Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

2650-30 BC
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

• Mud brick was the principal

building material for
domestic buildings, even
palaces.
• Stone, lime stone and gre,
was favored for temples and
tombs.

• Features of mud construction

were often echoed in stone.

• columns were built to

resemble plants or
bunches of plants.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

• Mud brick was the principal

building material for
domestic buildings, even
palaces.
• Stone, lime stone and gre,
was favored for temples and
tombs.

• Features of mud construction

were often echoed in stone.

• corner detailing often

resembled bunches of
reeds used as a binding
material in mud
construction.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

Egyptian Architecture shows a

strong symmetry.

• The forms can be,

• Unorganic like stilized
rocks, modified to
geometric shapes
• Organic like stilized
plants; papirus, lotus,
palm trees

The Temple of Isis,

Philae, 380–362 BC
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

• They used arches, vaults and

domes.

• There are no orders (as in

the Ancient Greek
architecture)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

Mud brick was the principal

building material for domestic
buildings,
so, we get the
information we have
about the dwellings
from the paintings,
reliefs and remains.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

a. Entrance
b. Main Room
Multiple storied row-houses c. Kitchen
with narrow facades. d. Bedroom
Either no or very few windows. e. Storage
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

Middle class houses had • Living Room

atriums • Living Room/Workshop/Store
Upper class houses were villas • Courtyard and Streets
and their plans were bigger • Garden
versions of middle class houses
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture

Funerary Structures

In the Old Kingdom:

• pyramids for the dynasty,
• mastabas for the royals

In the Middle Kingdom: Rock-cut Tombs take the place

of mastaba

In the New Kingdom: all tombs were carved in rocks

Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Predynastic Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Predynastic Art
Palette of King Narmer
Hierakonpolis, Egypt
ca. 3,000-2,920 B.C.E.
slate
approximately 25 in. high
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Mastaba

Square or rectangular buildings

connected by shafts to tomb Chapel
chambers deep beneath the
earth.

The mastaba also housed a Shaft

chapel and a statue of the
dead.

Tomb
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Mastaba
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Mastaba
Tomb of Perneb (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,350-2,323 B.C.E.)

Saqqara, Egypt
limestone
approximately 16 ft. high
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures

Pyramid and Mortuary of

Djoser (Zoser) (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E.)

First pyramid appeared in the III.

Dynasty by the evolution of the
mastaba structure.

Djoser‘s architect, Imhotep,

added steps above Djoser‘s
mastaba to create a step
pyramid.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures

Pyramid and Mortuary of

Djoser (Zoser) (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E.)

It has 6 layers of mastabas built

on top of eachother.

This is the first time a pyramid

and a burial temple build next
to eachother.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures

Pyramid and Mortuary of

Djoser (Zoser) (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E.)

The Pyramid creates a kind of a

city with the buildings
surrounding it.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures

Pyramid and Mortuary of

Djoser (Zoser) (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures

Pyramid and Mortuary of

Djoser (Zoser) (3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art

Bent Pyramid, DASHUR (4.

Dynasty)  2650 BC
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art

Bent Pyramid, DASHUR (4.

Dynasty)  2650 BC
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
(4th dynasty)

Menkaure,
ca. 3,000-2,920 B.C.E.;
62 m. high – 125 m. wide
Khafre,
ca. 2520-2494 B.C.E.;
143 m. high – 215 m. wide
Keops (Khufu)
ca. 2551-2528 B.C.E.
146 m. high – 230 m. wide
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
(4th dynasty)

limestone
largest (Khufu) approximately
450 ft. high
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
(4th dynasty)

• limestone
• average weight of 2 1/2 tons
• cut and floated almost 1,125
kilometers down the Nile to
the pyramid site
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
(4th dynasty)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
(4th dynasty)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Great Sphinx
(4th dynasty) (ca. 2520-2494
B.C.E.)
Gizeh, Egypt

Sphinx’ guard the roads,

especially to the temples.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Great Sphinx
(4th dynasty) (ca. 2520-2494
B.C.E.)
Gizeh, Egypt

Human head on a lions body.

sandstone
approximately 65 ft. high
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Khafre
Gizeh, Egypt
diorite
approximately 66 in. high
(3rd dynasty) (ca. 2,520-2,494
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Menkaure and Khamerenebty
from Gizeh, Egypt
graywacke
approximately 54 1/2 in. high
(3rd dynasty) (ca. 2,490-2,472
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Seated Scribe
from Saqqara, Egypt
painted limestone
approximately 21 in. high
(3rd dynasty) (ca. 2,450-2,350
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Ka-Aper
from his mastaba at Saqqara,
Egypt
wood
approximately 43 in. high
(3rd dynasty) (ca. 2,450-2,350
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Ti watching hippopotamus hunt
from Saqqara, Egypt
painted limestone
approximately 48 in. high
(3rd dynasty) (ca. 2,490-2,350
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Old Kingdom Art
Goats Treading Seed and Cattle
Fording a Canal
Saqqara, Egypt - Mastaba of Ti
painted limestone
(3rd dynasty)
(ca. 2,450-2,350 0 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs

Beni Hasan (12th dynasty) (ca.

1950-1900 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs

Beni Hasan (12th dynasty) (ca.

1950-1900 B.C.E.)

• The entrance is colonnaded.

• Columns are proto-Doric.
They carry a heavy architrav.
• After this entrance there is a
passage connecting to the
burial chamber which is left
natural.
• In this chamber there is a
niche with the sculpture of
the King.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs

Beni Hasan (12th dynasty) (ca.

1950-1900 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs
Tomb of Meketre (12th dynasty)
(ca. 1,985 B.C.E.)
Thebes, Egypt
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs
Tomb of Meketre (12th dynasty)
(ca. 1,985 B.C.E.)
Thebes, Egypt
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Rock-cut Tombs
Tomb of Meketre (12th dynasty)
(ca. 1,985 B.C.E.)
Thebes, Egypt

Riverboat
gessoed and painted wood
50 3/8 in. long
Granary
gessoed and painted wood
29 1/8 in. long
Statuette of an offering bearer
Gessoed and painted wood
44 1/8 in. high
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Hippopotamus
from Thebes, Egypt
(1991-1783 B.C.E.)
faience and ceramic
7 7/8 in. long
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Middle Kingdom Art
Sesostris III
Amenemhet III
(1991-1783 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple Architecture Temples built which were built above the ground can
be:
• Mortuary Temples
• Oldest examples connected to the eastern
walls of the pyramids.
• They consist of a colonnaded courtyard
surrounded by halls.
• There are 5 niches in the courtyard with 5
sculptures symbolizing the kingdom.
• In the sanctum there is a stel (tombstone)
and a niche.
• Temples of Gods
• They can be for one God or multiple Gods.
• Sun Temple
• These are surrounded by walls
• They have a colonnaded entrance
connected to the first terrace with a
closed ramp.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple Architecture Classical Temple Plan
These were built in the same forms as palaces, with
• They have a rectangular plan three increasingly restricted areas.
• A long road (dromos) leads to
the big entrance door (pylon)
adorned with reliefs and niches
• Behind the door is the courtyard
(peristil) which leads with a few
steps to a hall (hypostil)
• Behind this hall leads to the dark
and sacred sanktuer (sanctum).
This is where the God sculpture
is. Only pharaohs and the oracles
are allowed here.
• Around this room there are
other rooms for the oracles and
the sacred objects.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Senmut, Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut
(12th dynasty) (ca. 1,473-1,458
B.C.E.)
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Senmut, Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut
(12th dynasty) (ca. 1,473-1,458
B.C.E.)
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Funerary Structures
Senmut, Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut
(12th dynasty) (ca. 1,473-1,458
B.C.E.)
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt

• from the entrance we step

into a courtyard
• in the middle of the
courtyard there is a chapel,
an marble altar and a pool
for cleansing
• at the end of the courtyard
an obelix
• the ritual takes place in the
courtyard
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Statue of Hatshepsut
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt
limestone
76 3/4 in. high
(ca. 1,473-1,458 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Hatshepsut
with offering jars
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt
red granite
8 ft. 6 in. high
(ca. 1,473-1,458 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Ramses II - Four
Ramses Colosi
from Abu Simbel, Egypt
colossi approximately 65 ft. high
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Ramses II
Ramses Colossus and his Family
from Abu Simbel, Egypt
colossi approximately 65 ft. high
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Abu Simbel Temple
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)

• Completely inside the rock

• the entrance is 20 m. deep
• in 40 m. deep 8 pillars form
a hall.
• this leads to the sanctuer
(sanctum) in 70 m. deep
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Ramses II
from Abu Simbel, Egypt
atlantids approximately 32 ft.
high
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Amen-Re
Karnak, Egypt
(ca. 15th century B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Amen-Re
Karnak, Egypt
(Dynasty 19th)(ca. 1350-323
B.C.E.)

Between the years of 1350 and

323 B.C.E. every Pharaoh added
something to the structure.
It is the largest Egyptian Temple.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art

Temple of Amen-Re
Karnak, Egypt
(Dynasty 19th)(ca. 1350-323
B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Amen-Re
Model of Hypostyle hall Temple
of Amen-Re
Karnak, Egypt
(Dynasty 19th)
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Amen-Re
Hypostyle hall Temple of Amen-
Re
Karnak, Egypt
(Dynasty 19th)
(ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.)

Entrance Pylon
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple • The most public area was a large courtyard,
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.) surrounded by a post and lintel colonnade.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple • The Second Area was the great hypostyle hall,
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.) with its dense forest of columns.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Luxor Temple
(ca. 14. and 13. century B.C.E.)

Entrance of the Hypostyle Hall Columns & Capitals in Hypostyle Hall

 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Semnut with Princess Nefrua
Thebes, Egypt
Granite, 36 ½ in. high
(ca. 1,470-1,460 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Fowling Scene
Thebes, Egypt
Fresco secco
32 in. high
from the tomb of Nebamun
(ca. 1,400-1,350 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Akhenaton
Thebes, Egypt
sandstone
approximately
13 ft. high
(ca. 1,353-1,335 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Akhenaton sacrificing a duck
Thebes, Egypt
limestone
9 5/8 in. high
(ca. 1,353-1,335 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Thutmose
Nefertiti
Tell el-Amarna, Egypt
painted limestone
20 in. high
(ca. 1,353-1,335 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Death Mask of Tutankhamen
Thebes, Egypt
gold with semiprecious stones
21 1/4 in. high
(ca. 1,323 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Innermost coffin of
Tutankhamen
Thebes, Egypt
gold with semiprecious stones
73 in. high
(ca. 1,323 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Tiye
Gurob, Egypt
wood with gold, silver, alabaster,
& lapis
3 3/4 in. high
(ca. 1,353-1,335 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Canopic jar
Thebes, Egypt
alabaster with stone and glass
inlay
20 1/2 in. high
(ca. 1,349-1,336 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Painted chest
of Tutankhamen
Thebes, Egypt
painted wood
20 in. long
(ca. 1,333-1,323 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Wedjat Eye of Tutankhamen
Thebes, Egypt
gold and precious stones
2 in. wide
(ca. 1,333-1,323 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Last judgment of Hu-Nefer
Thebes, Egypt
painted papyrus scroll
18 in. high
(ca. 1,290-1,280 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Mortuary Temple of Seti I
Abydos, modern day Qurna
(ca. 1290-1279 BCE)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Khonsu
Karnak, Egypt
(ca. 1200 B.C.E.)

It was constructed by
Ramesses II, on the site of an
earlier temple.

It has the three classic parts:

Peristil, Hipostil, Sanktüer
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Khonsu
Karnak, Egypt
(ca. 1200 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Temple of Khonsu
Karnak, Egypt
(ca. 1200 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Ramses III - Medinet Habu
Temple
(c.1187-1156 B.C.E.)
A PYLON
B PERİSTİL /Courtyard
C 2. Courtyard
D HİPOSTİL
E SANKTÜER
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
New Kingdom Art
Book of the Dead
Thebes, Egypt
painted and inscribed papyrus
13 3/4 in. high
(ca. 1,040-945 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Peripteral Temples • With the Greek invasion
ISIS TEMPLE • we see Greek-Romen influences
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Peripteral Temples • Has a Greek temple plan
Satet Temple • 2 pillars on the front and 2 pillars on the back
Elephantine Island façade
(c. 1480 B.C.E.) • On the other facades square pillars
• In the middle of the colonnade is the cella
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Horus
Edfu, Egypt
(ca. 237-47 B.C.E.)

It still has the classical temple

plan, but the exterior is Greek
influenced.
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Horus
Edfu, Egypt
(ca. 237-47 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Horus
Edfu, Egypt
(ca. 237-47 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Horus
Edfu, Egypt
(ca. 237-47 B.C.E.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Cat
Thebes, Egypt
bronze
11 in. high
(ca. 304-31 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Dendur
Nubia, (ca. 15 B.C.E.)
Sandstone, 82 ft. long
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Dendur
Nubia,
(ca. 15 B.C.E.)
Sandstone,
82 ft. long
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Temple of Dendur
Nubia
sandstone
82 ft. long
(ca. 15 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Portrait of a boy
Faiyum, Egypt
2nd century A.D.
encaustic on wood
15 in. high
(2nd century A.D.)
 Ancient Egyptian Culture and Architecture
Ptolemaic Art
Faiyum portraits
Faiyum, Egypt
encaustic on wood
(2nd century A.D.)