Egyptian Architecture (HOA EGYPT PDF)

Egyptian (3000 B.C.-200 A.D.) ▪ Characterized by the axial planning of massive masonry tombs and temples, the use of trabeated construction with precise stonework, and the decoration of battered walls with pictographic carvings in relief. ▪ A preoccupation with eternity and the a...

Egyptian (3000 B.C.-200 A.D.) ▪ Characterized by the axial planning of massive masonry tombs and temples, the use of trabeated construction with precise stonework, and the decoration of battered walls with pictographic carvings in relief. ▪ A preoccupation with eternity and the afterlife dominated the building of these funerary monuments and temples. Egypt, ca. 3rd century B.C. Egypt’s possession of the Nile was of immense advantage, not only on account of its value as a trade route, and as a means of communication, but also because its waters were the fertilizing agents that made desert sands into fruitful fields. Religious Structures Saqqara, Egypt. Mastaba A tomb for the nobility or members of the royal family. Made of mud brick, rectangular in plan with a flat roof and sloping sides, from which a shaft leads to underground burial and offering chambers.  1 stone facing 2 sacrificial chapel 3 tombstone (serdab) 4 fill 5 shaft 6 masonry seal 7 stone slab 8 burial chamber 9 sarcophagus Cross section of a mastaba. Luxor, Egypt. Temples An edifice or place dedicated to the worship or presence of a deity. Kinds of Temple Cult Temple Mortuary Temple An ancient Egyptian An ancient Egyptian temple for the worship of temple for offerings and a deity. worship of a deceased person, usually a deified king.  1 RA, RE – sun 2 OSIRIS – death, judgement 3 ISIS – motherhood, protection 4 HORUS – falcon, royalty 5 SETH, SET – storms, chaos, evil 6 ATUM, TUM – sun, creator of all things 7 MIN – fertility 8 MAAT – order 9 AMUN, AMEN, AMON – 'the unseen one' 10 MUT – mistress of heaven 11 KHONSU – moon 'the traveller' 12 HAPI – the Nile's fertility 13 NUT – the firmament 15 SHU – air 14 GEB – earth 16 PTAH – creation, craftsmanship Egyptian gods. Karnak Temple Complex Luxor, Egypt. When Amun-Re, the god of the sun and the heaven became the national deity during the period of the New Kingdom, at least a dozen temples were built in his honor. One of the main components of this political/religious landscape was the temple complex of Karnak. Karnak Temple Complex. Luxor, Egypt. (Reconstructed model)  1 1st pylons, c.320 BC 2 forecourt 3 birth house, mammisi 4 kiosk 5 pylon temple 6 2nd pylons, c.1320 BC 7 hypostyle hall, c.1290–1250 BC 8 3rd pylons 9 obelisks 10 4th pylons 12 5th pylons 13 6th pylons 14 barque temple 15 temple court (Middle Kingdom) 16 festival hall 17 holy of the holies 18 ambulatory `Botanical garden´ Cult Temple of Amon (Amun), Karnak; 2000–300 BC Avenue of Sphinxes Leads to a tall portal guarded by a towering pylon. Sphinx A figure of an imaginary creature having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk.  7 androsphinx: human-headed sphinx Vatican Museum, Rome 8 androsphinx: human-headed sphinx Amenemhet III, 12.dynasty, c.1800 BC 9 androsphinx: human-headed sphinx Thutmosis III, 18th dynasty, Rek-minh-re, Thebes, Egypt 10 criosphinx: ram-headed sphinx 11 hieracosphinx: falcon-headed sphinx Egyptian sphinxes. Obelisk An Egyptian monolithic four-sided standing stone, tapering to a pyramidical cap (a pyramidion), often inscribed with hieroglyphs and erected as a monument. Pylon A gateway guarding a sacred precinct consisting of either a pair of tall truncated pyramids and a doorway between them, often decorated with painted reliefs. Hypostyle Hall A large hall having many columns in rows supporting a flat roof, and sometimes a clerestory. Pylon temple An Egyptian temple type with monumental gateways, formed by twined pylons. Kiosk A freestanding stone canopy structure supported by columns in Egyptian architecture. (Hypaethral, classical temple that is wholly or partly open to the sky.) Mammisi Dendera Temple Complex. Dendera, Egypt. Birth-house; a small Egyptian side temple, kiosk or tent shrine to celebrate the place where the god of the main temple was born, or where the goddess bore her children. Barque Temple A room or building in which the image of the Pharaoh or deity was revered. Mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Shrine of Anubis, c.1470 BC Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Deir el Bahari, Egypt. Senmut. Queen Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple played a key role in the processional events as the temporary resting place for the barque during the Beautiful Feast of the Valley. Located in the Valley of the Kings, which was to become the main burial place for the Egyptian royalty. Rock-cut Tomb A tomb hewn out of native rock, presenting only an architectural front with dark interior chambers, of which the sections are supported by masses of stone left in the form of solid pillars.  20 outer court 21 sphinxes 22 ramps 23 colonnades (lower) 24 terrace (lower) 25 ramp to shrine 26 shrine (of goddess Hathor) 27 colonnades (upper) 28 chapel (chapel of Anubis) 29 Osiris pillars 30 chapel (of Hatshepsut) 31 ceremonial court 32 sun temple 33 inner sanctuary Mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Shrine of Anubis, Deir el-Bahari; c.1470 BC, architect Senenmut. Temple at Abu Simbel, near Philae, Egypt. Abu Simbel The facade, carved directly into the sandstone cliff, takes the form of a pylon and is dominated by four colossal seated figures, 22 meters tall, all portrayals of Ramesses. Pyramid A massive masonry structure having a rectangular base and four smooth, steeply sloping sides facing the cardinal points and meeting at an apex. Used in ancient Egypt as a tomb to contain the burial chamber and the mummy of the pharaoh. Imhotep ▪ The first architect recorded in history. ▪ Designed the Saqqara complex and the Stepped Pyramid of Djoser. Pyramid The Egyptian pyramids of the Giza Necropolis. The ancient Egyptians built more than 80 pyramids along the banks of the Nile near modern-day Cairo from 2700 to 1640 B.C. The pyramids were designed according to three forms: ▪ Step pyramid ▪ Bent pyramid ▪ Straight-sided/Sloped pyramid Step Pyramid A pyramid-type whose sides are stepped with tiers rather than smooth, in Egypt predating the true pyramids; the primary existing Egyptian example is that of King Djoser at Saqqara, south of Cairo. Pyramid of Djoser Saqqara, Egypt. Built by Imhotep, architect to King Zoser; begun as a mastaba-tomb then successively enlarged; made of limestone; and set within a complex of buildings. Mortuary Complex of Djoser The Mortuary Complex of Djoser, located on a slight hill west of Memphis and just to the north of Saqqâra, was enclosed by a 277-by-544 meter wall laid out in precise orientation to the four cardinal points. Section through step pyramid and tomb of Djoser. Ka statue of Djoser In a small chapel positioned against the north side of the pyramid was a life-size statue of Zoser, showing him wearing a priest’s Sed festival cloak, a ceremonial beard, and a ritual headdress. Sitting in the dark chamber, he could gaze through two small holes in the wall placed at the statue’s eye level, through which he could watch the ceremonies taking place in the court. Bent Pyramid An Egyptian pyramid-type in which each triangular planar surface changes direction as it approaches the top, as in a mansard roof; sometimes also called a blunt or false pyramid. Pyramid of Sneferu Dahshur, Egypt. Built by Sneferu (2613–2589 BCE), who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty. Originally planned to be a towering 150 meters high, it was too bold, and the ground gave way under part of it. In an effort to save the building, the designers added a kink or bend to reduce the weight and angle of the slope (from 52 to 43.5 degrees). Sloped Pyramid An Egyptian pyramid-type in which four sloping triangular sides, with a fixed angle, culminate at an apex. Also, true pyramid. North Pyramid of Dahshur Dahshur, Egypt. The first true pyramid completed in Egypt; built by King Snefru between 2575-2551 BCE. Pyramids of Giza Giza, Egypt. Erected on the west bank of Nile River; built of local stone on a core of rock with casing blocks of limestone; 480 feet tall with a square base measuring 756 feet on a side. The sides of the Great Pyramid rise at 51 degrees and are aligned to the four cardinal points. Section: Great pyramid of Khufu; King’s chamber. The Grand Gallery leading to the burial chamber of King Khufu. Pyramid Complex The ceremonial area of buildings and structures surrounding an ancient Egyptian pyramid. Parts of a Pyramid Complex ▪ Mortuary temple In ancient Egyptian architecture, a place of worship of a deceased king or queen, especially one adjoining a pyramid or rock cut tomb, in which offerings of food and objects were made; also called a funerary temple.  11 Western necropolis 12 boat grave, boat pit 13 Eastern necropolis 14 pyramid 15 mortuary temple, pyramid temple 16 pyramid causeway 17 valley temple 18 queen’s pyramid 19 sphinx 20 sphinx temple Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops); pyramid of Khafre (Chefren); pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), after 2472 BC. Parts of a Pyramid Complex ▪ Valley temple A temple pavilion in an ancient Egyptian pyramid complex, connected via a covered causeway to a mortuary temple at the foot of a pyramid; used for preparing the Pharaoh for his final journey.  11 Western necropolis 12 boat grave, boat pit 13 Eastern necropolis 14 pyramid 15 mortuary temple, pyramid temple 16 pyramid causeway 17 valley temple 18 queen’s pyramid 19 sphinx 20 sphinx temple Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops); pyramid of Khafre (Chefren); pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), after 2472 BC. Parts of a Pyramid Complex ▪ Pyramid temple A mortuary temple connected specifically to a pyramid, or part of an Egyptian pyramid complex. ▪ Pyramid causeway A covered ceremonial route or corridor leading from a valley temple to a mortuary temple at the foot of a pyramid, notably at sites of the Nile valley pyramids.  11 Western necropolis 12 boat grave, boat pit 13 Eastern necropolis 14 pyramid 15 mortuary temple, pyramid temple 16 pyramid causeway 17 valley temple 18 queen’s pyramid 19 sphinx 20 sphinx temple Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops); pyramid of Khafre (Chefren); pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), after 2472 BC. Plan: Mortuary and valley temples of Khafre at Giza Stela A slab stela shows a royal personage at a funerary repast sitting next to an offering table covered with the loaves of bread that have been brought to him. Next to him on the floor, on small platforms, are containers holding incense, ointments, figs, and wine. A scalar comparison of Egyptian pyramids. Why a tapering shape? Ancient rulers liked these artificial mountains for their great height (allowing them to commune with the gods) and commanding visual presence over flat river valleys. On a practical level, a pyramid concentrates most of its building on the lower half, so fewer stones have to be hauled to the top. Egyptian Capitals  C palm capital, palmiform (plume capital) F bell capital, blossom capital, campaniform, open D papyrus capital, papyriform capital E bud capital, closed bud capital, closed capital G lotus capital, lotiform, lily capital H tent-pole capital Egyptian Capitals. 1) Composite column (Hathor capital); 2) Hathor column; 3) Hathor column; 4) Osiris column, Osiris pillar