Egyptian ArchitecturePrepared By: Jorene Lei

Introduction

For at least ten thousand years, the Nile Valley has been

the site of one of the most influential civilizations in the

world which developed as vast array of diverse structures

which we refer to as Ancient Egyptian Architecture. The

architectural monuments, which include the Great Pyramid

of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza, are among the largest

and famous.

Map of Ancient Egypt

Characteristics of EGYPTIAN Architecture:

• Architecture - The style developed during the Pre-dynastic period remained unchanged for 2000 years

• Crafts & Sculpture  - Symbolic elements were widely used and strict laws were applied

• Paintings  - The pictures found in Egyptian tombs were connected with the idea of afterlife.

Due to the scarcity of wood. the two predominant building materials used in ancient Egypt were sun-baked mud brick and stone, mainly limestone, but also sandstone and granite in considerable quantities.

Characteristics of EGYPTIAN Architecture:

From the Old Kingdom onward, stone was generally reserved for tombs and temples, while bricks were used even for royal palaces, fortresses, the walls of temple precincts and towns, and for subsidiary buildings in temple complexes.

ClimateEgypt has two seasons, spring and summer. The conditions of having no snow or frost, or even rain had contributed to the preservation of the buildings.

Over many centuries, the

ancient Egyptians

developed a method of

preserving bodies so they

would remain lifelike. The

process included

EMBALMING the bodies

and wrapping them in

strips of linen. Today we

call this process

mummification.

Religion

The Goddesses and Gods of Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses. Each one with their own role to play in maintaining peace and harmony across the land.

The Giza Pyramid Complex

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. It was built with such precision that our current technology cannot replicate it.

• Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, that is why preserving the body of the dead was important to keep their soul alive, enabling them to transcend into the heavens.

• They make tombs to protect these preserved bodies.• Pyramids for Pharaohs represent a gigantic stairway for the

Pharaoh to climb to join the sun god in the sky

Description:

Pyramid of Khufu Pyramid of Khafre Pyramid of Menkaure

•This Ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of Pyramid of Khufu, the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre, and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure, along with a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as “queens” pyramid, and the Great Sphinx.•The Great Pyramid, which was probably completed c. 2580 BC, is the oldest and largest of the pyramids, and is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the World.•With few openings, the pyramids had complex mazes of tunnels and rooms all hidden by the massive hunks of stone.

Inside the PyramidFrom an entrance just above the base of the Great Pyramid, a cramped Ascending Passage climbs for 36 meters up through the solid stone core to a towering Grand Gallery.  This climbs another 46 meters to reach the King's Chamber and an empty sarcophagus in the heart of this colossal pyramid. 

What does a pyramid look like inside?

Did you know that?A planetary alignment between the Orion belt and the pyramids of Giza took place at December 3, 2012.

Did you know that?• The relationship between Pi (p) and Phi (F) is expressed

in the fundamental proportions of the Great Pyramid. The key to this relationship is knowledge of the value of Pi and designing the angle of the pyramid to be exactly 51 degrees, 51 minutes, and 14.3 seconds.

• The pyramid is estimated to have about 2,300,000 stone blocks weighing from 2-30 Tons each with some weighing as much as 70 tons

• The Great Pyramid is located at the center of the land mass of the earth. The east/west parallel that crosses the most land and the north/south meridian that crosses the most land intersect in two places on the earth, one in the ocean and the other at the Great Pyramid.

Step Pyramid• Built during the 3rd

dynasty, Zoser’s architect, Imhotep, added steps above Zoser’s mastaba to create a step pyramid -- a stairway to the heavens.

• On either side of chamber are store rooms for king’s treasures.

• All treasures buried w/ Zoser have been stolen.

The Sphinx of GizaCommonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx (a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head) that stands on the Giza Plateau. The original purpose of the Sphinx is unknown. It may have been built to symbolically guard over the Giza plateau, and it may have been a portrait of Pharaoh Khafre. It's face seems to bear a resemblance to Khafre's, and the royal headdress that it wears is particular to pharaohs.

Egyptian Temples• Temples were found everywhere in ancient

Egypt as a place to worship their endless pantheon of major and minor gods, and to worship their pharaoh as their god. Each city had a temple built for the god of that city, which acted as a cosmic center by which men had communication with the gods.

• Not for public worshiping.• Only the Pharaohs as the priest, and the one he

appointed as substitute, are allowed into the innermost chamber and perform the rituals inside.

Luxor TempleLuxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes).The Temple of Luxor was built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II around 1400BC. Many rulers built on to the temple yet it always remained a place of worship for Christians and later Muslims.

Temple of HorusThe well preserved Ptolemaic Temple of Horus is the second biggest temple in Egypt. Second only to the Temple of Karnak in sheer size, the temple was

one of the last attempts by the Ptolemaic dynasty at building in the

style and grandeur of their predecessors. Construction on the site

took about 200 years.

Other examples of Egyptian Temples

Karnak Temple

Temple of Hatshepsut

Hypostyle hallThe Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak, located within the Karnak temple complex, in the Precinct of Amon-Re, is one of the most visited monuments of Ancient Egypt.

SarcophagusIn Ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus formed the external layer of protection for a royal mummy, with several layers of coffins nested within, and was often carved out of alabaster. All were usually decorated with painted or carved representations of the deceased. This incredible solid gold coffin belongs to king Tutankhamen.

Other Architectural Character:

Reliefs Hieroglyphics

Obelisk

Did you know that?• Egyptians invented the 365 days calendar.• The Great Pyramid has always been a mysterious

symbol. It has attracted the attention of a virtual directory of the orthodox as well as unconventional disciplines.

• Ancient Egyptian writings often talk of beings from the sky, the sky opening and bright lights coming down to teach them technology and give them wisdom. Many pictures and symbols resemble UFOs and aliens.

Mesopotamian Architecture

Architecture of MesopotamiaThe architecture of Mesopotamia is the

ancient architecture of the region of the Tigris–Euphrates river system (also known as Mesopotamia), encompassing several distinct cultures and spanning a period from the 10th millennium BC, when the

first permanent structures were built, to the 6th century BC.

Ziggurat of UrThe ziggurat was built by King Ur-Nammu who dedicated the great ziggurat of Ur in honour of

Nanna/Sîn, in approximately the 21st century BC (short chronology) during the Third Dynasty of Ur.Like many ancient people, the ancient Sumerians believed that powerful gods lived in the sky. They built huge structures, called ziggurats, with steps

climbing up to the top. .

Tower of Babel

• Tower of Babel - (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another

Hanging Gardens of Babylon• legendary terraced gardens at Babylon, watered by

pumps from the Euphrates, whose construction was ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar (circa 600 bc). They were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

• King Nebuchadnezzar II dedicated hanging gardens of Babylon to his precious and marvelous wife Amytis, of Media.

Code of HammurabiThe Code of Hammurabi is a

well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating back to about

1772 BC. It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of

significant length in the world. It is the most complete and perfect extant collection of Babylonian laws, developed

during the reign of Hammurabi (1792–1750 BC).

It consists of his legal decisions that were collected toward the end of his reign and inscribed on a diorite stela set up in Babylon’s temple of Marduk, the

national god of Babylonia.