• Narrow stretch of fertile and arable land

along the Nile

• Beyond riverbanks, barren desert and

rugged cliffs prevented attack from invaders

• Mediterranean and Red seas

• Climate spring and summer

with brilliant sunshine

• After death, a persons soul went on to enjoy eternal

life in kingdom of the God Osiris - imagined this

kingdom as a perfect version of Egypt

• Pharaohs were buried, bringing with them the things

they might need in the afterlife, even living people

• Wished for a fine burial, embalmment and funeral rites,

and a permanent tomb or "eternal dwelling"

• Dead body had to be preserved to house the spirit

• Remove insides, dry out the body, filled with linen,

masked and bandaged

ANCIENT KINGDOM ( 1ST – 10TH DYNASTY )

Development of two types of tombs

Mastaba

PyramidMIDDLE KINGDOM ( 11TH – 17TH DYNASTY )

Important PersonalitiesMENTUHETEP II

SENUSRETS

AMENEMHAT I

NEW EMPIRE ( 18TH – 30TH DYNASTY )

Important PersonalitiesTHOTMES 1

HATSHEPSUT

THOTMES 1V

AMENOPHIS III

RAMESES I

RAMESES II

THE PTOLEMAIC PERIOD

Important PersonalitiesPTOLEMY II

PTOLEMY III

Due to the scarcity of wood, the two predominant building

materials used in ancient Egypt were sun-baked mud bricks

and stone, mainly limestone, but also sandstone and granite

in considerable. Stone was generally reserved for tombs and

temples, while bricks were used even for royal palaces,

fortresses, the walls of temple precincts and towns, and for

subsidiary buildings in temple complexes.

• Flat roof to cover and exclude heat

• No windows

• Spaces were lit by skylights, roof slits and clerestories

• Use of batter walls which diminish in width towards the

top for stability

• Unbroken massive walls, uninterrupted space for

hieroglyphics

• use of torus mouldings

• mouldings such as gorge

or hollow and roll

CAPITALS & COLUMNS

• Bud & Bell Capital

•Volute Capital

•Hathor – Headed

Capital

•Polygonal Columns

•Palm type Capital

•Osiris Pillars

•Papyrus Capital

•Square Pillars

ORNAMENTS

• Lotus Papyrus & Palm – for “

fertility”

• Solar Discs & Vutures w/ wings –

for “ protection ”

• Spiral & feather ornament – for “

eternity ”

• Scarab or sacred beetle – for “

resurrection”

• Rectangular flat-topped funerary mound, with

battered side, covering a burial chamber below

ground

• First type of Egyptian tomb

• Developed from small and inconspicuous to

huge and imposing.

Parts:

• Stairway with 2 doors: one for ritual, second was a

false door for spirits

• Column Hall

• Offering Chapel

• Serdab (contains statue of deceased)

• Offering room with Stelae (upright stone slab with

name of deceased inscribed)

• Offering table

• Sarcophagus – Egyptian coffin

The most famous surviving examples of

monumental architecture in Egypt. The word

'pyramid' actually comes from the Greek word

'pyramis' which means 'wheat cake'. Sides are

facing the cardinal points meeting at an apex.

Parts:

• Pyramid Entrance and Descending Corridor

• The Subterranean Chamber

• Grand Gallery

• Escape Shaft

• The Middle, or Queen's Chamber• The Queen's Chamber Shafts

• The Upper or King's Chamber

1. STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER

- can be found in Saqqara necropolis

- built by Imhotep, the first recorded architect

- 62 meters high

- evolved from 6 mastabas

- cladded with polished limestone

2. MAIDUN PYRAMID OF SNEFERU

- can be found in necropolis of Dashur 40

kilometers south of Cairo

- 65 meters high

4. RED PYRAMID OF SNEFERU

- largest of the 3 main pyramid in Dashur,

necropolis

- named for the rusty reddish hue of its red

limestone stones

- 104 meters high

- also known as Shining Northern Pyramid

3. BENT PYRAMID OF SNEFERU

- can be found in necropolis of Dashur 40

kilometers south of Cairo

- The lower part of the pyramid rises from the

desert at a 54-degree inclination, but the top

section is built at the shallower angle of 43

degrees, lending the pyramid its very obvious

'bent' appearance. This is to make the pyramid lighter and prevent it from collapsing.

- 105 meters high

- cladded with polished limestone

3. The Giza Pyramid complex

-were built in the Fourth Dynasty, testify to the

power of the pharaonic religion and state. They

were built to serve both as grave sites and also as

a way to make their names last forever. The size

and simple design show the high skill level of

Egyptian design and engineering on a large scale.

-The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau,

on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt.

- Equilateral sides faces the cardinal points.

-This ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of the

Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid

and the Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller Pyamid of Khafre (or Kephren/Chefren), and the

relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or

Mykerinus/Mycerinus), along with a number of

smaller satellite edifices, known as "queens"

pyramids, and the Great Sphinx.

a. PYRAMID OF THE CHEOPS OR KHUFU

(146.4 mts. High & ( 750 sq. ft. ) the biggest

pyramid and the plan is two times the area of

the famous “ St. Peter Basilica in Rome”.

-base is 230.25 mts.

b. PYRAMID OF CHEPHREN or “Khafre”

( 143.50 mts. high ) & (705 sq. ft. ) in plan.- It has the impression of appearing taller by

building it on a site with a foundation 33 feet

higher than his father‘s.

- Base is 215.50 mts.

c. PYRAMID OF MYKERINOS or “Menkaura “

(65.5 mts. high) & (215 ft. high).

-base is 108.5 mtrs.

- Smallest of the three pyramids

d. SPHINX – is a mythical creature which has a

body of a lion and a human head.- is carved out of sandstone & its body is 200’ long and

65’ tall. The face is 13’ wide & it was buried in the desert

sand until a Pharaoh of the 5th dynasty excavated it. The

pyramid is widely considered to be a depiction of royal

power of the Pharaoh.

• is a burial chamber that is cut into the rock usually

along the side of the hill.

• it is a common form of burial for the wealthy/

nobility

Tomb of Beni Hasan

Tombs of the Kings, Thebes

2 TYPES OF TEMPLE

Mortuary – built in honor of the Pharaohs

Cult – built for the worship of the gods, only

high priest can enter in both types of

temple.

PARTS OF AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE Entrance Pylon – massive sloping towers

fronted by an obelisks known as gateways

in Egypt .

Hypaethral Court – large outer court open

to the sky

Hypostyle Hall - a pillared hall in which the

roofs rest on column.

Sanctuary – usually surrounded by

passages & chambers used in connection

w/ the temple service.

Avenue of Sphinx – where mystical monster

were placed.

PYLON

OBELISK

SANCTUARY

AVENUE OF SPHINX

HYPOSTYLE HALL

1. GREAT TEMPLE OF AMMON, KARNAK- temple building was begun in the 12th dynasty (1991-1785

BC) and was continued over centuries. With an area of

about 100 h, Karnak is the largest and probably also the

most impressive temple complex in the world. The main

temple in the heart of the complex is dedicated to God

Amun and was built in the 18th dynasty (1552-1306

BC) The gem of Karnak however is the famous and well

preserved hypostyle hall (columns hall) with its 134

columns - a masterstroke of ancient Egyptian architecture

under Setos I and Ramses II (19. dynasty, 1306-1186 BC

- avenue of ram-headed sphinxes leads the visitor towards

the main entrance of the temple. Monumental Pylons, of

a height of more than 40 m, colossal statues such as those

of Ramses II, the gigantic obelisks of the Hapschepsut

and above all the gigantic columns of the famous

hypostyle hall – which reach at the middle road a height

of 24m.

1. GREAT TEMPLE OF AMMON, KARNAK

2. TEMPLE OF LUXOR- The temple of Luxor was erected in the very heart of the

ancient city of Thebes. It is consecrated to God Amun

and connected to the Temple of Kamak by a 1.84 ml (3

km) long processional way, which Amenophis III lined

with ram headed Sphinxes, like those still to be seen in

Kamak.

- The temple of Luxor is much smaller than that of Kamak;

however it is also magnificent and of majestic beauty. As

in Kamak, a monumental entrance gate leads into a

large courtyard beyond which is a hypostyle hall with gigantic columns, followed by the actual sanctuary, to

which only pharaohs and priests were allowed

access. Colossal statues, as well as fascinating reliefs

with hieroglyphic inscriptions and graphic

representations, tell of the heroic deeds of the Pharaohs

and the history of Egypt.- The temple building dates back to the XVIII. Dynasty (1567-

1320 BC) or earlier and was continued over centuries. In

the course of the time, it reached a dimension of almost

284 yd (260 m)! In the present temple building

Amenophis III (1402-1364 BC) and Ramses II (1279-1213

BC) were essentially involved, but also also Hatshepsut, Tuthmose III and other pharaohs left behind their traces.

2. TEMPLE OF LUXOR

2. THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ABU SIMBEL- It is one of the rock- hewn temples at this place

commanded by the indefatigable Rameses II. An

entrance forecourt leads to the imposing façade, 36 m

( 119 ft. ) wide and 32 m ( 105 ft. ) high formed as pylon,

immediately in front of which are four rock-cut seated

colossal statues of Rameses, over 20 m ( 65 ft. ) high.

- complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an

artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the

Aswan high dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was

necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir

formed after the building of the Aswan high dam on the Nile

River.

2. TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT- The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Der – el

Bahari is quite interesting as it consists of 3 terraced courts cut

out of the rock & connected by a ramp.

The upper court if flanked by 2 sacrificial halls, while on the

central axis is the sanctuary, cut deep into the rock.

The fluted columns with square capitals are fore runners of the

Greek columns & the walls have fine relief sculptures.

- Hatshepsut's chancellor, royal architect Senenmut oversaw

construction.

• monumental gateway to the temple consisting of

slanting walls flanking the entrance.

PYLON

OBELISKS

• upright stone square in plan, with an electrum-

capped pyramidion on top

• sacred symbol of sun-god Heliopolis

• usually came in pairs fronting temple entrances

• height of nine or ten times the diameter at the

base

• four sides feature hieroglyphics

DWELLING

DWELLINGS

• Made of crude brick

• One or two storey high

• Flat roof deck 3 parts:

• Reception suite on north side - central hall or

living room with high ceiling and clerestory

• Service quarters

• Private quarters

FORTRESSES

• Mostly found on west bank of Nile or on islands

• Close communications with other fortresses

Fortress of Buhen• Headquarters & largest fortified town near Nubia

• From here they could trade and invade lands to

the south

FORTRESS