 2040 - 1759 1539 - 1070 712 - 332 332 - 30
BCE BCE

3200-3100 Unification of 2551 - 2472 Expanded empire to Gigantic Conquered by Conquered by

Lower and Upper Egypt The Great Pyramids Nubia temples foreigners Alexander the Great
1353-1335
Religion
reformation -
Akhenaton
1st 2nd 3rd
Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate
Period Period Period
 Egyptian Temples
The ancient Egyptians believed that temples were
the homes of the gods and goddesses. Every
temple was dedicated to a god or goddess and
he or she was worshipped there by the temple
priests and the pharaoh.

Image Credit: © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons

 Temples
Two classifications of temples:
• Independent entity
• Rock-cut complex

Components of temples:
• Pylon

In architecture, i.e. Egyptian temples, a
Luxor Temple large opening, doorway or entrance.
• Clerestory

A part of a building that rises above the
roofs – basically windows above eye-level
primarily allowing light and ventilation.
• Hypostyle

A form of architecture that has a roof
supported by columns.
• Axial Plan

The horizontal arrangement of the elements
of a building or town along a central axis.
• Colonnade

Temple of Abu Simbel A series of columns.

Image Credit: https://bloggage.me/about/egypt-2012/abu-simbel-temple/

Image Credit: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-AP/ancient-egypt-ap/a/karnak

 The Great Temple of Amun, Karnak, Thebes

The grandest of all Egyptian temples. It is enlarged by succeeding pharaohs since
the Middle Kingdom (around 2000 BCE).

Image Credit: By Cornell University Library - originally posted to Flickr as Temple

Complex at Karnak, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
curid=7252716

 The Great Temple of Amun, Karnak, Thebes

Pylons
• A monumental gateway resembling two
mountains on horizon
• Symbolizing sunrise and sunset as the gods
move in and out through the mountains

3
1
4
5

1. Sacred Lake
2. Sanctuary (sekos)
3. Hypostyle Hall
4. Colonnade
5. Great Hall
6. Temple of Ramses III

Image Credit: https://www.studyblue.com/#flashcard/view/2307696

 The Great Temple of Amun, Karnak, Thebes

Hypostyle hall
Clerestory windows 1
• A large hall with rows of huge decorated
columns connecting the colonnades and
path to the courtyard and sanctuary.

3
1
4
5

1. Sacred Lake
2. Sanctuary (sekos)
3. Hypostyle Hall
4. Colonnade
5. Great Hall
6. Temple of Ramses III

1. Clerestory: an outside wall of a room or building that rises above an adjoining roof and contains windows

Image Credit: https://www.studyblue.com/#flashcard/view/2307696

Image Credit: http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loeiw7hQMt1qgpvyjo1_1280.jpg

 The Great Temple of Amun, Karnak, Thebes

Obelisk
• From the Greek word meaning “a spit”.
• Monumental tapering shaft usually made of pink granite
• Capped with a pyramidion at the top.
• Obelisks are solar symbols similar in meaning to pyramids.
• Set in pairs and located at the entrances of temples.
2

3 Example of an Obelisk
1
4
5

1. Sacred Lake
2. Sanctuary (sekos)
3. Hypostyle Hall
4. Colonnade
5. Great Hall
6. Temple of Ramses III

Image Credit: https://www.studyblue.com/#flashcard/view/2307696

By William Henry Goodyear - Brooklyn Museum, Public Domain, https:// Egypt - Karnak. Gate
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31043157
and Pylon / 1923
A panoramic view of the great hypostyle hall in the Precinct of Amun Re

Image Credit: By Blalonde - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8709847

Image Credit: http://financialspots.com/2016/01/16/the-temple-of-karnak-the-great-hypostyle-hall/

Image Credit: http://www.omniplan.hu/2003-Egypt/Luxor.htm

Image Credit: http://eeryelegance.tumblr.com/post/6409137935/sweet-sweet-lotus

 View of the Abu Simble Temples. The Great Temple is on the left and the Small Temple its on the right

The Temples at Abu Simbel (~1264BCE)

Two temples exists at Abu Simbel, The Great Temple of Rameses II and The Small
Temple of Nefertari. Both are rock-hewn temples.

Image Credit: By Holger Weinandt; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 04:48, 16 January
2011 (UTC) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
curid=12711237
 32m 20m

36m

Image Credit: https://bloggage.me/about/egypt-2012/abu-simbel-temple/

 9m

Image Credit: http://www.leeabbamonte.com/africa/5-things-to-do-in-aswan-abu-simbel.html

 Relocation of The Temples at Abu Simbel
Construction of the Aswan High Dam resulted in an artificial lake at the original site of the Abu Simbel
temples. In 1964, UNESCO and the Egyptian government undertook the task of cutting the temple out of
their rock cliff and reassembled them in a new man-made mountain, 60m above and 180m west from its
original site.

Image Credit: https://dilemmaxdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/abu-simbel-

relocation.jpg
Image Credit: http://mashable.com/2015/05/26/abu-simbel-relocation/#9CoT1rk2mkqV
Image Credit: https://dilemmaxdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/abu-simbel-24.jpg
 Other Egyptian
Temples

Luxor Temple Temple of Hatshepsut

Image Credit: https://dilemmaxdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/abu-simbel-24.jpg

 Overview

“… the goal of Egyptian culture and the architecture which housed its institution, was
continuity and order; this unending effort to thwart time, death and decay bound the
architect to the service of tradition.
… out of the obelisk, pylon, hypostyle hall, and all the other architectural elements, the
Egyptians never fashioned an organic architecture; for all their pragmatic science they
never speculated or theorized. The Egyptians never stepped back from the architectural
object, studied it reflectively as an abstract thing, because as E.B. Smith recognized, “
they saw not the stone but the symbol.”

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New
York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print.
 References
Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements,
History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993.
Print.

Stalcup, Brenda. Ancient Egyptian Civilization. San Diego,

CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print.

Gadalla, Moustafa. Egyptian Cosmology: The Animated

Universe. Greensboro, NC: Tehuti Research Foundation,
2001. Print.

Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western

Perspective. 13th Ed. Vol. 1. Print.

Olson, A. (2013). Ancient Egypt. Retrieved April 4 2013, from

http://www.sophia.org/ancient-egypt/ancient-egypt--2-
tutorial

Image Credit: Taken by the uploader, w:es:Usuario:Barcex - Taken by the uploader,

w:es:Usuario:Barcex, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
curid=4483211