ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE

History of Architecture 1
Compiled by: Ma Socorro A. Gacutan

EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE 1
 EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE 3000 BC to 1st AD
Physical Characteristics
Nile river provided good setting for
early settlement –water used for
transportation and irrigation
Climate-the Nile valley strip was
bordered with alluvial soil and
desert sand. Temperature rarely
exceed 38º C with little or no rain
The heat and humidity was conducive
to variety of plants and animals
Geological Materials –desert rich in
natural building stones and
minerals. Limestone, sandstone
The desert shielded Egypt from
external attacks
Nile River –efficient form of
transportation, affected culture and
economy of and fertilized the land
ancient Egypt

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MAP OF ANCIENT
EGYPT

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Religion Social Structure

•Polytheism
•Worship wind and water
•Horus –god with a human
body and falcon face
•Osiris- god of death and
rebirth

•Believe in life after death

•Mummified the dead
bodies

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ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTER
Available materials
•Papyrus, Reeds, palm-branch ribs
plastered with clay for walls
•Buildings circular in plan with
domical roof
•Rectangular in plan with tunnel-
shaped covering or flat roof
•Egyptian gorge cornice- produced
by the pressure of the mud roof
against the wall
•Timber were used for buildings
•Palm logs used for roofs
Stones were used in the 3rd Dynasty
for rubble masonry, stiffening , and
foundation for religious buildings
Mud brick for other structures
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• Walls diminished course by
course toward the top due to he
shrinkage caused by annual
inundation. Interior face of the
wall was vertical. The outer face
showed the inward inclination or
the “batter” which is the
characteristic of Egyptian
architecture.
• Fiber or reed were placed in
between bricks to reinforce
• Arches were adopted in the 3rd
dynasty
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 Wall decorations

•Masonry walls surface decoration

done by scratching pictures on early
mud-plastered wall
•Wall are windowless suitable for
wall surface writing and art-incised
relief and hieroglyphs

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Wall ornaments

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•Egyptian Columns

Large proportion showing vegetative

origin
Shafts to base from bundle of plant
stems
Capitals from lotus bud, papyrus
flower and palm

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Structural system-
Columnar-extensive use of columns
Trabeated-system of post and beams
Seen in pyramids, tombs and
temples

Egyptian temples
Avenues of sphinxes-mythical
monster with a body of a lion
and head of a man or a woman
(androsphinx), ram (criosphinx)
and hawk ( hieracosphinx)
Pylons-mass of masonry with
central opening forming the
monumental entrance to
Egyptian Temples

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Types of sphinxes
1. Androsphinx -Body of a lion, head of a
man or a woman

2. Criosphinx –body of a lion, head of a ram

3. Hieracosphinx –body of a lion, head of a

hawk
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Egyptian Temples
• Great courts
• Massive pylons
• Great hypostyle hall
• Dim inner sanctuaries
• Secret rooms
• Egyptian temples composed of
several buildings diminishing in
height behind the imposing pylon

• Hypostyle hall-a pillared hall in

which the roof rests on columns;
applied to many columned halls
of Egyptian architecture

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 Tomb Architecture
BELIEF IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
• Mummification
• King had two tombs (archaic period)
one in Lower Egypt and one in upper
Egypt.;
• Cenotaph was placed to tomb not
used. The cenotaphs were at Sakkara
• First Dynasty-mastaba evolved
• Simulation of house plan with several
rooms and a central room where the
sarcophagus and others to receive
abundant offering; located below the
ground
• Examples:
Mastaba of Thi at Sakkara Mastaba- an ancient Egyptian,
Mastaba at Gizeh rectangular, flat topped funerary
mound with battered (sloping sides)
Mastaba at Beit Khallaf
covering a burial chamber below the
ground
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Tomb Architecture: mastaba, pyramid, rock-cut tomb
1. MASTABA
• During the third Dynasty,
“stairway mastaba” were buried
deep under the ground cutting
the rock below.
• The main axis of the tomb is
oriented north and south
• Steps and ramps led from the
north end of the top of the
mastaba to connect with the
shaft which descended to the
level of the tomb chamber.
• Two well-spaced recesses were at
east side fronting the Nile.
• the southern part of the recesses
had false doors where the
deceased spirit will leave.
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2. ROYAL PYRAMIDS
Third to Sixth dynasty
Located on the west side of Nile
River
• Evolved from mastaba, the first
was the
• Step pyramid by Pharoah Zozer
of Djoser at Sakkara
• Bent Pyramid at Meydum and
two at Dashur By Pharoah
Seneferu of the 4th Dynasty
• True pyramids are at Gizeh (three
of them) built by Seneferu
scuccessors

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Tomb Architecture
Pyramids
• Primary building of a complex of Step pyramid at Sakkara 2778 BC
buildings enclosed with walls
• Had offering chapel with stele at
the east side of the pyramid
• Mortuary temple for the pharoah
usually at the north side
• Valley Building –embalming and
interment is carried out.
• Materials used were limestone
and rarely granite

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 Step Pyramid
• Pharoah Zoser
• Architect-Imhotep
• First large scale monument in stone
• Underwent five changes
• 1. complete mastaba 7.9 m high with
square plan of 63 m sides
• 2. plan extended eastward 8.5 m for
a f stepped pyramid
• 3. plan was rectangular with 83mx 75
m
• Final dimension was 125 m from east
to west 109 m. and 60 m high
• A pit of 7.3m x 8.5 m deep
approached by a horizontal tunnel
emerging at the north side in an open
ramp
• Wall of Tura Stone around the
complex 547 m from north to south
and 278 m wide.
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Bent Pyramid at Meydum

• King Huni of the 3rd Dynasty

• 144.5 m square base and 90 m
high
• Corbel –roofed tomb chamber at
the heart of the structure
• Stone wall enclosure 233 m north
to south
• East side at the center was an
offering chapel with offering
table flanked with two stelae
• No mortuary temple but an
access from the eastern part led
to the Valley Building

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Bent Pyramid of South Pyramid

• Pharoah Seneferu
• Square in plan 187 m height
about 102 m
• Local stone with tura stone facing
• Tomb chambers covered with
corbelled roof
• Double walled rectangular
enclosure
• Mortuary temple on east side,
causeway leading to the Valley
Building
• Upper inclination of the pyramid
is 54º15’ and lower inclination is
43º 36’

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Great Pyramid of Cheops
• Pharoah Cheops (Khufu) son of Pyramids at Gizeh near Cairo
Seneferu, 2nd king of 4th Dynasty
• Largest of the three in the site
• Nearly an equilateral triangle with
51º52’ with the ground
• abandoned queen’s chamber
• King’s chamber with sarcophagus
Pyramid of Chefren (Kafra)
• Second biggest at Gizeh
• 216 m side and 143 m high
• steeper slope of 52º20’
• Great sphinx of Chefren head of
Chefren 73.2 m long and 4.1 m
across and 20 m high
Pyramid of Mykerinos (Menkaura) 4th
Dynasty
• Smallest at Gizeh
• 109m square by66.5 m high
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3 Rock-hewn tombs

Tomb of Beni Hasan

• Consisted a chamber behind a
porticoed façade plainly imitating
wooden construction in the
character of the eight of sixteen
sided slightly fluted tapered
column their trabeation and
rafter ends above
Tomb of Khnemhetep
• Slightly vaulted rock ceiling
supported by column
• Walls were stuccoed

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3. Rock Hewn Tomb

Queen Hatshepsut temple at

der el Bahari

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TEMPLES
• Two classes of temples
• Mortuary temple-
• for the ministration to deified
pharoahs
• started in mastabas and
pyramids
• 2. Cult temple- worship of the
gods
Features - mortuary and cult
temple
• Main axis was not specific
oriented
• Walled open court with
hypostyle hall-
• leading to covered structure
with
• transverse columned vestibule
• Sanctuary
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TEMPLE OF KHONS, KARNAK
Constructed 1198 BC
Cult temple with pylon, court,
Hypostyle hall, sanctuary, and
various chapels enclosed by high
wall
Entrance pylon with obelisk
with avenues of sphinxes
Hypostyle was lighted thru
clearstory windows formed by
increased in height of the column
Beyond the sanctuary with front and
rear access was a circulating
passage.

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TEMPLE of Khons
Other features
• Other rooms and chapels
for priests
• Axial gateway to the
court with pylon.
• Avenue of sphinxes lined
along the entrance
• Services were held 3x a
day by priests and
selected few.
• Circulation was needed
in cult temple for
procession during
festivals.
• Walled containing priest
house, granaries, sacred
pool, buildings
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Temple of Mentuhetep, Middle kingdom 2130-1580 BC

Terraced in two main levels

At the base of steep cliffs
Upper terrace with colonnades
apprroahed with tree-laned inclined
way;
with solid pyramid raised on a podium
And surrounded with walled hypostyle
Pyramid was a cenotaph below it is a
dummy burial chamber
Rear of the temple is a pillared hall
recessed in the rock face to an an
open court to the ramp going down to
the Mentuhetep’s tomb.
Valley Building was connected by a
shielded causeway 3 quarters of a mile
away.

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Temple of Hatshepsut 1580-332 BC
New Kingdom
Architect- Senmut
Beside mentuhetep 500 years previously
A mortuary temple dedicated to Amun
and other gods
Her tomb was in the mountains beyond
Consisted of three terraces approached
by ramps leading to the base of the
cliffs, their faces lined with
colonnades
Upper terrace contained the queen’s
mortuary chapel and altars for the
gods
The chief sanctuary was laid deep in the
rocks
Minor sanctuaries of Hathor and Anubis
were located on the second terrace

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Great Temple of Amun, Karnak 1530-323 BC
• grandest of all Egyptian
Temples
• owes its size, disposition
and magnificence to many kings
• Started as a modest shrine
in the Middle Kingdom in 2000
BC
• Thotmes I (1530 BC)
started the enlargement with
366m x 110 m dimension
Surrounded by wall with sacred
lake and other temples
• had 6 pylons added by
successive rulers
Had avenue of sphinxes
connected with the temple
at Luxor

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 Great Temple of Amun, Karnak 1530-323 BC
Large ceremonial hall added
by Thotmes III 103 x 84 m
Seti I and Rameses II added
grand court and hypostyle 103x 54
m
Roof made of stone slab supported
by134 columns in 16 rows 24 m h
and dim. 3.6 m
Central hall supported by 21
columns 13 m h and diam 2.7 m
with papyrus-flower or bell type
Clearstory placed to admit light.
Incised inscription of royal
personages, events , praises to
gods covered the walls ,column
shafts, architraves. This idea was
borrowed by the Christian churches

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Great Temple of Abu Simbel

• C. 1301 is one of he rock –hewn

temples built by Rameses II
• Entrance fore court has imposing
façade 36 m wide and 32 m high
formed as pylon
• In front are rock-cut seated colossal
statues of Rameses II 20 m high
• The hall beyond has 8 Osiris pillars 9
m high and vividly colored reliefs
• Eight smaller chambers were placed
asymmetrical with the axis
• The central chamber is the sanctuary
containing statues of gods and the
sacred boat
• The temple was moved from its
original site due to the construction
of the Aswan Dam

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Temple of Isis, Island of Philae -Ptolemaic and Roman Periods 332 BC
to first century AD
• Belonged to the Thirtieth
Dynasty of Ptolemies II-XIII
• Irregularities of the plans due
to piece meal buildings but
the building principles are
similar to the New Kingdom
Period
• Column capitals are coarser
and more ornate and varied
in design from one column to
another
• Have very deep abacus blocks
• Colonnades are at the
exterior of the building
• Columns linked by a screen
wall reaching about half-way

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 Temple of Isis columns

• Columns with Isis

capital and
• Abaci or the screen
wall between the
columns

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Temple of Horus, Edfu 237-57 BC
Cult temple
Well-preserved structure of that
period
Built in 3 stages, the first temple
proper by Ptolemy III
the outer hypostyle hall and the
perimeter walls and pylon
A passage surrounding the
sanctuary which serves also as
access to the 13 chapels
the grand pylons are 62.6 m across
and 30.5 m high.
Hypostyle hall with palm capital of
varying design and
Abaci-screen walls between the
columns

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Temple of Horus, Edfu 237-57 BC

• Showing the portico

and the
• abaci or the screen wall
between columns

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Temple of Hathor, Dendera 110 BC to AD

• Most imposing, standing in brick-

walled temenos 290 m x 280 m.
• No pylons
• Hypostyle hall
• Peripheral walls with passages to
allow complete processional
circuit
• Four –sided Hathor- headed
capital of the hypostyle hall
• With deep abaci

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Obelisks
• Sacred symbol of the sun god
Heliopolis
• Usually in pairs astride temple
entrances
• Huge monoliths, square on plan and
tapering to an electrum-capped
pyramidion at the summit, which was
the sacred part
• Height is nine or ten times the
diameter at base
• The four sides with hieroglyphs
Cleopatra’s Needle
• Located at Thames, London
• With Thotmes III and Rameses II
inscriptions
• 20.9 m high x2.4m x2.3 m base

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Dwellings
• Ordinary dwellings were bricks
• One or two storey high with
arched ceiling and parapet roof
partly occupied by a loggia
• Rooms facing the north-facing
court
• Barrack-like dwelling for the
workers at the pyramid complex
• Houses of the rich were two or
three floors high due to n
constricted lots
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• Gardens, pools laid out formally
surrounding the crude
rectangular dwelling with doors
and windows on dressed stones
• columns, beams and window
frames were made of timber
• Living rooms raised high to allow
light coming from clearstory
• Thee parts of the house:
reception suite on the north side,
service and private quarters
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Fortresses
• Fortress of Bunen
• The best preserved monument of
the twelfth century (Middle
Kingdom) located in Nubia
• Built by succession of kings
especially Senusret III
• The main wall was 4.8 m thick
and 11 m high
• With semi-circular bastions with
3 loopholes with single
embrasure through which the
archers could cover the ditch
below them by cross-fire.

References:
Fletcher, Bannister. History of
Architecture: Comparative
Analysis. 16th Edition. EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE 39