1.1.
1 Prehistoric supply, the trade in the
Architecture: Influences,
Architectural Characters,
Examples
Influential Factors
The earliest humans spread
from Africa into Southern
Europe and Asia by means of
foot travel and boats. A
limiting factor in this spread is
the cold climate in the far
north.
Before 9000 BC, humans
lived a nomadic life wherein
they transferred from place to
place in search of location
with ample resources for
hunting and gathering. By
9000 BC, the practice of
agriculture has started
enabling them to permanently
settle in locations with fertile
soil and abundant resources.
By settling in one location,
they were able to form
communities.
With the development of tools
that ensured sufficient food
communities started to vary.
Since not everyone in the
community needed to farm,
they were able to focus on
other trade and crafts such as
pot-making, metalwork, art,
and architecture.
During this period, there were
no organized religion.
However, the dead were
treated with respect,
particularly in the form of
burial rituals and monuments.
Architectural Character
Aside from excavated caves,
majority of the architecture
built during this time were
made of animal skins, wooden
frames, and animal bones.
The choice of materials was
based on what is abundant in
the area, as well as ease in
construction. However, for
important architecture such as
burial sites and monuments,
stone was used. This variance
in the choice of material is one
of the reasons why the
prehistoric structures that
have survived to date were
mostly related to these kinds
of functions.
With the limited tools that
were invented during this
time, architectural examples
are mostly megalithic in
character.
architectural value are;
❑ MONOLITH OR MENHIRS
❑ DOLMEN OR CROMLECH
❑ BURIAL MOUNDS /
TUMULI
❑ LAKE DWELLINGS

MONOLITHS are single/

Architectural Examples large
upright stones, known in
Some of the architectural
Western
examples for this period are:
France as “MENHIRS”
 Menhir • MENHIRS (from the words
 Dolmen maen
 Cromlech means a stone and hir means
 Tumulus or Passage high/
Grave long), such as those at
 Primitive Dwellings Carnac in
Brittany
PRE- HISTORIC PERIOD: • also a standing stone,
 less architectural value // orthostat, lith
stones or masseba / matseva
 Monoliths and Menhirs
PRE- HISTORIC PERIOD may be found singly as
- the age of stones monoliths (as shown on the
and monuments. previous slide), or as part of a
among prehistoric remains of group of
archaeological similar stones. Size can vary
interest, but of little considerably, but their shape
is generally uneven and MENEC ALIGNMENT
squared, KERMARIO ALIGNMENT
often tapering towards the top. KERLESCAN ALIGNMENT
MENHIR COLLECTION-
CARNAC STONES, Eleven converging rows of
BRITTANY menhirs stretching for 1,165
by 100 meters
an exceptionally dense
• Ménec alignments, the most
collection of megalithic sites
well-known megalithic site
around the French village of
Carnac, in among the Carnac stones
Brittany, consisting of
alignments, dolmens, tumuli The largest stones, around 4
and single menhirs. metres high, are at the wider,
western end; the stones then
an alignment of megalithic
become as small as 0.6
standing stones; the Carnac
metres high along the length
Stones in Brittany is
of the alignment before
considered as
growing in
the LARGEST MEGALITHIC
height again toward the
SITE IN THE WORLD
extreme eastern end.
CARNAC ALIGNMENTS
there are “three major groups
It consists of 1029 stones in
of stone rows or stone
ten columns, about 1,300
alignments” in Carnac
meters in length.
which may have once formed
• A stone circle to the east
a single group, but have been
end, where the stones are
split up as stones
shorter.
were removed for other
purposes. • A smaller group of 555
stones, further to the east of
the other two sites.
• Composed of 13 lines with a
total length of about 800 -while the term Cromlech may
meters. be
used for three or more upright
• At the extreme west, where
stones, capped by a flat stone
the stones are tallest, there is
(same
a stone circle which has 39
as dolmen) now virtually
stones.
obsolete in
There may also be another
archaeology. Also, prehistoric
stone circle to the north.
monument consisting of a
DOLMENS AND CROMLECH group of
• DOLMENS (dol = table + megaliths, sometimes
maen stone) arranged in a
DOLMENS AND CROMLECH circle or in concentric circles
(single chamber megalithic POULNABRONE DOLMEN
structure) (IRELAND)
is the name sometimes
• aka PORTAL TOMB
applied to
• Hole of the quern stones/
two or more upright stones
Hole of the sorrows
supporting a horizontal slab.
• Funerary/ burying place
• CROMLECH (crom = bent + • Unofficial Public Observatory
leac = flat
BROWNSHILL DOLMEN
stone) are often used as
(IRELAND)
interchangeable terms
• Heaviest capstone in Europe
PRE- HISTORIC PERIOD: • Also, the largest dolmen in
Europe
• Built by Farmers*
-architecture manifestation of
thoughts from beginning KOREAN DOLMEN
(pre-history) to byzantine (GOINDOL- MEANS
period SUPPORTED SLAB)
spacespace
• Largest concentration of
dolmens in the world/ 35,000
dolmens
• UNESCO World Heritage
Site (Gochang, Hwasun,
Gangwa)
• No theory on the origin

STONE HENGE (ENGLAND)

AVEBURY NEOLITHIC
• The last and the most
HENGE (ENGLAND)
famous cromlech/ prehistoric
monument in the world; • Consists of 3 stone circles
• Built in several stage/ 100 • Largest stone circles in the
upright circular stones world
• UNESCO WORLD Heritage • UNESCO WORLD Heritage
Site (1986) Site (1986)
• Burial Site/ Ceremonial
Rites/ Religious Pilgrimage 1.1.3 Ancient Near East
Destination Architecture: Influences,
• Final resting place of Royalty Architectural Character,
• Astrological Phenomenon Examples
(Astronomical Calendar/
Equinox/ Solstice/ eclipse) Influential Factors
Mesopotamia started out as
villages on the flat land
between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers.
Geographically, the fertile
crescent is characterized by
marshlands with few natural
advantages aside from water
and soil, that they had import
materials like hardwood and
metals. Other villages were
also established in the deserts
of the Arabian Peninsula and
in the mountains and plateaus
from west to east.
This villages eventually
developed into city-states with
populations of thousands.
Each city-state was
surrounded by a wall and
dominated by a large temple.
The society was comprised of
kings, craftsmen, soldiers,
farmers, and priests. Each
city-state worshiped their own
god for protection and people
aimed to make peace with
their wrathful god. These city-
states fought and traded with
each other, and sometimes,
when they conquer each
other, they form an empire.
The Mesopotamian Empire
was comprised of the city-
states of Ur, Babylon, Agade,
Ashur and Damascus. In 2334
BC, King Sargon of Agade
formed the first major empire.
By 1792 BC, the empire was
led by King Hammurabi.
During his reign he instituted
laws to keep order. It was also
during this time when writing
was invented in the form of
pictograms or cuneiform
records on clay tablets.
The Assyrian Empire, on the
other hand was based in
Ashur and became the
biggest empire under King
Ashurbanipal and
encompassed Mesopotamia,
Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.
The Persian Empire was
begun by Cyrus the Great
from 559 to 529 BC. This
covered Mesopotamia,
Anatolia, Eastern
Mediterranean, Bactria, Indus
Valley, and North Africa.
During the reign of Darius I,
he had provinces that were
ruled by a satrap who guarded
the roads, collected taxes,
and controlled the army. Local
people were allowed to keep
their religions and customs.
The capital was eventually
moved from Susa to
Persepolis and a network of
roads were made linking the
royal court to other parts of
the empire, i.e., from Susa in
Persia to Sardis in Anatolia.
Trade mostly involved raw
materials, carpets, and spices.
Decorations were mostly in
the form of colossal winged-
bulls guarding chief portals;
polychrome glazed bricks in
blue, white, yellow, and green;
and murals of decorative
continuous stone.

During the reigns of Darius

and Xerxes, they tried to Architectural Examples
conquer Greece but it ended
with the defeat of Darius III to Ziggurats
Alexander the Great of Palaces
Macedonia.
Dwellings

Architectural Character
1.1.4 Ancient Near East
The materials that were Architecture: Reading
readily available in the area Materials
was clay, soil, reeds, and
rushes, which is why building
construction is mostly made of ANCIENT NEAR - EAST
mud and chopped straw which -GEOGRAPHICAL
was then sun-dried or kiln- LOCATION
fried. Other materials used
-categorized as the earliest of
were timber, copper, tin, lead,
all civilizations as
gold, silver, most or all of
people formed permanent
which were imported.
settlements and as a region
produced multiple empire
(CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION)
a collection of varied cultures
whose real bonds were BABYLONB Capital of
script, gods, and their attitude Babylonian Empire (King
towards women Hammurabi/
Nebuchadnezzar)
known today as IRAQMESO
Became the Largest City in
(middle)+ POTAMOS (river)
the world (200,000 people)
a Greek term means
after URUK
“BETWEEN RIVERS” TIGRIS
NIMRUDN capital of Assyria
& EUPHRATESFERTILE
(13th cent) (King
FERTILE CRESCENT
Ashurnasirphal II- rebuilt the
MESOPOTAMIA city)
AS NINEVEHN greatest city of
CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION Assyrian under King
SUMER Senacherib and king
BABYLON Ashurbanipal- last king of
ASSYRIA Assyria)
PERSIA PERSEPOLISP capital of
Persian Empire built by Cyrus
-MESOPOTAMIA is just a the Great, Darius I and
TERM used Xerxes)
to refer area where first
ALSO
civilization started
Long time considered as
CITY STATES IN home of the greatest
MESOPOTAMIA “FIRSTS” and “INVENTIONS”
U first largest city in the world in history
(approx. 80,000 people) (wheel, domestication of
AKKADA center of world’s animals, agriculture, common
first empire (Akkadian empire: tools, sailboat and irrigation).
Sargon) Created the first columns,
ASSURA first city of Assyrian arches, and roofed structure
Empire Seat of learning as the first
philosopher studied here. Built
schools to value learning of
and intellect which taught Mesopotamia
reading, writing, religion, law, AND IS COMPOSED OF
medicine and astrology SEVERAL
CITY STATES
No good natural stone
deposits in Mesopotamia, ✓UR
Assyria and Babylonia, hence ✓URUK
use of sun-dried ✓UMMA
bricks. Also lack of timber ✓KISH
(imported from Lebanon), ✓ LAGASH
hence only limited use of
burned bricks KING SARGON OF
covered by bitumen as outer AKKADIAN EMPIRE
layer (floods and heavy rains). Take note that ALL these city
states had each rulers
Persia: Good stone, much and kings UNTIL SARGON
wood, hence use of TIMBER invaded and conquered
and LIME STONE. ALL states and built his own
empire (2350 BC
SUMERIAN INVENTIONS
▪ Invention of wheel
▪ Possibly earliest writing
system
▪ First to use maps
SUMER ▪ Invented sails for navigation
FIRST CITY STATE IN ▪ First Literature- Epic of
MESOPOTAMIA Gilgamesh
• Earliest known Civilization (written in cuneiform)
• Started around 4000 BCE ▪ Mathematical systems
• Located at the Eastern part based on 60
Ex. 60 mins., 60 seconds
 Their life was centered around
SUMERIAN INVENTIONS
religion.
CUNEIFORM
earliest writing system ever
developed (Syllabary, contra
Alphabet and Pictograms)
allowed the transmission of
knowledge, the
codification of laws, records
to facilitate trade As ENLIL as the main and
supreme god and god of air
EPIC OF GILGAMESH There was UDUGS- the god
epic poem from ancient of misfortune (bad luck)
Mesopotamia and HEAVEN HELL
regarded as the earliest
surviving great work of ARCHITECTURAL
literature ELEMENTS AND
CHARACTER
PROMINENT GODS
▪ ENLIL - supreme god & god • Mud was their main
of air building material
▪ ISHTAR - goddess of fertility • Walls are built for
& life protection
▪ AN - god of heaven • Walls were thick to
▪ ENKI - god of water & compensate the
underworld weakness of mud
▪ SHAMASH - god of sun and • Walls were reinforced
giver of law with buttresses.
RELIGION • Buttresses and
POLYTHEISM recesses were used to
Sumerians worshipped many relieve the monotony
gods.
of the plastered wall Ziggurat is a worship place
surfaces. and gods were considered to
be the main reason of their
ARCHITECTURE :
architecture. They were
SUMERIAN HOUSES
important part of the
• The houses were usually Mesopotamian beliefs.
punctuated by gods were thought also to be
narrow openings that serve as present in the planning and
entrance execution of any building
to houses.
• Houses have narrow streets ▪ Important for gods to be
honored byreligious
between
ceremonies
them.
▪ Ceremonies performed by
• Street layout is irregular and
priests insacred temples
“chaotic”,
▪ Temples created from mud
no canalization
brick and placed on platforms
Principal Architectural due to constant flooding
monuments of Sumerian ▪ Temples evolved to
cities ziggurats- a stack of1-7
EXAMPLE: platforms decreasing in size
Oval Temple (Khafaje) frombottom to top
• Constructed around 2600 • Built of mud-bricks.
BC • Major building and
• Named Oval because of its centerpiece of each
massive oval walls Sumerian city.
surrounding the temple. • A temple tower, built in
• The temple is raised on a several
simple platform. diminishing storeys,
ARCHITECTURE : culminating in a
ZIGGURATS summit shrine reached by a
series of
stairways. 7 STOREY ZIGGURAT
• Also called: Step temple. • Example: Babylon Tower
Hanging Garden
• Walls are ornamented on the
Temple of Birs, Nimrud
outside with alternating
buttresses and recesses. TEMPLE OF BIRS, NIMRUD
• Interior wall ornament often Dedicated to the seven
consist of patterned mosaics planets,
of with glazed tiles in different
terra cotta panels, painted in color
bright colors. 1. Black: Saturn
2. Orange: Jupiter
THREE TYPES OF
3. Red: Mars
ZIGGURAT
4. Yellow: Sun
ARCHAIC ZIGGURAT
5. Green: Venus
• usually one flat top
6. Blue: Mercury
rectangular
7. White: Moon
mound carrying the temple.
• Example: The White Temple BABYLON
and MEANS THE “GATE OF
the Great Ziggurat, Uruk, GOD”
3200- 1792 BC
3000 BC Amorites (Hamitic-speaking
• Believed to have been people from Syria) took over
dedicated the Sumer and
to the sky god, Anu. established their capital in
2 OR MORE STOREY Babylon
ZIGGURAT START OF OLD
• Rectangular in plan, design BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
with The old Babylonian
several tiers. Empire was ruled by
• Example: Ziggurat of Ur King Hammurabi
 lost their control, power and
And was famous for his importance
codes of law called as PALACES took place as an
“Code of Hammurabi” important architecture figures
The code of Hammurabi was over these religious temples
inscribed on a stele and and worship buildings
placed in a Assyrian buildings- Vaulted
public place so that all could & flat
see it strips, buttressed walls with
ASSYRIA glazed ornaments.
MILITARY MIGHT AND Palaces were raised on brick
CRUELTY platforms, and their principal
1350 BC entrance ways were flanked
The Assyrians conquer the by
Babylon guardian figures of human
START OF ASSYRIAN headed bulls or lions of stone
EMPIRE LAMASSU
• The Assyrians were great • Walls of cities were
warriors and strengthened with many
hunters, this was reflected in towers serving as defensive
their art. positions.
• Sculptures and carvings in • The interiors of palaces
stone were richly decorated and
depicting violence and war, luxurious.
used to • Khorsabad was designed
ornament their palaces. as the royal capital of
ARCHITECTURE : Assyria during the reign of
PALACES Sargon II.
(Formerly Nimrud,
temples and other religious
thereafter Niniveh)
buildings during Assyrian Era
• Enclosed by a double wall quarter
with seven gates. C. KHAN- service chamber
• Only palaces, temples, NEO-BABYLON
and administrative BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
headquarters were built. REVIVAL
PALACE OF SARGON II 625 BC
• The palace was decorated The Assyrians were defeated
with relief sculptures and by Nabopolassar
glazed brick START OF BABYLONIAN
• The palace was arranged EMPIRE REVIVAL
around two major courtyards.
• Period when Babylon
(All buildings within the citadel reached its peak of
civilization.
were arranged around • Old Sumer cities were rebuilt
courtyards) during the
Neo-Babylonian Empire.
ARCHITECTURE : • The capital old Babylon was
PALACES- enlarged and
ARCHITECTURAL heavily fortified.
ELEMENTS • Adorned with magnificent
PALACE OF SARGON II, new buildings.
Khorsabad • Built into the double walls of
IMPORTANT PARTS the city fortification
A. SERAGLO – palace • The gate had a pair of
property projecting towers on each
which includes the kings wall.
residence, men’s apartment &
• All the facades of gates were
reception court
B. HAREM- private family faced with blue glazed bricks
apartment and women’s and ornamented with figures
of street is mentioned in
heraldic animals- the Christian bible.
lions, bulls, and dragons PERSIA
Ex. ISHTAR GATE 560 BC
PALACE OF Cyrus the Great took over
NEBUCHADNEZZAR Babylon
START OF PERSIAN
Nebuchadnezzar’s palace
EMPIRE
covered a land area of 900
• Also known as The
feet by 600 feet.
Achaemenid Empire
The palace is praised for its
• Became an example for
legendary hanging garden
other empires
HANGING GARDENS, • Ruled by Cyrus the Great
BABYLON and later on by Darius the
• Recorded as one of Great.
the Seven Wonders
CYRUS THE GREAT
of the ancient world,
• He freed the Jews that were
but exact knowledge
exiled in
of the nature of this
Babylon.
garden is not known
• Well recognized for his
• Dedicated by
achievements in
Nebuchadnezzar for
human rights, politics, and
his wife Queen Amytis
military
TOWER OF BABEL strategy.
• Temples and Towers • Conquered Babylon using
were also prominent propaganda.
Architectural elements He turned the Babylonian
of Babylon people against
• The legendary tower their king instead of using
of Babel located at the warfare.
end of procession
DARIUS THE GREAT fortification wall which
• He ruled the Persian Empire encloses three terraces,
after Cyrus remains of the great
the Great. palaces of Darius and
• He made Aramaic the official Xerxes.
language •PROPYLEA
in his empire. (Gateway of Xerxes)
• He organized a new uniform • Entrance hall
monetary designed by xerxes
system. The empire was • PALACE OF DARIUS
centralized and THE GREAT (521 BC)
unified during his reign. • Darius Hall, APADANA,
XERXES THE GREAT Pillars adorned with
• Predecessor of Darius the Gold, Silver & Tapestry.
Great. • With water and
• Failed to invade Greece. Drainage System
• A wall depicting Darius’ army
ARCHITECTURE
• PALACE OF XERXES &
PERSARGARDAE
APARTMENTS
(pa-sar-gard), Paradaisia
• Main feature: APADANA
(greek) the first world’s
(Royal Central Hall)
majestic garden
“Creating gardens was • Main feature: APADANA
Held in such esteem that (Royal Central Hall/ Hall
the Persian Kings wished of Hundred Columns)
to be remembered as • TOMB OF DARIUS,
gardeners.” NAKSH- I, RUSTAM
PERSEPOLIS • Example of rock cut
• Constructed as a new tomb, free standing tomb,
capital for the Persian cut into the cliffs and
Empire featuring carvings of
• Surrounded by a architectural façade
• TEMPLES AND PALACES
were the most prominent
building types in the
Ancient Near East.
• Across all the Civilizations,
cities were usually walled.
• The walls were of massive
brick material, with evenly
distributed towers
serving as buttresses.
• Importance of temples and
palaces varied during the
different periods of the
ancient near east.
• Temple building declined
during the Assyrian period.
• Stone and timber suitable for
building was rare in the plains
of the Tigris and
Euphrates.
• Sun dried brick became the
standard building material.
• The Babylonians introduce
glazed brick.
Lecture Slides (Prehistoric-
Mesopotamian)
Prehistoric Architecture
Prehistoric- denoting the
period before written records.
Most are oral/written in the
past.
(B.C.E.) before common era
(B.C.) before Christ
(C.E.) common era
(A.D.) anno domini
Stone Age (Flintstone)
-Use stones stools to them in
their hunter gather lifestyle.
- Paleolithic (Old Stone Age),
Mesolithic (Middle Stone
Age), and Neolithic (New
Stone Age).
-Old hunter gatherers that
usually lives in diff. places like
caves, under the trees, and
etc. For survival
purposes.
-Architecture in that time is for
survival.
(Architecture- protection and
shelter.)
Monumental Architecture -
early belief expressions.
Menhir-Dolmen-Cromlech
-Base on the recent studies;
for ritual purposes.
Architectural Character: -"The land between two
rivers"; Tigris and Euphrates
Basic construction- The
(river-fertile crescent)
invention of post and lintel
technology - Cradle of Civilization -
Invented the wheel, the
Geometric Configuration-
plough, astronomy,
basic shapes that represents
mathematics,
their environment
base 60 system of writing.
Monumental - symbolic of
their concepts and belief The Epic of Gilgamesh
system -the earliest surviving notable
Early Settlement and literature and the second
Temples- as organized oldest religious text.
society settles down, a district Babylonian time
community also
-first society to construct the
emerges. city itself as a built and
MESOPOTAMIAN advanced form
ARCHITECTURE module 1.2 -built to house the God, the
Period of Conquest; Ziggurat connects heaven and
earth.
5000 BCE | SUMMERIANS
- to emphasize the
2330 BCE | AKKADIAN
omnipotence of the King,
EMPIRE
palaces are dominant part of
1900 BCE |BABYLONIAN the city
EMPIRE
"If (the house) kill the son of
604 BCE | ASSYRIAN the owner, the son of that
EMPIRE builder shall be put to death"
539 BCE | PERSIAN EMPIRE
MESOPOTAMIA
-the code of Hammurabi
("Mata sa mata, ngipin sa
ngipin")
2.1.1 Egyptian Architecture:
Influences, Architectural
Characters, and Examples
Influential Factors
Geographically, Egypt is
characterized by a narrow
stretch of fertile and arable
land along the Nile River.
Beyond the riverbanks, it is
comprised mostly of barren
desert and rugged cliffs, which
prevented attack from
invaders. Despite the desert,
Egypt is a wealthy country
because every year, the Nile
would overflow, leaving the
land fertile for growing crops.
Likewise, Nile River was a
trade route.
Originally, Egypt is divided
into 2 kingdoms, the Lower
and Upper Egypt. But these
kingdoms were combined by
King Menes in 3100 BC. After
which, it became a single
kingdom for most of its
existence - unified under the
centralized omnipotent
authority of the pharaoh.
Pharaohs are not just kings,
they are seen as gods
dwelling on earth, and as
such, the sole masters of the
country and its inhabitants.
The kingdom is comprised
of many small towns, with
Memphis and Thebes
considered as royal cities. The
society is divided into groups
by order of importance such
as senior priests, officials,
noblemen, and army
commanders. The most
ordinary Egyptians were
farmers while some are
craftsman, tradespeople,
laborers, and slaves. Similar
to the Near East, the
Egyptians had a system of
writing referred to as
hieroglyphics.
The Egyptians were
polytheists and their gods
represented nature (e.g., sun,
moon, stars, animals). They
believe that after death, a
person's soul would go on to
enjoy eternal life in the
kingdom of the God Osiris,
and they imagined this
kingdom to be a perfect
version of Egypt. Because of
this belief, the pharaohs were
given a fine burial -
embalmed, given funerary
rites, and is buried together
with things they might need in
the afterlife, even living
people.
Architectural Character
Because of their belief in the
afterlife, and that life and
house on earth is temporary,
greater focus were laid in the
construction of tombs. And
because stone was abundant
in the area in terms of variety
and quantity, this became the
primary material for
monuments and religious
buildings. The durability of this
material is the reason why
these monuments exist to this
day. For houses and palaces,
they made use of lesser
materials such as mud bricks
and collection of reeds,
papyrus, palm branch ribs,
plastered over with clay.
Metals and timber had to be
imported since it was not
abundant in the area.
Because of their geographical
situation, roof was not an
important consideration. Flat
roofs sufficed to cover a
structure and to exclude heat
from interior spaces. Buildings
had no windows and interior
spaces were lit through
skylights, roof slits, and
clerestories.
For stability of the structure,
they made use of "batter wall"
whose thickness diminishes
towards the top. In some
temples, this thickness range
from 9 - 24 meters. Because
the walls had no windows, this
provided them with an
uninterrupted space that can
be used for hieroglyphics.
For decoration, aside from
hieroglyphics, which were
pictorial representations of
religion, history, and daily life,
derived from the practice of
scratching pictures on mud-
plaster walls, they also made
use of the following:
mouldings such as "gorge" or
"hollow and roll", inspired by
reeds
Torus moulding
avenue of sphinxes, which are
rows of monsters with a body
of lion and a head of a man,
hawk, or ram, leading to
monuments
pattern or continuous coil
spiral, quadruple spiral, lotus
or papyrus, grape ornament,
rope and feather ornament,
rope and paterae ornament,
and the sacred boat
shafts represent bundle of
stems wherein the common
capitals used were the lotus,
papyrus, and palm, which
echoed indigenous Egyptian
plants and were symbols of
fertility as well
Architectural Examples
Some of the architectural
examples for this period are:
Mastabas
Pyramids
Rock-Cut or Rock-Hewn
Tombs
Temples
Pylons
Obelisks
Dwellings
Fortresses the NILE RIVER serves as the
heart of Egypt 4000 miles
EGYPTIAN
long and is the longest river in
ARCHITECTURE:
the world
the LAND OF PHARAOH
The NILE DELTA is where
4500 BC to 2000 BC
the river splits into several
Sumerian civilization
channels before reaching the
Start of EGYPTIAN Mediterranean.
Civilization (2686 BC)
EGYPT (along with
Mesopotamia: Near-
East) are known to be the
earliest
civilizations in History
And both civilizations started
along the rivers
of Tigris and Euphrates
(Meso) and Nile (Egypt)
GEOGRAPHICAL
INFLUENCE
NILE RIVER WAS THE
DRIVING FORCE FOR
ANCIENT EGYPT. AN However, the two kingdoms
IMPORTANT PART OF were united around 3000 BC.
THEIR EVERYDAY LIVING The
WHICH MEANS MAGNET combined crown of the two
FOR LIFE. was called the “PSCENTH”
This also means to settle into
permanent villages. The Ancient Civilization of
Egypt is unique and distinct in
many
ways such as their beliefs/ (situated along the Nile River),
practices, the power and they were only limited to use
dedication such materials for
to high authority, and myths. construction like stones, sun-
Thus, Egyptian form of ruling dried/ mud-
is concentrated to their bricks, fiber or reeds, palms,
Supreme acacia and sycamore for
ruler called Pharaoh mummy cases
(descendant of their gods; the CHRONOLOGY
absolute
hereditary king). 4500 BC to 2000 BC Start of
“EGYPT: THE LAND OF EGYPTIAN Civilization
PHARAOHS” KINGDOMS THE OLD
KINGDOM (2850- 2052 BC)
11 GODS OF EGYPTIAN THE MIDDLE KINGDOM
MYTHOLOGY (2052- 1570 BC)
1. AMUN- RA (chief god) THE NEW KINGDOM (1570-
2. ARUM(the creator) 715 BC)
3. OSIRIS (god of death) THE LATE PERIOD (715-
4. ISIS (wife of osiris) 332 BC)
5. HORUS (sky god, son of
osiris) THE OLD KINGDOM (2850-
6. SET(god of evil and chaos) 2052 BC) THE MIDDLE
7. THOT (god of wisdom) KINGDOM (2052- 1570 BC)
8. ANUBIS (jackal headed • Beginning of hieroglyphic
god of death) and calendar
9. PTAH (god of craftsman) • Sun worship is the official
10. SERAPIS (bull) religion
11. RA (god of sun/ radiance) • Construction of the Step
Pyramid began
Because of the Geographical • King Kufu builds the Great
set- up of the Egyptian Pyramid of
territories Giza
• Construction of the Karnak unification of the two
Temple kingdoms
• King Mentuhotep II build “MENES”
innovative MENES (aka KING NARMER)
terraced temple at Deir- El
Bahari was the successor to the
• King Senworset Iiis the first protodynastic King Ka
to build a The founder of the city of
pyramid using unfired mud- Memphis- Capital of Egypt
brick The first to wear the
THE NEW KINGDOM (1570- PSCHENT
715 BC) crown (symbol of combined
• Egypt becomes a leading upper and lower Egypt)
power, The city of Memphis survives
expeditions to Asia and Nubia catastrophic floods brought by
• Greatest extension of
kingdom under the expansion of the Nile
Thotmos III, construction of River
Karnak, He was the first to invent
Luxor, Abu Simbel massive wall fortification
• Construction of the Temple (Menes wall) to protect his
of kingdom
Hatshepsut
• Macedonian Ptolemaic kings Menes (as the first pharaoh)
sponsor was also
extensive religious considered by some scholars
construction as the
first human god who ruled
The two crowns from lower Egypt
and upper Egypt were united
around 3000 BC; EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
the brain behind the
during his reign as a king also and marked the beginning of
happened the first Tomb Architecture
monumental EGYPTIAN TOMBS
failure in History (see Sadd- El
Kafra Dam). When Menes MASTABA
died PYRAMIDS
accidentally because of
hippopotamus, his 62 years of TEMPLES
kingship THE MASTABA
finally ended
Internal House of Life
Many years after his death
also marks the beginning of • means “bench of mud”
kingship under • Rectangular mud- brick
“DJOZER and the enormous tomb with flat roof and
PYRAMIDS” battered walls, from
which shaft leads to
DEATH AND THE
underground burial and
AFTERLIFE
offering chambers.
The Egyptians had a very
• (aka house of eternity
clear idea of the afterlife. They
or eternal house)
took
• a type of Egyptian tomb
great care to bury their dead
in the form of flat- roofed,
according to convention and
rectangular structure with
supplied the grave with things
outward sloping sides
that the departed would need
for a pleasant life after death. • The false door usually
oriented to the eastern side of
If the Near- East is popular
the tomb, facing to Nile,
because of their gods and
enabling the
worship,
spirit to travel
Egyptian are into deaths. The
importance of final resting MASTABA
place NECROPOLIS
CEMETERY the Kings and Pharaohs
4TH Dynasty, beginning of • They were built to protect
non royal mastaba the Pharaoh’s body
cemeteries in association and inside the pyramids were
with royal tombs mazes and dead
• Occupants are high officials ends
A simple mastaba evolved • The Egyptian Pyramids are
and for Egyptians, the HANDMADE
LIFE AFTER DEATH is a very They are made out of huge
significant belief blocks from
(and also for the birth of the sand, clay, and stone
PYRAMIDS) • A PRODUCT OF PURE
SLAVERY
THE PYRAMIDS Royal
(see Step Pyramid of Djozer)
Tomb of the Pharaohs
STEP PYRAMID OF KING
The Egyptian built two (2)
DJOZER, SAQARRA
types of Pyramid;
STEP PYRAMID • the first ever pyramid
dedicated to King Djozer
TRUE PYRA
and was originally built as a
The Egyptian built two (2) nearly quadratic mastaba
types of Pyramid; • Designed by IMHOTEP- his
• massive masonry structure right hand and royal
having rectangular architect. Evolved mastaba
base and four smooth, steeply into step pyramid
sloping sides
also signals the
facing the cardinal points
beginning of STONE
meeting at an apex
ARCHITECTURE not only in
• The PYRAMIDS (regardless
Egypt but
of types) were built
WORLDWIDE
as tombs that serves as the
final resting place of
moreover, THE STEP MEYDUM PYRAMID:
PYRAMID is REMARKABLE attributed to Huni (last king of
AS BEING the 3rd Dynasty) and
THE WORLD’S FIRST completed by
LARGE- SCALE SNEFERU (son of Huni)
MONUMENT IN SNEFERU (son of the
STONE previous Pharaoh- Huni),
The UNDERGROUND grew up in the
BURIAL APARTMENT shadow of the Step Pyramid.
(covered with vibrant blue- Ruled Egypt 35 years after the
green faience tiles)
death of King Djozer.
MORTUARY Precinct of King
Djozer
(showing the PAPYRUS • was a seven- stepped
STALK as half structure,
column support) contrived by building six thick
layers
MORTUARY Precinct of King
of masonry
Djozer
• Phase that perfecting
(fluted masts, stretched
engineering
matting in a
to pyramid
lower section )
• The upper part has been
oddly
denuded into a shouldered
tower-
like structure.
SNEFERU’s
Meydum Pyramid was one of
the first attempts
The STEP PYRAMID is just to perfect “smooth sided true
part of a whole COMPLEX pyramid” but eventually
collapsed and only the lower THE PYRAMID OF GIZA
portion still survives. (GIZEH), aka Necropolis of
Abandoned by Sneferu on his Giza
2nd decade of ruling and led Composed of the 3 Famous
him Pyramids: Cheops largest ,
to work on another Pyramid,. . Chefren 2nd tallest, Mykerinus
. . . BENT PYRAMID smallest
BENT PYRAMID, DASHNUR PYRAMID OF CHEOPS
• Aka South Pyramid; angle of (KHUFU)- the largest of the
three
inclination of the sides
changed The first successful
halfway steep pyramid
• Another daring attempt by Created by the great
Sneferu pharaoh Khufu (Cheops
and seems to collapse in Greek)
because of KHUFU (Sneferu’s Son)
errors Also known to be the
• ADDITIONAL PARTS; Great Pyramid of Giza
king’s among the three
chamber, queen’s chamber, pyramids
subterranean chamber, FACTS AND RECORDS
grand
gallery and stair shaft
RED PYRAMID, DASHNUR • The Only one of the Seven
• The actual burial place of Wonders of the World still
Sneferu standing today
• Was designed and • The Largest Pyramid ever
completed the built
first true pyramid • Assumed to be the burial
place of Egyptian Pharaoh- carved with decorative
Khufu panels and another chamber
with six large niches
PYRAMID OF CHEFREN
(KHAFRE)- the second tallest
Followed the great
pyramid in construction
Built by Pharoah Khafre
he allocation and
design of air shafts are
oriented to the
heavenly bodies EGYPTIAN
ARCHITECTURE:
VALLEY TEMPLE OF
CHEFREN’S Parts of the Pyramid Complex
PYRAMID COMPLEX ▪ Valley Building/ Temple-
Passage leading from Mortuary
antechamber to T-Shaped temple where the process of
hypostyle hall mummification is being done
▪ Causeway- raised
PYRAMID OF MYKERINUS passageway
(MENKAURE)- the smallest ceremonially connecting the
Built right after Chefren’s valley
pyramid for Pharaoh temple with the pyramid
Menkaure. The third of the ▪ Funerary Temple
major pyramids at Giza ▪ Sphinx
Large vertical gash at ▪ Pyramid
northern face because of THE TEMPLES
the attempt to demolish
The Sanctuaries of the Kings
CHAMBER WITH NICHES and Priest
which is said to be more
complex than those of Khafre TEMPLES are sanctuaries
that only kings and the priests
could • Decorated with statues of
enter, penetrate, access the Queen sculpted to appear
as the
2 TYPES OF TEMPLE 3
god Osiris
DIVISIONS OF TEMPLE
CULT TEMPLE MORTUARY THE TEMPLE OF AMUN
KARNAK
(Built for worship
of the gods) The Grandest of all
(Built in honor of Egyptian Temples
Pharaohs) commenced by
Amenemhati dedicated to
the Theban Triad gods-
offering area
Amun, Mut, Khonsu
house of the priest
One of the largest religious
holy of the holies
sites in the world
EGYPTIAN
ARCHITECTURE: TEMPLES he GREAT HYPOSTYLE
HALL COLUMNS
THE TEMPLE OF
supporting enormous roof
HATSHEPSUT, DEIR EL-
slabs
BAHARI
(134 columns in 16 rows)
Three level terraces and is located within the
approached by ramps temple complex and one of
Was built by architect the most visited
Senmut for Queen monuments of ancient
Hatshepsut (the first Egypt.
female king and widowed 134 papyrus columns in 16
wife of Thotmos II) rows
FACTS AND RECORDS the GREAT HYPOSTYLE
HALL COLUMNS
• Archaeologists estimate that *roof now collapsed
it took 15 years to build the
temple
he 2 middle rows are THREE (3) MAJOR
higher than the others CHARACTERISTICS OF
EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
FACTS AND RECORDS
other features
• As per earlier scholars, the
MONUMENTALITY
Great Hypostyle Hall had
2. SOLIDARITY (or
thought but
massiveness)
was built entirely by Seti I who
3. SIMPLICITY
engraved the northern wing of
the MONUMENTALITY- Egyptian
hall with inscriptions while the structures were built to depict
southern wing was completed and give importance to its
by ruler,
Ramesses II kings, pharaohs.
• It was initially instituted by SOLIDARITY/
Hatshepsut at the Northwest MASSIVENESS- the scale of
Chapel to the huge buildings and
Amun gigantic features.
THE TEMPLE OF ABU SIMPLICITY- simple features
SIMBEL (used of a typical forms,
Rock hewn tomb and Temple shapes) yet gives impact and
formed by a Pylon carved with grandeur
4 colossal seated statues of METHODS OF
Ramesses I-IV CONSTRUCTION
Site of two temples LINTEL
built by Ramesses II
Temples were POST
salvaged from the The use of columnar
rising waters of the and trabeated system
Nile River caused by of construction (post
erection of the Aswan
and lintel) with precise (also cavo- relievo)
stone works • HIEROGLYPHIC- system of
the writing of the ancient
CORBELLED VAULT
Egypt using pictorial and
Temples and monuments in phonetic
ancient Egypt are symbols to record information
mostly characterized by Post
LARGE PROPORTION OF
and Lintel features
COLUMNS that plainly
without using arches and
advertise their vegetables
vaults.
was used as technique origin
(e.g. palm, papyrus, lotus
on the ceiling of the Red
capitals)
Pyramid by Sneferu
making it more stable and SPHINX (spiritual guardian
precise and rendering often included in tomb and
Egyptian as the first to use temples)
this type of Vault OTHER THEORIES: SPHINX
construction
• Theories suggest the face of
the Sphinx resembles Khufu
The use of AXIS or AXIAL • Celestial purpose to the
PLANNING of massive great Sphinx that is, to
masonry resurrect the soul of
tombs and temples the pharaoh (Khafre) by
(e.g. Temple of Amun Karnak, channeling the power of the
sun and other
Temple of Hatshepsut, gods
Pyramid
Complex of Djozer)
BASS RELIEF- battered walls
with pictograph carving in
relief with hieroglyphics
 Wealthy country despite the
desert –
annually the Nile River would
overflow, leaving the land
fertile for
growing crops.
•
The Nile River was a trade
route
•
Two kingdoms were
combined by
King Menes in 3100 BC
(Lower and
Upper Egypt).
•
Many small towns, but royal
cities at
Memphis and Thebes.
•
A single kingdom for most of
Lecture Slides (Egyptian) its
EGYPTIAN existence – united under the
• centralized omnipotent
authority of
the pharaoh (king). Architects, engineers,
theologians,
Pharaohs:
masons, sculptors, painters,
- Seen as gods dwelling on
laborers,
earth
peasants, prisoners.
- Sole masters of the country
and its in -
habitants. Weaving, glassmaking,
pottery, metal,
Society
jewelry and furniture.
- Divided into groups by
order of -
importance: Astronomy, mathematics,
philosophy,
o
music and writing, literature
Senior priests
and history
o
written on papyrus and stone
Officials tablets.
o Geography & Climate
Nobleman • Narrow stretched of fertile
o and

Army commanders arable land along the Nile

River.
-
•
Most ordinary Egyptians are
farmers Beyond the riverbanks, barren
desert
-
and rugged cliffs prevent
enemies to
invade. and funeral rites, and a
permanent tomb
•
or “eternal dwelling”
Mediterranean and Red
seas. -
Religion Dead body had to be
preserved to house
Cult that represents the
nature: Sun, moon, the spirit.
stars, and animals. -
- Remove insides, dry out the
body, filled
They believe that when a
person died, with linen, masked and
bandaged (a.k.a.
the soul will enjoy eternal life
in mummy).
kingdom of the God Osiris Architectural Character
(Perfect •
version of Egypt). Afterlife – life and house on
- earth are
Pharaohs are buried along temporary but the tomb is
with things permanent.
that they might need in the •
afterlife,
For sustenance and eternal
even living people.
enjoyment of the deceased.
-
•
Wished for a fine burial,
embalmment Religion is the dominant
element in
Egyptian architecture. Flat roofs sufficed to cover
and exclude
Materials
heat
- Stones are abundant in
variety and -
quantity. No windows
- -
Used for monuments and Spaces were lit by skylights,
religious roof slits,
structure. clerestories.
- Walls
The durability of stone is why - Batter wall
the – diminishing in width
monuments still exist up until towards the top for stability
today.
- Unbroken massive walls,
- uninterrupted
Imported materials: Metal space for hieroglyphics.
and timber.- Mud bricks are
used for houses, palaces Decorations
(reeds, papyrus, palm branch - Moldings such “gorge” and
ribs, “hollow and
plastered over with clay). roll” was inspired by reeds.
Roof and Openings -
- Roof was not an important Torus molding
consideration -
- Hieroglyphics
were pictorial Hieroglyph, meaning “sacred
representations of religion, carving,” is a Greek
history and translation of the
daily life. Egyptian phrase “the god's
words.”
-
Message galling kay pogs –
Derived from the practice of
yung “notes”
scratching
extra info lang and pwede
pictures on mud plaster walls.
niyo dagdagan
Pyramids
kapag trip niyo. Add na lang
- Massive funerary structure of kayo or pasabi
stone or
na lang sa group chat kapag
brick. may gusto
- Complex structure kayong add ko. Basa well! :>
Notes
o Papyrus is a material on
which to
write, prepared from thin strips
of the
pith of this plant laid together,
soaked, pressed, and dried.
o
King Menes established the
first
ancient Egypt dynasty
o