history and theory of architecture 1 (chapter 2 report)
DESCRIPTION
This is the report for my ADA 123 subject. Prepared by me for Mr Raed M.A. Elottol.Diploma in Interior Desing (201006 Intake)Cosmopoint I.C.T. Kota KinabaluTRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2 Report
Prepared by:
Francess Deanna Ramli(10-201005-00109)
Prepared for:
Mr Raed M. A. Elottol
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Table of Content
Content Page
Introduction
Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Characteristics of Egyptian Architecture
The Giza Pyramid Complex
- Pyramid of Kufu
- Pyramid of Khafre
- Pyramid of Menkaure
Karnak
- Precinct of Amun-re
- Precinct of Mut
- Precinct of Montu
- Temple of Amenhotep IV
Luxor Temple
Conclusion
References
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Introduction
Ancient Egypt was a prehistoric civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower
reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. It was part of a superior complex
of civilizations, the Nile Valley Civilizations, of which regions south of Egypt are a part. Egyptian society
coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first
pharaoh, which was King Narmer, and it developed over the next three millennia. Its history occurred in a
series of stable ’Kingdoms’, divided by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods.
Ancient Egypt reached its peak during the New Kingdom, after which it entered a phase of slow decline.
Egypt was under the enemy’s control by a succession of foreign powers in this late period. The rule of the
pharaohs officially ended in 31 BC when Egypt fell to the Roman Empire and became a Roman province.
The victory of ancient Egyptian civilization stemmed partially from its ability to adapt to the environment
of the Nile River Valley. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced
surplus crops, which fueled social enlargement and culture. With wealth to spare, the administration
sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and neighboring desert regions, the early development of an
independent writing system, the organization of joint construction and agricultural projects, trade with
nearby regions, and a military intended to overpower foreign enemies and declare Egyptian dominance.
Motivating and organizing these actions was a bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and
administrators under the control of a pharaoh who ensured the collaboration and unity of the Egyptian
people in the context of an detailed system of religious beliefs. The many achievements of the ancient
Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that facilitated the structure of
enormous pyramids, temples, and obelisks.
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Ancient Egyptian Architecture
The Nile Valley and the Great Pyramid of Giza
The Nile valley has been the site of one of the most dominant civilizations which developed a
vast array of various structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture. The architectural
monuments, which include the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza, are among the
largest and most well-known. Tombs and temples are also very vital to ancient Egyptian.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a
figurine of a reclining or couchant
sphinx, which is a mythical
creature with a lion's body and a
human head, that stands on the
Giza Plateau on the west bank of
the Nile in Giza, near modern-day
Cairo, Egypt. It is the largest
monolith statue in the world, standing 241 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 66.34 feet high.
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Characteristics of Egyptian Architecture
Due to the insufficiency of wood, the two predominant building materials used in ancient Egypt
were sun-baked mud brick and stone, mainly limestone, but also sandstone and granite in significant
quantities. From the Old Kingdom onward, stone was generally reserved for tombs and temples, while
bricks were used for royal palaces, fortresses, the walls of temple grounds and towns, and for auxiliary
buildings in temple complexes.
Ancient Egyptian houses were made out of mud composed from the Nile River. It was positioned
in molds and left to dry in the hot sun to solidify for use in construction.
Many Egyptian towns have vanished because they were situated near the civilized area of the
Nile Valley and were flooded as the river bed slowly rose at some point in the millennia, or the mud
bricks of which they were built were used by peasants as fertilizer. Others are hard to find, new buildings
having been erected on ancient ones. Fortunately, the dry, hot environment of Egypt conserved some mud
brick structures.
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Dier al-Madinah authored by Steve F-E-Cameron
Examples include the village Deir al-Madinah, the Middle Kingdom town at Kahun, and the
fortresses at Buhen and Mirgissa. Also, many temples and tombs have survived for the reason that they
were built on high ground unaffected by the Nile flood and were constructed of stone.
Thus, our understanding of prehistoric Egyptian
architecture is based generally on religious monuments, massive
structures characterized by thick, sloping walls with few openings,
possibly echoing a technique of construction used to obtain
stability in mud walls. In a similar manner, the incised and flatly
modeled surface adornment of the stone buildings may have
derived from mud wall ornamentation. Although the use of the
arch was developed during the fourth dynasty, all monumental
buildings are post and lintel constructions, with flat roofs
constructed of huge stone blocks supported by the external walls
and the closely spaced columns.
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Exterior and interior walls, as well as the columns and piers, were covered with hieroglyphic and
pictorial frescoes and carvings tinted in brilliant colors. Many motifs of Egyptian ornamentation are
symbolic, such as the scarab, or sacred beetle, the solar disk, and the vulture. Other familiar motifs
include palm leaves, the papyrus plant, and the buds and flowers of the lotus. Hieroglyphs were inscribed
for decorative purposes as well as to document historic events or spells.
Ancient Egyptian temples were united with astronomically significant events, such as solstices
and equinoxes, requiring precise measurements at the moment of the particular event. Measurements at
the most important temples may have been ceremonially undertaken by the Pharaoh himself.
Osiride Piers in the Ramesseum at Luxor, Egypt and the Egyptian Scarab
A winged solar disk
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The Giza Pyramid Complex
Map of Giza Pyramid Complex
The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex
of ancient monuments is situated some 8 kilometres inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on
the Nile, some 20 kilometers southwest of Cairo city center. This Ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of
the Pyramid of Khufu also known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops, the somewhat
smaller Pyramid of Khafre or Kephren, and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure or
Mykerinus, along with a number of minor satellite edifices, known as "queens" pyramids, and the Great
Sphinx.
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The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops, is
the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis neighboring what is now El Giza,
Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain mostly
intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, Cheops
in Greek, and constructed over a 20-year period finishing around 2560 BC. Initially at 480.6 feet, the
Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made construction in the world for over 3,800 years, the longest period
of time ever held for such a record. Originally, the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that
created a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the fundamental core structure. Some of the casing
stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the foundation. There have been varying
scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction methods. Most customary
construction hypothesis are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and
dragging and lifting them into place.
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There are three identified chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the
bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and
King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid construction. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only
pyramid in Egypt known to hold both ascending and descending passages. The main part of the Giza
complex is a setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu where one is
close to the pyramid and one is near the Nile, three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller
"satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding
the pyramid for nobles.
Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahari, West Thebes, Egypt
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The Pyramid of Khafre is the second-largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the
tomb of the fourth-dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chephren). The pyramid has a foundation length of
215.5 metres and formerly rises to a altitude of 148.5 metres. The Pyramid is made of Limestone blocks
weighing more than 2 tons each. Two entrances direct to the funeral chamber, one that opens
11.54 metres up the face of the pyramid and one that opens at the bottom of the pyramid. These
passageways do not align with the centerline of the pyramid, but are offset to the east by 12 metres. The
lower descending passageway is carved completely out of the bedrock, descending, running horizontal,
then ascending to link the horizontal passage leading to the funeral chamber.
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One theory as to why there are two
entrances is that the pyramid was
anticipated to be much larger with the
northern base shifted 30 metres further to
the north which would make the Khafre’s
pyramid much larger than his father’s
pyramid. This would place the entry to the
lower descending passage within the
masonry of the pyramid. While the foundation is cut away farther from the pyramid on the north side than
on the west side, it is not clear that there is sufficient room on the plateau for the enclosure wall and
pyramid terrace. A substitute theory is that, as with many earlier pyramids, plans were altered and the
entrance was moved halfway through construction. There is a supplementary chamber that opens to the
west of the lower passage the purpose of which is doubtful. It may be used to store offerings, store burial
equipment, or it may be a serdab chamber. The upper descending passage is clothed in granite and
descends to join with the horizontal passage to the funeral chamber.
The burial chamber was carved out of a pit in the bedrock. The roof is constructed of gabled
limestone beams. The chamber is rectangular, 14.15 metres by 5 metres, and is oriented east-west.
Khafre’s sarcophagus was carved out of a solid block of granite and sunk partially in the floor. Another
pit in the floor likely contained the canopic chest.
Along the centerline of the pyramid on the south side was a satellite pyramid, but almost nothing
remains other than some core blocks and the outline of the foundation.
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To the east of the Pyramid sat the mortuary temple. It is larger than previous temples and is the
first to include all five typical elements of later mortuary temples: an entrance hall, a columned court, five
niches for statues of the pharaoh, five storage chambers, and an inner sanctuary. There were over 52 life
size statues of Khafre, but these were removed and recycled, possibly by Rameses II. The temple was
built of megalithic blocks, the largest is an estimated 400 tonnes, but it is now largely in ruins.
A causeway runs 494.6 metres to the valley temple. The valley temple is
very alike to the mortuary temple. The valley temple is built of megalithic
blocks covered in red granite. The square pillars of the T shaped hallway
were made of solid granite and the floor was cemented in alabaster. The
exterior was built of huge blocks some weighing over 100 tonnes. There
are sockets in the floor that would have fixed 23 statues of Khafre, but
these have since been plundered. The interior made of granite of the
Valley temple is remarkably well preserved. The exterior made of Limestone is much more weathered.
The pyramid was surrounded by a terrace 10 m (33 ft) wide paved with irregular limestone slabs behind a
large perimeter wall.
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The Pyramid of Menkaure, situated on the Giza Plateau in the southwestern outskirts of Cairo,
Egypt, is the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza. It was built to serve as the tomb of the fourth dynasty
Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure.
Menkaure's Pyramid had an original height of 66.5 metres. It now stands at 61 metres tall with a
base of 108.5 m. The first sixteen courses of the exterior were made of granite. The upper segment was
cased in the normal manner with Tura limestone. Part of the granite was left in the irregular. Incomplete
projects like this aid archeologists understand the methods used to construct pyramids and temples. South
of the pyramid of Menkaure were 3 satellite pyramids none of which appear to have been accomplished.
The largest was made partly in granite like the main pyramid. Neither of the other 2 progressed beyond
the construction of the inner core.
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This is the Menkaure’s Pyramid
with the 3 satellite pyramids.
Behind it is the Khafre’s Pyramid
and farther than that is the
Khufu’s Pyramid.
In the mortuary temple, the foundations, and the inner core were made of limestone. The floors
were begun with granite and granite facings were added to a few of the walls. The foundations of the
valley temple were made of stone. However they were both completed with crude bricks. Goerge Andrew
Reisner, who was an American archaeologist of Ancient Egypt, predicted that some of the blocks of local
stone in the walls of the mortuary temple weighed as
much as 220 tons, while the heaviest granite ashlars
imported from Aswan weighed more than 30 tons. It is
not abnormal for a son or successor to complete a
temple when a Pharaoh dies so it is not unreasonable to
presume that Shepseskaf finished the temples with
crude brick. There was a message in the mortuary
temple that said he "made it as his monument for his father, the king of upper and lower Egypt." During
excavations of the temples, Reisner discovered a large number of statues mostly of Menkaure alone and
as a part of a group. These were all carved in the naturalistic style of the old kingdom with a high degree
of feature evident. The pyramid's date of construction is unknown, because Menkaure's supremacy has
not been precisely defined, but it was probably completed in the 26th century BC.
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Karnak
The temple complex of Karnak is located on the banks of the River Nile some 2.5 kilometers
north of Luxor. It consists of four main parts, the Precinct of Amon-Re, the Precinct of Montu, the
Precinct of Mut and the Temple of Amenhotep IV, but it has been dismantled, as well as a few smaller
temples and sanctuaries situated outside the enclosing walls of the four main parts, and a number of
avenues of ram-headed sphinxes connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amon-Re and Luxor
Temple.
The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length
of time over which it was urbanized and used. Construction work began in the 16th century BC.
Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and
variety not seen elsewhere. Few of the individual features of Karnak are unique, but the size and number
of features is overwhelming.
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Precinct of Amun-Re
This is the largest of the precincts of the temple complex, and is dedicated to Amun-Re, the chief
deity of the Theban Triad. There are some colossal statues together with the figure of Pinedjem I which is
10.5 meters tall. The sandstone for this temple, including all the columns, was transported from Gebel
Silsila 100 miles south on the Nile river. It also has one of the largest obelisks weighing 328 tonnes and
stationing 29 meters tall.
Precinct of Mut
The Precinct of Mut, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four major enclosed areas that make
up the immense Karnak Temple Complex and occupies some 150,000 m². It is dedicated to the Egyptian
goddess Mut, the mother goddess. The area, in which the precinct is situated, originally was known as
Isheru or Asher. Isheru was the name of the spring-fed, crescent shaped lake on the site of this portion of
the temple complex. At present the area is not open to the public or to tourists.
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Precinct of Montu
Precinct of Montu, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the four main enclosed areas that make up
the immense Karnak Temple Complex. It is dedicated to the Egyptian god Montu, the son of Amun-re
and Mut. The area covers about 20,000 m². It is located to the north of the Amun-Re complex and is
much smaller in size. It is not open to the public. Most monuments are poorly preserved.
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Temple of Amenhotep IV (deliberately dismantled)
The structures within the Temple of Amenhotep IV at Karnak in Luxor, Egypt, were used during
the first four years of the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, when he still referred to himself as
Amenhotep IV. The temple that Akhenaten constructed on the site was located to the east of the main
complex, outside the walls of the Amun-Re precinct. It was destroyed immediately after the death of its
builder, who attempted to triumph over the powerful priesthood that had gained control over Egypt before
his reign. It was so well demolished, that its full extent and lay-out currently is unknown. The priesthood
of that temple regained its powerful position as soon as he died and was instrumental in destroying many
records of his existence.
Reconstructed wall decorations from the Temple of Akhenaten at Karnak. The building was later
demolished and its stone blocks ("talaats") were used to form the core of the 9th pylon of the Amun
temple during Horemheb's reign.
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Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is a huge Ancient Egyptian temple complex situated on the east bank of the River
Nile in the city today known as Luxor or ancient Thebes and was found in 1400 B.C.E. , It is known in
the Egyptian language as ‘ipet resyt’, or "the southern sanctuary", the temple was dedicated to the Theban
Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was constructed during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual
Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple to
stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility
hence its name.
The earliest parts of the temple still standing are the baroque
chapels, just behind the first pylon. They were built by Hatshepsut, and
appropriated by Tuthmosis III. The core part of the temple which is the
colonnade and the sun court were built by Amenhotep III, and a later
addition by Rameses II, who built the doorway pylon, and the two
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obelisks, one of which was taken to France, and is now at the centre of the Place de la Concorde,
connected the Hatshepsut buildings with the main temple.
A panoramic view of the interior of the Luxor temple, just inside the entrance.
The mosque built over the ruins is on the left.
To the rear of the temple are chapels built by Tuthmosis III, and Alexander. During the Roman
era, the temple and its surroundings were a legionary fortress and the home of the Roman government in
the area.
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Conclusion
Popular culture leads people to believe that Pyramids are highly confusing, with many tunnels
within the pyramid to create puzzlement for grave robbers. However, this is not true. The shafts of
pyramids are quite simple, mostly leading directly to the tomb. However, there are occasionally additional
tunnels, but these were used for the builders to understand how far they could burrow the tomb into the
crust of the Earth. Also, it is popular thought that due to grave robbers, future Kings were buried in the
Valley of the Kings to help keep them secreted. Nevertheless, this is also false, as the Pyramid
construction continued for many Dynasties, just on a smaller scale. Also, grave robbers did not appear in
the Old Kingdom, when the Giza Pyramids were constructed. Rather, it appeared much later in Egyptian
history. Finally, the pyramid construction was stopped due to economic factors, not theft. It was much
cheaper to bury the Kings in the Valley of the Kings, rather than construct huge, seemingly useless
pyramids.
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References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Temple
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luxortemple.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Concorde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Obelisque_concorde_jms.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_al-Madinah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precinct_of_Amon-Re
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precinct_of_Montu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precinct_of_Mut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Amenhotep_IV
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/architecture/architect.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
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http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/EgyptCredit.4.4.html
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/architecture/egyptarchit.htm
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