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EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
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EARLY KINGDOM TOMB- SPHINX

• An Egyptian Sphinx had the
head of a king, a hawk, a ram
(or more rarely a woman) on
the body of a lion
• The Great Sphinx, which
represents a recumbent lion
with the head of a man, was
excavated in 1816 in Pyramid
complex of Giza, near Cairo
• A theory hold that it was
produced from leftover
material
• It may also have been carved
to stand guard over the
temple and tomb of Chefren
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EARLY KINGDOM TOMB- SPHINX

• The great Sphinx is located N.E of

Chephren’s valley temple, which was
the site of the quarry from which the
stones for the pyramids came.
• Height – 64 ft
• Length – 188 ft
• Face is 13 ft 6 inches wide
• Mouth is 8 ft 6 inches long
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EARLY KINGDOM TOMB-END OF PYRAMID CONSTRUCTION

• After the Mykerinus period, the era of pyramid
construction ended
• More pyramids were built later but they were smaller
and less complex
• Later pharaohs could not also afford the cost of huge
pyramid construction
• Grave robbers also learned how to break into and steal
the goods buried with pharaohs
• The end of the Old Kingdom therefore marked the end of
the great era of Egyptian pyramid construction.
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temples Introduction
• The Middle Kingdom began when
pharaoh Mentuhotep united Egypt
again after the first intermediate
period
• During the middle kingdom, the
practice of pyramid construction
disappeared
• Focus in architectural development
was however still on tombs and
burial chambers
• Two categories of structures came into
use- mortuary temples and
underground tombs
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temples Introduction
• Mortuary temples served as the place for the burial and worship of
pharaohs
• Temples dedicated to Gods were also located in them
• Mortuary temples owe their origin to the pyramid funeral complex,
particular the valley and pyramid temples
• Underground tombs became popular because of the belief that
they could not be robbed
• Many power and wealthy pharaohs and noblemen carved
their tombs directly into rock cliffs and underground during
the Middle and New kingdoms
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temple of Mentuhotep

• Two mortuary temples were
built at Del al Bahari;
mortuary temple of
Mentuhotep and Hatshepsut
• Mentuhotep was the first
Pharaoh of the middle
kingdom & built the first
mortuary temple at Del-al
Bahari
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temple of Mentuhotep
• The temple is terraced in two
levels
• The upper terrace is
faced with double
colonnades
• At the center is a core
believed to have a small
pyramid on top
• The pyramid is believed to
be a dummy burial chamber
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temple of Mentuhotep
• Entrance to the real tomb is
found at the rear from the
western courtyard
• The burial tomb is accessible
through a ramp leading down
at the center of the court yard
• Just like the pyramid funeral
complexes, the temple of
Mentuhotep also has a
causeway leading to a valley
temple
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
• Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was built 500 years after that
of Mentuhotep during the new kingdom
• Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh to rule Egypt
• The temple of Mentuhotep served as a model in the design
of her temple
• Her extraordinary funeral temple located at Del- Al-Bahari,
is set against the background of the cliffs
• The architect of her temple is believed to be Senmut
who is also buried in the temple
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut

• The temple of Hatshepsut

is like a giant stage on
three levels
• Each of the three levels
was connected by a ramp
• Her temple fits very well
into the tall rock cliffs
behind it
• On the top level is her
chapel dedicated to the
goddess Hathor
• The chapel was dug out of
the rock cliff
• Hatshepsut hid her tomb in
the deep rock cliffs to stop
robbers
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

MORTUARY TEMPLE OF HARSHEPSUT
• The temple of Hatshepsut had no dominant mass.
• Instead there was a strong horizontal axis running across the set of
terraces and perpendicular to the mountains
• It was rather a play of the
emptiness of terraces, ramps
and courtyards against the
busy background of the cliffs
• Her temple captures the shift
from the compact geometry
of the old kingdom pyramids
to the linear composition of
the New Kingdom temples
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 The upper court if flanked by 2

sacrificial halls, while on the central
axis is the sanctuary, cut deep into
the rock.
 The fluted columns with square
capitals are fore runners of the
Greek columns & the walls have fine
relief sculptures.
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 The awesome effect of perspective & monumental scale produced by the forest of
columns in the hypostyle hall can be observed from the picture on the left. The obelisk
of Queen Hatshepsut, located between the 4th & 5th pylon rises to height of 30m.
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Underground Tomb- Rock Cut Tomb
• Two types of Underground
tombs were built - Rock cut
tombs and Shaft tombs
• Rock cut tombs are tombs
that are carved out of
rocks
• A very good example is
the Rock cut tomb at Beni
Hassan
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Underground Tomb- Rock Cut Tomb

• Beni Hassan consist of

3 elements:
– A colonnade entrance
portico for public
worship
– Behind the portico, a
chamber or hall with
columns supporting the
roof serving as a chapel
– A small recess towards
the back of the chapel
where the person is
buried
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Underground Tomb-Rock Cut Tomb

• The columns on the

exterior were shaped
like a prism with 8 or
16 sides
• The columns in the
interior were designed
as a bundle of reed
tied together by rope
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MID & NEW KINGDOM BURIAL-CHAMBERS

Underground Tomb- Shaft Tombs
• Shaft tombs were a
complex series of
underground
corridors and rooms
cut out of the
mountains in the
valley of the King at
Del-Al-Bahari
• The large number of
rooms and their
complicated
arrangement is
deliberately done to
create a maze or
puzzle
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Introduction
• The Middle Kingdom lasted for
275 years
• The New Kingdom lasted for
500 years
• During the New Kingdom, the
capital of ancient Egypt moved
from Memphis to Thebes
• The most important and common
architectural elements of the
New Kingdom were temples -
dedicated to Egyptian Gods.
• Borrowed a lot of elements from
the funeral complexes at Giza &
Mortuary temples at Del-Al-
Bahari
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

• The borrowed elements
include:
– Long approaches
– Guardian sphinxes
– Collonaded vestibules and
inner courts
– Darkening shrines
– Intricate linear progression
of constructed space
• Many examples of the
New Kingdom temples are
found at Karnak and Luxor,
all in Thebes
• An avenue of sphinxes
connects the two sites
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KARNAK TEMPLE SITE

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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Temple of Khons, Karnak
• It is dedicated to the God Amun
• A person approaching first
meets the entrance wall called
pylon which is higher and wider
than the temple behind it
• Mast with royal and religious
flags fly in front of the pylon
• Behind the pylon is the peristyle
courtyard- hall and columns
painted in bright colors
• It is the only place where
common people were allowed
to enter
• Beyond the Peristyle courtyard
is the hypostyle hall
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Temple of Khons, Karnak
• ceiling - painted blue to
resemble the sky with stars
twinkling
• The columns in the center of
the hypostyle hall were
usually higher than on the
two other sides, giving the
room two roof levels
• In between the two roofs,
windows were place to allow
light to enter
• These are called clerestory
windows
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 The 2 views above show the columns of the central avenue with lotus bloom capitals &
the columns of the side avenues with lotus bud capitals. The clear storey windows
through which light was brought to the interior of the temple can also be seen.
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 This picture clearly shows the clear storey windows made of stone located above the
roofing of the side avenues & the columns of the central avenue with hieroglyphics.
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Temple of Khons, Karnak
• A gate from the hypostyle hall leads
into the sanctuary
• Only the pharaoh and the priest
were allowed here
• At the far end of the Sanctuary are
found chapels dedicated to gods
and goddesses
• The sanctuary is completely dark
except for small holes over the
chapel of the Gods
• The whole temple is surrounded by
a wall
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Temple of Amon, Karnak
• It is the largest of the New Kingdom
temple and it grew in a haphazard
way
• Built by at least 16 pharaohs over a
period 1700 years
• Each pharaoh added either a
pylon, courtyard, hypostyle hall or
decorated on parts built by an
earlier pharaoh
• Queen Hatshepsut, Tutmosis II and
Rameses II all added to the temple
• The front pylon had two obelisk in
front
• Apart from the front pylon, the
temple had two additional pylons
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 The great temple of Ammon at Karnak has six entrance pylons, which can be seen in
this picture.
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•The detail plan of the Ammon temple shows the 4 pylons leading to the sanctuary, which
has been mostly destroyed. However, the plan shows the 6 pairs of central columns in the
hypostyle hall with 126 (9 rows x 7 lines x 2 sides) shorter columns on either side.
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 The temple area is a vast

open air museum & is the
largest ancient religious site
in the world.
 The 1st entrance pylon is
15 m thick & is constructed
of mud bricks. The batter of
the pylon is characteristic of
Egyptian architecture.
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 The great hypostyle hall is about 320’ x 160’ internally & is roofed by enormous slabs of
stone, supported by 138 columns. The roof of the central avenue is raised to a height of
80’ with the columns itself rising to 69’ ht & having a diameter of 11’ 9” with lotus
bloom capitals. The side avenues are lower in order to admit light through clear storey
windows with the columns rising to 42’ ht and 9’ diameter, having lotus bud capitals.
The effect produced by this forest of columns is most awe-inspiring.
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•The pylons lead to a Great court measuring 338’ by 278’, which accommodates the shrine
of Seti II & the temple of Ramesses III. The central axis of the temple is oriented in the east-
west direction & the same is emphasized by 6 pairs of columns in the court. The 2nd pylon
leads to the Hypostyle hall, which was begun by Seti I & completed by Ramesses II. The 3rd
& 4th pylons lead to the sanctuary, which also contains the festival hall.
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 The top view shows the view of the

great court with the temple of Seti I.
 The bottom view shows another part
of the court with the north gate in
the middle.
 The row of columns near the
enclosure wall have bud capitals &
the 2nd pylon can be partially seen
on the right.
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 Not much of the actual sanctuary

remains today as can be observed from
the picture on the top.
 However all the walls & columns were
covered with incised inscriptions in
colour giving the history of the temple,
the names of the gods to whom it was
dedicated & the royal people who
contributed to its grandeur.

 The picture below shows the festival

hall of Thutmose III, which was
constructed during the last period. The
column capitals & shafts resemble
bundled reeds of papyrus and look
more elegant.

 They are also considered to be

the fore runners of the fluted
columns of the Greek.
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 The awesome effect of perspective & monumental scale produced by the forest of
columns in the hypostyle hall can be observed from the picture on the left. The obelisk
of Queen Hatshepsut, located between the 4th & 5th pylon rises to height of 30m.
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 This is the view of the Ammon temple from across the sacred lake that shows the
ruined condition of the sanctuary. The obelisks erected by Thutmose I & queen
Hatshepsut can also be seen.
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Other Temples- Temple of Luxor

• There are several

other temples built
during the New
kingdom
• Among the important
ones are:
• The temple of Luxor
(1408-1300 BC)
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Other Temples

The Ramesseum Thebes (1301 BC) The Temple of Seti (1312 BC)
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NEW KINGDOM CULT TEMPLES

Other Temples
• The great temple at Abu simbel
is one of the most stupendous
of Egyptian rock-cut tombs.
• The impressive façade, 119’
wide & 100’ high, is formed as
a pylon with 4 colossal statues
of Ramesses II, who built it.
• Eight small chambers used for
storage adjoin this vestibule.
• Beyond it is a small hypostyle
hall with 4 pillars that leads to
the sanctuary having altar.

The Great Temple Abu Simbel (1301 BC)

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OTHER ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

Columns
• Egyptian architecture also
developed several unique
architectural elements
• Includes Columns, relief
carving, and writing, the
obelisk and sphinxes
• Egyptian column has its origin in
plant materials- the lotus flower,
papyrus plant and the palm tree
• Columns were design to
imitate the plants
• Capitals were designed to
resemble a bud or bell form of a
flower
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OTHER ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

Relief Carving and Painting

Relief carving and painting was used to record history or depict everyday social
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OTHER ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

Obelisk
• The obelisk is an element
unique to Egyptian
architecture
• It was carved as a
monolithic piece of stone
and erected in front of
temples
• They were usually dedicated
to a particular God, pharaoh
or nobleman
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TEMPLE DISTRICTS

•Temple districts were better planned.

• The outlay of individual temples was basically

symmetrical.

•Walls surrounded them.

•At hotep-senusret :-
a) the brick wall was on three sides of the
temple Was 12 metres thick and lined with
limestone.
Avenues leading through the city to the temple
district were wide, suitable for processions.
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TEMPLE DISTRICTS
• The temple complexes had extensive storage space

• The thickness of the brick wall lined with limestone

hotep senusret (kahun) was about 12 metres .

• Its height must have been correspondingly great.

• When walls were built completely of stone, their

thickness could be reduced, but they were still quite
massive.

• Paved street five metres wide was discovered.

• Pavement of streets was restricted to the temple complexes

• Temples were surrounded by an empty space

• Over time houses were built right up to the outer temple walls.
• Houses decayed and were rebuilt many times , result that the ground level of the
residential area rose

• The temples which, being built of stone, were not periodically rebuilt, seemingly sank into
the ground.
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 The Temple at Edfu is the best preserved since it was built during the last period. The
massive entrance pylons with relief sculptures leading to the colonnaded great court &
the hypostyle hall with its façade of pillars can be seen in these 4 pictures.
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The Temple at Edfu
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PALACES
The whole compound was enclosed and separate from the rest of the capital,
Albeit close to suppliers of services, temples and the seat of the administration
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Workers' dwellings
The houses of the workmen had two to four
rooms on the ground floor (44 and 60 m²)

• access to the flat roof, which was used as

living and storing space.
• The houses abutting the inner wall on the
eastern side were bigger, having up to seven
rooms.

•Some of the dwellings had conical

granaries on the ground floor. The doorways
were arched

•Traces of brick barrel-vaulting have been

found on supporting walls.

•Roofs were made of wooden planks

supported by beams and plastered over with
mud.
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Deir-el-medina: Worker’s villages

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Comparative Plans of
Houses
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The Great Houses

The Great Houses covered about
2700 m² each and served as offices
and living quarters for the high
officials in charge of the construction
work and their families. There were
four almost identical houses and one
differently built one north of the street
and another three with a completely
different ground plan south of it.

After the pyramid had been built

and the officials had left, people
began to take over their houses,
adapting them to their own needs by
walling up entrances and creating new
walls and passages.
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The Great Houses

The layout of one of the northern Great Houses
1 Main entrance
2 Doorkeeper's lodge
3 Offices, guest rooms
4 Pillared hall
5 Private quarters
6 The mandara, i.e. reception room for strangers
7 Open courtyard
8 Best hall, with columns and tank
9 Private rooms
10 Visitors' passage to the mandara
11 Women's hall
12 Women's quarters
13 Store rooms