axumite architecture
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Axumite
Architecture
Prepared by Ephrem N.
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Influences in architecture
• Historical background
• Geographical
• Geological
• Religion
• Trade
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Historical background
• The powerful kingdom of Axum rise Approximately 100 -
1000 AD
• It was the Axumites who detailed the first civilization of
historic Ethiopia.
• Over time Axum became not only wealthy trading
kingdom, but also strong military power specially during
the time of king Ezana around 350 AD.
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Geographical Influence
• Geographical location provided advantages: well suited
for agriculture; red sea proximity ideal for trade, access
to Indian ocean
• Axum was a great commercial civilization with Egypt,
Persia, Arabia, Romans Byzantines, Ceylon and India
• Axum was protected by the mountains of north Tigray.
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Geological influence • Axum was protected by the mountains of north Tigray. • The land of Axum was rich in fertile land for agriculture
as well as stone for construction of buildings and
monuments
• Location of their churches at high places
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Trade • The Axumites export Gold, Ivory, Rhinoceros-horn,
hippopotamus hide and slaves, and they imported all
kinds of textiles, knives, swords, luxury goods, cotton
and silk
• This trade connections gave Axum diverse cultures
• Merchants who came to Axum brought new ideas as well
as goods
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Religion
• King Ezana converted to Christianity and his court
followed in early 4th century
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AXUM’S
ACHIEVEMENTS Control over
NE African
Trade
Written
Language
Spread
Christianity
in N. & E.
Africa
Terrace
Farming
Built
Stelae
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Axumite Architecture
• Decorations of the
largest stele at Axum
symbolize building
structures.
• The door and the first
row of small square
windows can be read
together as the ground
floor.
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• Monumental Architecture (a high level of artistic ability,
advanced engineering and mathematical skills)
• Expression of the desire to build a multistory building
• Their ambition to build a high rise building is clearly stated
in the stele . 8 - 10 stories
Axumite Architecture
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Construction technique: The ‘Monkey-head’
• Typical structural method of the Axumite period and in the later Tigray vernacular architecture
• The walls are made of small stone –and-clay masonry
• The walls had to be strengthened at narrow intervals with long squared timbers.
• These were then held by short round cross-pieces the ends of which became visible as rows of protruding and smoothly rounded “Monkey heads”.
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• Axumite window and door frames were made of timbers cut into each other, with no nails but with shallow recesses and projections.
Construction technique: The ‘Monkey-head’
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Construction technique: The ‘Monkey-head’
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Design principle: The „equal-equal‟
• Principle of „equal-equal‟ generates the square, the cube and the 450 angle and the octagonal shape.
• „Equi-dimensional‟ of the Axumite principle is different from the „Central symmetrical‟ of the European/ Byzantine tradition
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Proportion
• Proportion in axumite architecture was not by “the
golden section” or any similar complicated geometrical
procedure but by straight forward arithmetical counting
of numbers and units.
• Like 2:3 or 3:4
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• All four parts of equal
length.
• Similar to the „Greek
cross‟ rather than the „latin
cross‟.
• These crosses were used
on Axumite Coins
• They are also depicted in
drawings/paintings,
artifacts or as architectural
motifs in windows and
reliefs.
Early types of Ethiopian Crosses
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Axumite dry stone masonry
construction • Large and squarely dressed stones at the corners
• Small broken stones for the main bulk of walls
• Slabs of slates or similar flat stones to cover the many
narrow “shelves” which are formed because the walls
are stepped inwards at regular intervals
• The walls are much wider at the bottom higher up
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Basic architectural characteristic
feature in axumite palaces • Grand entrance stairs
• Courtyards
• Strong and well dressed corner walls
• Strong stone buttresses
• Multi storey
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Legacies' of Axumite civilization
• Monolithic steles
• Mausoleums
• Palaces
• Monkey head construction
technique
• Equal - equal proportioning
technique
• Multi - story building techniques
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Examples Palace at Dugur
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Takha Mariam Palace
•Covers an area of 85*120m
•The palace is surrounded by a court
•From the court the palace is Accessed by
a grand stair
•Multi story
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Takha Mariam Palace
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The Tomb of Kaleb
and Gebremaskel
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Mausoleums
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Tomb of the false door
No mortar between
joints.
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Steles
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Measurement units carved
on stone
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Exercise
Details of Axumite architecture features
• Construction detailing
• Decoration and pattern detailing
• Etc…
– Use one A-3 paper size as medium of presentation
– The presentation technique could be free hand
drawing or digital drawings. However it should be
strictly architectural having plans, sections, elevation,
and axonometric drawings.