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Department of ConstructionUW Stout

Jason Charalambides

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Concurrently to the advances in urban development and Architecture in the Mesopotamian area, Egypt was developing its own forms of Art, Architecture and religion.

The first hieroglyphics are dating back to 3,100 BC, and were only read by Champollion during Napoleon’s expedition in Egypt.

The Rosetta stone, that is today in the British Museum, incorporates the same text in Greek, Coptic and Hieroglyphic. Found by the army of Napoleon, allowed Champollion who was a connoisseur of the Coptic, to decipher through extrapolation the hieroglyphic characters.

The proportions and forms that were developed in all the types of Art of the Egyptians were based on “axiality” and the form of the human body, i.e. “anthropomorphic proportions”.

The difference in the character of the art form has a lot to do with the topography and the environment in general. Compare the rapids of Tigris and Euphrates with the calm waters of the Nile, the weather conditions and the hilly landscapes of the Near East with the flatlands of Egypt where the four cardinal points give the best sense of direction and orientation.

Mykerinos and two deities - Soris sitting content on his throne

Francois Antoine-Isaac Silvestre deSacy, later in his career, Champollion correctly identified the names of Cleopatra and Alexandrus and verified Ptolemeus which had previously been identified by Young.

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rmmbo=C=iltbo=bdvmqrmmbo=C=iltbo=bdvmq Old Kingdom

Upper and Lower Egypt were united by king Menes at the beginning of recorded history. The Old Kingdom (about 2755-2255 BC) spanned five centuries of rule by the 3rd through the 6th dynasties. The capital was in the north, at Memphis, and the ruling monarchs held absolute power over a strongly unified government.

The Old Kingdom’s impressive monuments celebrated the divine character of the pharaohs. That until challenges surfaced during the Middle Kingdom period when power was shared with some provincial monarchs and priesthood, establishing yet the pharaohs as intermediaries to Re (Sun God) Osiris, Isis and Horus. White crown of Upper Egypt -

Red crown of Lower EgyptThe principal monument of the first king Narmer (Menes) is the large slate palette. This shows his capture of the "chief of the lake" (uoshe), and the falcon holding 6,000 prisoners.

The Great Sphinx, an integral part of the Chefren funerary complex, is thought to have been constructed during Chefren's reign. Its face is believed to be Chefren's face. For most of its 4500-year existence the Sphinx was buried up to its head in sand but was periodically uncovered and repaired.

`lk`bmq=lc=ifcb=^cqbo=ab^qe`lk`bmq=lc=ifcb=^cqbo=ab^qe In the Egyptian religion, life was

continued after death.

Not a spiritual situation but a more physical condition was anticipated, where the dead would need their earthly possessions, thus,Earthlyvalues were applied in the afterlife.

Large scale tombs, built with the use of timber roof covered with a heap of sand, and eventually with the use of lasting stones, were erected to house the mummified royalties, some of which acquired divine characteristics, or even were associated with deities.

By the time Upper and Lower Egypt were unified, Pharaohs were given double burials. They were symbolically buried in Abydos, a site dedicated to Osiris, and the body was laid in Saqqara.

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famous. It consisted of a building of rectangular shape with sloping walls and was constructed of brick or stone. Richly decorated rooms were arranged in the upper parts, in particular a chapel (with a false door for the tomb's occupant and a table for offerings), and a room in which statues of the dead person were placed. A shaft, filled in after the funeral service, led to a subterranean vault, which contained the grave goods and the mummy in its sarcophagus.

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Abydos – 1st Dynasty.

The royal cenotaphs of Abydos were subterranean with timber roofs topped with a heap of sand.

They carried the stelai for the offerings in the front.

Beyond the low precinct wall there were the mastabas with casement of brick.

Saqqara – 1st Dynasty.

The Royal tombs were formed into native rock and comprised a number of subsidiary rooms holding the owners valuable possessions.

Abydos (Upper Egypt), royal tumulus of Queen Merneith, 1st dynasty (circa 3,100-2,890 BC.); reconstruction drawing.

Saqqara (Lower Egypt), mortuary complex of Queen Merneith, 1st dynasty (circa 3,100-2,890 BC.); reconstruction drawing.

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qeb=cfopq=mvo^jfapqeb=cfopq=mvo^jfap Zoser’s Pyramid and Mortuary Precinct – 2680

B.C.

Built in Saqqara, on a more elaborate and ponderous scheme than any of the previous tombs, Zoser’s pyramid was symbolizing the utter supremacy of the Pharaoh as the sole ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The architect of this impressive project was Imhotep, and this constitutes the first case of a project to which the architect is recognized.

This practice was not exercised in Mesopotamia where public works were always credited to kings for conceiving and supervising them.

The buildings were all made of stone and the structure constitutes a major technological advancement, introducing small stone building with masonry course technique applied rather than the simple stacking up of drums.

We see the first cases of emulation of nature, where Egyptian Art gives an abstract interpretation of nature through the means of stone. General view of the complex

Detail of Zoser’s pyramid and detail of the entrance corridor.

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Zoser’s massive endeavor. The first attempt with the stepped pyramid of Zoser

lead to the further advancement and aggrandizement of the mortuary complexes and tombs.

Zoser’s pyramid was not just a mastaba but an entire complex dedicated to the pharaoh, with a series of enlargements taking place on the initial mastaba.

After the third enlargement, the mastaba became a four stepped pyramid that reached approximately 200 ft. high.

Unlike the Ziggurat’s of Mesopotamia, Zoser’spyramid had no steps leading to some shrine on the top. The structure’s sole purpose was the exaltation of the king, lifting him toward the heavens, like a stairway of divine ascend, reaching the sun-god Re.

The Pharaoh’s relation to Re was like that of son and father. The most sacred relic of Re was a pyramidal shape stone symbolizing the primeval mound on which the sun god first revealed himself.

Axonometric view of Zoser’s pyramid.

a. The original mastaba 8.6 m.

b. The addition of 6 m. on all four sides and a second facing of limestone.

c. A further addition of 9.3 m on east side.

d. A further addition of 3.5 m on the east side and the conversion of the mastaba into a four step pyramid.

e. A further extension of the building to the north and west and its conversion into a six step pyramid.

f. The addition of dressed Tura limestone encasing.

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qeb=móê~ãáÇë=çÑ=dáò~qeb=móê~ãáÇë=çÑ=dáò~ Mykerinos, Chefren and Cheops pyramids

built in the valley of Giza -IIIrd Dynasty, 2,570 – 2,500 BC.

The attempt of all three of the above pharaohs was to etherialize and give the tomb a more precise form that shall symbolize the sunlight brought to the earth by Re.

The objective set was laborious and costly but it was achieved in Giza, where the architectural design symbolism was achieved by these pyramid complexes.

Smallest is that of Mykerinos and largest the one of Cheops, although the best preserved one is that of Chephren in the middle with the statue of the Sphinx at the very front of the causeway and the surviving dressed stone on the top of the pyramid

There are no existing records describing the techniques and construction methods applied by the Egyptians; nor is there consensus among historians.

Construction stages for the Pyramid of Cheops.

The terms laborious and expensive may be justified by the chronological development of these structures as seen in the diagram.

Inside the Pyramid.

The entry descends through the core of the pyramid into a chamber where the body would have been laid.

The plans changed and a grand gallery was build, leading to the final resting place for the king.

A smaller chamber was built for the Queen underneath the kings chamber.

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After the term of three kings who built Pyramids in Gisa, their successors decided to diminish the size of the tombs and aggrandize the mortuary temple.

The focus was shifted from the visual exaltation of the ruler to the pious rites of burial cult of Amon, the sun-god who surpassed and absorbed the clout of Re.

A conscious departure from the grandeur of the III Dynasty distinguishes the New kingdom where the pyramid is no longer a royal prerogative but in different scale it populated cemeteries for generations to come.

Instead of the form of a pyramid, the funerary complex becomes a more prominent arrangement for the royals.

The practice of Architects is awarded to powerful individuals who do not only possess the knowledge and the abilities but also power.

Shrines were dedicated to Imhotep.

North wall of the first chamber in the temple of Ptah, with offerings of cosmetics to PtahHathor and Imhotep.

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Most times, Art tendencies shift according to the medium used. The representation of a floral

form through the use of stone as a medium imposes certain limitations to the artisan who opts for an abstract form that represents the original idea.

Yet there is a sense of representation of the forces acting on the structural members as the opening floral forms of column capitals are formed to receive the stresses of the supported structure and transfer them to the main shaft of the column. Columns of vegetal forms in the temple of Ptah (Karnak).

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A vision of the supernatural is encountered in Egyptian art.

Beginning with the period of the Gizapyramids, the giant statue of the sphynx is an early example.

The avemue of the rams in Karnakreverses a scenario where the head was that of human.

This trend continues with the representation of the divine having the form of humans but the face of animals or birds.

Often we see depictions of the royalties associated with the divine.

It is the earliest condition that was transferred to other civilizations, like the Assyrian or the Greek.

The sphinx (Giza) and the Avenue of rams (Karnak).Statue of Goddess Sekhmet, one of the most powerful of the gods, found in the temple of Ptah in Karnak

Anubis (jackal or hunting dog), Patron god of embalmers and Horus (falcon) giving eternal life to the pharaoh.

Assyrian Winged Bull "Lamassu“, Bull Guardian from the Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, 883-859 B.C

Naxian Sphinx, Delphi, c. 560 BC. (2.32m; Ionic column ~10m) Delphi Archaeological Museum

_bdfkkfkdp=lc=^=kbt=bo^_bdfkkfkdp=lc=^=kbt=bo^ Tomb design shifts from the imposing scale of the Giza pyramids to that of

the hypostyle hall tombs.

Scale makes clear reference to anthropomorphic design, allowing spaces for humans to reach and processions and rituals to take place.

Dome forms are merely symbolic (if existing) comparatively to those of Giza.

M= Temple of Mentuhotep, T III= Temple of Tuthmosis III, H= Temple of Hatshepsut

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_bdfkkfkdp=lc=^=kbt=bo^=`lkqK_bdfkkfkdp=lc=^=kbt=bo^=`lkqK Mortuary Complex of Mentuhotep in Deir El Bahri (circa 2,050 B.C.)

This temple is a transition between the Old Kingdom temple of the pyramid, and the New Kingdom House of Millions of Years. The tomb of the king is united with its mortuary temple. The New Kingdom will later

separate the tomb (in the Valley of the Kings) from the House of Millions of Years.

The multileveled construction and the plan were entirely new, with no equivalent dating from the Old Kingdom.

The complex had a valley temple with a 1,2 km causeway leading to the it and a pillared lower hall at the lower level with two rows of decorated octagonal, columns.

The upper level had a covered central core dedicated to Mentu-Re, a primeval god of Thebes and the roof may have been flat, or topped by an earth mound. The enclosure contained chapels and shaft tombs for the king's wives and family.

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Mortuary Complex of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir-El-Bahri (circa 1,479 B.C.)

The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world. The queen's architect, Senmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley overshadowed by the Peak of the Thebes, the "Lover of Silence," where lived the goddess who presided over the necropolis.

A tree lined avenue of sphinxes led up to the temple, and ramps led from terrace to terrace. The porticoes on the lowest terrace are out of proportion and coloring with the rest of the building. They were restored in 1906 to protect the celebrated reliefsdepicting the transport of obelisks by barge to Karnak and the miraculous birth of Queen Hatshepsut.

Reliefs on the south side of the middle terrace show the queen's expedition by way of the Red Sea to Punt, the land of incense. Along the front of the upper terrace, a line of large, gently smiling Osirid statues of the queen looked out over the valley. In the shade of the colonnade behind, brightly painted reliefs decorated the walls.

Hatshepsut disappeared in 1458 B.C. when Thutmosis III, wishing to reclaim the throne, led a revolt. Although Thutmosis had her shrines, statues and reliefsmutilated Hatshepsut has left a legacy of architectural and statuary elegance.

Frontal and birds-eye view of the mortuary complex of Queen Hasthepsut in Deir-El-Bahri

Statue of Hatshepsut, a surviving obelisk from Tuthmosis’ mutilation of shrines, and the Shrine of Het-Hert at the Temple of Deir el-Bahri.

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The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world. The queen's architect, Senmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley overshadowed by the Peak of the Thebes, the "Lover of Silence," where lived the goddess who presided over the necropolis. A tree lined avenue of sphinxes led up to the temple, and ramps led from terrace to terrace. The porticoes on the lowest terrace are out of proportion and coloring with the rest of the building. They were restored in 1906 to protect the celebrated reliefs depicting the transport of obelisks by barge to Karnak and the miraculous birth of Queen Hatshepsut. Reliefs on the south side of the middle terrace show the queen's expedition by way of the Red Sea to Punt, the land of incense. Along the front of the upper terrace, a line of large, gently smiling Osirid statues of the queen looked out over the valley. In the shade of the colonnade behind, brightly painted reliefs decorated the walls. Hatshepsut disappeared in 1458 B.C. when Thutmose III, wishing to reclaim the throne, led a revolt. Thutmose had her shrines, statues and reliefs mutilated.

The second terrace north wing. The end of the colonnade .

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A kingdom as large as that of Egypt could thrive simultaneously with those kingdoms of Mesopotamia, yet share little in terms of Architecture and techniques of construction.

Contrary to what was happening in the Mesopotamian states where the landscape contours would determine formations and designs, the Architects of Egypt developed their own architectural vocabulary.

Right angles, influenced by the four cardinal points Plain geometries Use of stone for the erection of long lasting preponderant monumental buildings A mélange of abstraction and realistic representations

Egyptian architecture straightforwardly reflects the values of society by incorporating only a moderate level of abstraction to deify and exalt the king.

Although there is afterlife for all beings, the tombs of the pharaohs and the monuments dedicated to them, were the only majestic monuments dedicated to the earthly that were built to stay for thousands of years. The nuance between the divine and the royal was negligible for the most part.

With the introduction of the pyramid form as a tomb for the Pharaoh’s the connection between the royalties and the Gods became unique and definite. Although there are no records of construction methods nor any scholarly agreement on them either, the grandeur of these Herculean size buildings renders a heroic endeavor and a historic achievement of parallel proportions.