ANCIENT EGYPT

LOCATION

WORLD MAP

EGYPT MAP

AFRICA MAP

EGYPT : Egypt is situated in the Nile Valley, in the north east of Africa. Its origins lay in several chiefdoms in Upper Egypt, at Abydos and Hierakonpolis, which then spread northwards towards Memphis and the Mediterranean. By 3000 BC, the unified kingdom of Egypt occupied the entire Nile Valley north of a series of rapids called the 1st Cataract.

LOCATION

LOWER EGYPT• Lower Egypt was known as Ta-Mehu which

means "land of papyrus." • It was divided into twenty districts called

nomes.• Because Lower Egypt was mostly undeveloped

scrubland, undeveloped for human life and filled with all types of plant life such as grasses and herbs, the organization of the nomes underwent several changes.

• The capital of Lower Egypt was Memphis.

UPPER EGYPT• Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of

the Nile valley, that extends between Nubia, and downriver (northwards) to Lower Egypt.

• In the Pharaonic times, Upper Egypt was known as Ta Shemau which means "the land of reeds.“

• It was divided into twenty-two districts called

nomes.

LOCATION

LOCATION

NILE RIVER

• The life of Ancient Egypt centered around the river Nile and the fertile land along its banks.

• The farmers in the long, narrow Nile Valley developed irrigation methods to control the flow of the water, so that crops could grow through both its rainy and dry seasons.

• The Nile Delta's features translated into many invaluable uses as a source of hunting, fishing and fertile land for crops.

• The clay deposited by the Nile over the centuries was used as a raw material for pottery.

Historical/evolution background

PREHISTORY ANCIENT EGYPTPTOLEMAIC AND ROMAN EGYPT

ARAB AND OTTOMAN EGYPT

BRITISH PROTECTORATE

REPUBLICAN EGYPT

PTOLEMY I SOTER-305 BCHUNTERS AND FISHERMEN PHAROS

PERSIAN INVASION-7TH AD IN 1936, THE ANGLO-

EGYPTIAN TREATY WAS CONCLUDED

DISSOLUTION OF THE PARLIAMENT IN A MILITARY COUP D'ÉTAT KNOWN AS THE 1952 REVOLUTION

BRITISH MILITARY PRESENCE IN EGYPT LASTED UNTIL 1954.

BRITISH RULE-1882–1953 AD MUHAMMAD NAGUIB

1953- 54

CLEOPATRA- 30BC

ROMANS RULED 395 AD

PYRAMIDS AND TEMPLES

GAMAL ABDEL NASSER1956.-1970

ANWAR SADAT.1970-1981

HOSNI MUBARAK1982-2003

MOHAMED MORSI 2012-2014

Geography/natural resources

• At its greatest extent, in c. 1250 BC, Ancient Egypt occupied the land in all directions from the Syrian coast in the north, to the Red Sea in the east, down the Nile Valley to Nubia in the south, and spreading west inland into the Lybian Desert.

• The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'.

RED SOIL• The 'red land' was the barren desert that protected Egypt

on two sides. • These deserts separated ancient Egypt from neighbouring

countries and invading armies. • They also provided the ancient Egyptians with a source

for precious metals and semi-precious stones.

BLACK SOIL• The 'black land' was the fertile land on the banks of the

Nile.• The ancient Egyptians used this land for growing their

crops.• This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be

farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded.

Geography/natural resources

• The mines of the eastern desert produced important natural resources like gold and semi-precious stones.

• The ancient Egyptians used these materials to make jewellery and special objects for the pharaoh and his family, members of the nobility, and temples.

• The ancient Egyptians quarried many different types of stone. Limestone, sandstone and granite were some of the most common stones used in making statues, and building temples and pyramids.

Geography/natural resources

Natural Resources Archaeological sites

Culture and its impact on Architecture and City Planning

CLOTHING• All men wore a wrap-round skirt that was tied at the waist

with a belt.

• The length of the skirt varied depending on the fashion of the era.

• The sandals worn by the poor were made of woven papyrus or palm while those worn by the rich were made of leather.

• Women wore full length straight dresses with one or two shoulder straps

• They wore jewelry to show their wealth and also because they believed it made them more attractive to the Gods.

• Egyptian men and women wore make up.

• They used black kohl eyeliner to line their eyes and darken their eye lashes and eye brows.

• They coloured their eye lids with blue or green eye shadow made from powdered minerals.

Culture and its impact on Architecture and City Planning

RELIGION AND GOD

• Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society.

• It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with many deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature.

• Although a human, the Pharaoh was believed to be descended from the gods. He acted as the intermediary between his people and the gods, and was obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain order in the universe.

• The state dedicated enormous resources to Egyptian rituals and to the construction of the temples.

• The religion had its roots in Egypt's prehistory and lasted for more than 3,000 years. At various times, certain gods became preeminent over the others, including the sun god Ra, the creator god Amun, and the mother goddess Isis.

• Popular religious practice included ceremonies marking important transitions in life. These included birth, because of the danger involved in the process, and naming, because the name was held to be a crucial part of a person's identity.

Culture and its impact on Architecture and City Planning

VALLEY OF KINGS

• The Valley of the Kings in located in Central Egypt on the western banks of the Nile.

• The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period.

• Almost all of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence and power of the Pharaohs

Location of valley of kings

Ariel view of valley of kings

Culture and its impact on Architecture and City Planning

PLANNING OF MUMMIFICATION

• The earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert.

• The heat and dryness of the sand dehydrated the bodies quickly, creating lifelike and natural 'mummies‘

• Later, the ancient Egyptians began burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild animals in the desert.

• However, they realized that bodies placed in coffins decayed when they were not exposed to the hot, dry sand of the desert.

• The process of embalming the bodies and wrapping them in strips of linen is called as mummification.

Burial of Pharaoh Tutmoses.

Pharaoh Khufu’s Burial Boat found and restored at Giza.

Political background

Pharaoh- Head Of State

• The Egyptian government was heavily centralized, dominated by a single man, the Pharaoh, who was considered a living god

• The successor of the Pharaoh was usually his eldest son, who was usually appointed co-regent during his father rule

Geographical Administration

The land was divided into 42 Nomes. Each Nome had a Noble governor, who was appointed by the Pharaoh, and responsible to the Vizier.

Official ArchivesThe most prominent feature of the administrative system was the archives. Everything was recorded, wills, conscription lists, tax lists, letters, and trial transcripts.

Taxes

Ancient Egyptians had to contend with heavy taxes, to maintain the

lavish lifestyles of the Pharaohs and nobility

Political background

The Pre-dynastic Period and the First and Second Dynasties, 6000-2686 B.C.

The most important political event in ancient Egyptian history was the unification of the two lands: the Black Land of the Delta, so-called because of the darkness of its rich soil, and the Red Land of Upper Egypt, the sun-baked desert. The rulers of Lower Egypt wore the red crown and had the bee as their symbol. The leaders of Upper Egypt wore the white crown and took the sedge as their emblem. After the unification of the two kingdoms, the pharaoh wore the double crown symbolizing the unity of the two lands.

With the emergence of a strong, centralized government under a god-king, the country's nascent economic and political institutions became subject to royal authority. The central government, either directly or through major officials, became the employer of soldiers, retainers, bureaucrats, and artisans whose goods and services benefited the upper classes and the state gods.

The Predynastic Period and the First and Second Dynasties, 6000-2686 B.C

The Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and Second Intermediate Period, 2686 to 1552 B.C.

The Late Period, 664-323 B.C.

Political background

The Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and Second Intermediate Period, 2686 to 1552 B.C.

• The Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom together represent an important single phase in Egyptian political and cultural development

• The political and economic system of Egypt developed around the concept of a god incarnate who was believed through his magical powers to control the Nile flood for the benefit of the nation. In the form of great religious complexes centered on the pyramid tombs, the cult of the pharaoh, the godking , was given monumental expression of a grandeur unsurpassed in the ancient Near East.

• The country was divided into nomes or districts administered by nomarchs or governors.

• The Old Kingdom ended when the central administration collapsed in the late Sixth Dynasty

The Late Period, 664-323 B.C.

• The Late Period includes the last periods during which ancient Egypt functioned as an independent political entity. During these years, Egyptian culture was under pressure from major civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. Thesocioeconomic system, however, had a vigor, efficiency, and flexibility that ensured the success of the nation during these years of triumph and disaster.

• The Twenty-sixth Dynasty was founded by Psammethichus I, This dynasty, which ruled from 664 to 525 B.C., represented the last great age of pharaonic civilization. The dynasty ended when a Persian invasion force under Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great, dethroned the last pharaoh.

Technological achievement

USE OF ROPES- Ropes were made up of water reed fibres

- Ropes were used in the process of mummification

- The use of ropes pulled by thousands of workers allowed the Egyptians to move the heavy stones required to build their monuments.

PAPYRUS- A thin paper material made from the papyrus plant

- Egyptians used hieroglyphics (formal writing system used by Egyptians) for their literature on papyrus.

- Ancient Egyptians are thought to have used papyrus as a writing material, as well as employing it commonly in the construction of other artifacts such as reed boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets.

Technological achievement

DENDERA LIGHT- Some drawings identifies showing light was discovered in the ancient egyptianperiod

SHADUF- To lift the water from the canal they used a shaduf.

- A shaduf is a large pole balanced on a crossbeam, a rope and bucket on one end and a heavy counter weight at the other.

- By pulling the rope it lowered the bucket into the canal.

- The farmer then raised the bucket of water by pulling down on the weight.

SHIP BUILDING- The Ancient Egyptians had knowledge to some extent of sail construction.

- The earliest Egyptian sails were simply placed to catch the wind and push a vessel.

WOODEN HAMMER AND METAL CHISEL- Use to dig tombs in the mountain

PLUMB AND BOB- Used for alignment of structures

Evolution of planning• First Egyptian settlements, neolithic culture around 6000-5500

Be. • - flimsy reed shelters.• The sites are divided into three periods, set within the

framework of Upper and Lower Egypt to allow for regional differences.

UPPER EGYPT :Earliest type sites – the modern Arabic place name of Badari.Before 5000 BC : • At Matmar, five small settlements or hamlets made up a larger

community.• These consisted of circular pits sunk into the ground.• generally smaller and normally lined with basketry or mud. BEFORE 3600 B : • Naqada I, some actual hut remains at Hemamiya.• Built of wattle and daub.• The mud walls formed little more than a skirting for a thatched

superstructure, indicated by the imprint of reed stalks pressed into the moist wall clay.

3600 BC :• El Mahasna, the hut plans being neither round nor oval but

rectangular.• The building technique was the same, but the buildings were

more substantial.

3700-3600 BC :• At Hierakonpolis, the first rectangular Predynastic Egyptian

house to be systematically excavated, still semi-subterranean. LOWER EGYPT :• Followed a similar pattern but with certain planning differences

due to other customs and needs.• The Fayum A settlements are of approx- imately the same age

as Badarian.• In that no house remains were recovered by the excavators,

only the hearths and sunken granaries indicating the position of the lightly built huts.

BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR , 4880 BC :• A community which was certainly much better organised and

has provided far more evidence of house building and communal planning is Merimda-Beni Salame.

• The site is on the south-west desert edge of the delta.• Rebuilt three times before being abandoned after a long

period, when Iitwas engulfed in the desert sand.4570 BC :• El Omari is a similar type site on the east bank of the Nilesouth

of Cairo.• It spread over a large area and contained two types of dwelling:

oval huts with wooden walls resting on stone bases and round ones half dug into the earth and surmounted by a light superstructure.

Evolution of planningAfter 3600 BC :• Two different cultural areas of Egypt began to grow closer together. Known as Naqada II in the south and

Gerzean in the north.• Saw the widespread use of metals, stone working, the introduction of writing and a vast Increase In irrigation

and agriculture. • As a result the population must have expanded rapidly and much larger settlements, the first real towns, came

into existence.• The stage was now set for the totally planned urban growth of the Pharaohs.

HOUSES

Evolution of planning

Evolution of planning

Planning Principles• Ancient Egyptians were the first builders ever known to man; they taught humanity how to design and erect buildings; thus laying

grounds for human civilization, urbanization and man's settlement in a specific homeland of his own for the first time in history.• The earliest villages were clusters of dwellings with no walls or palisades, and these probably were circular in shape. mud huts were

built on mounds. • Towns were either unplanned or planned. Unplanned settlements arose over long periods, in random fashion, according to the

immediate needs of the inhabitants. • Such a town might have narrow, oddly twisting alleys, passages, squares and courts, with little open space. Houses might grow

upwards in two or possibly three stories.

• Planned towns tended to be more orderly in general design.

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

• There are some short stretches of streets and roads which have survived, having laid above the level of the Nile floods, generally causeways and streets which were part of temple complexes, some paved with mud-bricks or even with stone.

• At Dimai in the Fayum the temple was reached over a stone paved road , a mortuary temple at Abydos near the tomb of Senusret III was surrounded by a street paved with mud-bricks, or the Mentuhotep II temple complex at Deir el Bahri had a mud-brick paved ramp almost a kilometer long.

• The streets in the Middle Kingdom town of Hat-Senusret-Hotep were paved with baked clay tiles. The surface sloped towards the middle of the street, where a drain made of stone ran down the street.

Architectural character

DefinitionArchitectural Characters are the unique details and component parts that, together, form the architectural style of houses, buildings and structuresThis terminology does not include:

Terms for buildings as a whole (e.g. church, mansion)Names for parts of buildings defined by their function (e.g. kitchen, nave)The names of styles of buildings or architectural movements (e.g. gothic, Bauhaus)Building materials or construction methods (e.g. thatch)

• Definition

• Factors affecting

• Availability of resources

• Method of construction

• Function

• Chronology

• Architectural Characteristics

• Streets

• Mud brick Walls

• Stele

Architectural character of the cities

Function• Administrative Capital Town – Memphis,

old kingdom• Worker Town - Deir el-Medina• Temple Town - Thebes, Egypt

Image : Workers making Sundried Bricks

Corbel arch (right) and a generic "true" stone arch (left).

Availability of resources• Sun-dried and kiln-dried bricks were

used extensively

• Fine sandstone, limestone, and granite were available for obelisks, sculpture, and decorative uses.

Method of construction• Corbelling/ False arches• Arches• Lintels

Chronology

Architectural character of the cities

Streets

Main Street, Deir el-Medina – worker village, Hat-Senusret-Hotep paved with baked clay tiles. The surface sloped towards the middle of the street.

builders made a curved mud-brick and fieldstone wall that narrowed this end of Street to less than a meter

Architectural character of the cities

Mud brick Walls

Deir el-Medina• The village is surrounded

by a thin mud brick wall and built around a central street.

• Houses were connected at the sides, sharing walls for building and space efficiency.

• It is possible that entire blocks of houses were covered by a single roof.

Architectural character of the cities

Stele

• These are often freestanding upright stelaemarked the confines of Akhetaten slabs of stone bearing inscriptions and at times reliefs.

• They may be commemorative, sometimes they were erected to indicate borders or boundaries.

• For instance, at least fourteen. Stelae were placed at the southern border of Egypt with Nubia, and Thutmose is said to have left a border stela, which has never been found, in Syria. 1 of 14 Stele, placed to indicate

the border of the city of Akhetaten

Map of Akhetaten

Town planning: Alexandria

• Alexandria is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt founded in 331 BCE by Alexander the Great.

• The city grew from a small port town to become the grandest and most important metropolis in ancient Egypt.

• It is the second largest city and the second largest metropolitan area in Egypt after Greater Cairo by size and population, extending about 32 km (20 mi) along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country.

• Alexandria was the second most powerful city of the ancient world after Rome.

PLANNING

• Alexandria was built along a quadrilateral grid plan (called the Hippodomi plan), where two main streets cross at right angles and side streets are parallel to these two streets.

• This form of street/ town planning was prevalent in Greek cities in the fifth century B.C.

• Alexandria was divided into five quarters each carrying a letter from the Greek

• alphabet alpha ( A ), beta (B ) gamma ( T) delta ( � )and epsilon ( E).• These initials represent the first letters of Greek words which when

translated mean: 'Built by King Alexander Son of God'.

Town planning: Alexandria Layout of the ancient cityGreek Alexandria was divided into three regions:

Brucheumthe :• Royal or Greek quarter, forming the most magnificent portion of the

city. • In Roman times Brucheum was enlarged by the addition of an official

quarter, making four regions in all. • The city was laid out as a grid of parallel streets, each of which had an

attendant subterranean canal.

The Jewish quarter:Forming the northeast portion of the city

Rhakotis:• The old city of Rhakotis that had been absorbed into Alexandria. It

was occupied chiefly by Egyptians.• Two main streets, lined with colonnades and said to have been each

about 60 meters (200 ft) wide, intersected in the center of the city, close to the point where the Sema (or Soma) of Alexander (his Mausoleum) rose.

Modern city:• Modern city is divided into 6 districts.• There are also two cities under the jurisdiction of the Alexandria

governorate forming metropolitan Alexandria

References

• http://www.perankhgroup.com

• http://www.ancientegyptianfacts.com

• http://www.mummies2pyramids.info/geography-cities/lower-

upper-egypt.htm

• http://ancientegypt.wikia.com/wiki/

• http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptscience.html