The architecture of the old Egypt it is characterized by its monumentality. Among the most important constructions are the pyramids and temples. In this article we will tell you about the generalities of this building model and the main architectural works of the Egyptians.
Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.
Article Index
- 1.
- 2.
- 2.1.
- 2.2.
- 3.
- 3.1.
- 3.2.
- 3.3.
- 4.
- 4.1.
- 4.2.
- 5.
General characteristics
The material most used by the Egyptians is stone, since thanks to it the most important buildings were imperishable. In the beginning, they also used other components such as wood or adobe, but from the Old Kingdom these were relegated to the less important constructions.
The architecture was architrave or lintelled. This means that, although they knew them, they did not use the arch and the vault. They made straight figures that were supported on pillars or columns. Otherwise, they could not achieve the monumentality they desired. The walls were thick, which added to the colossalism of the buildings.
The most used support was columna. Although they designed different types, the most used was the protodoric column. The characteristics of this type are the following:
- Shaft (central part) square
- Capital (upper part) in the shape of abacus
- Simple base, no decoration
The first known architect in history was Imhotep, who was born in Egypt in 2.690 BC He was also high priest of Heliopolis, scientist and physician. He designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first on record.
Thanks to the architectural elements, forms and construction systems used, much of Egyptian architecture has survived to our times. If you want to know other contributions of this civilization, we recommend you read the following article: Contributions of the ancient Egyptian civilization to humanity.
Religious architecture
Religion was a fundamental part of the society of the Ancient Egypt. For this reason, there were numerous great religious constructions that they made over the years.
Temple
The temple was the building used to honor the gods. Most had a similar distribution, which was divided into the following parts:
- Avenue of Sphinxes
- a walk that led to the temple and was full of sphinxes, figures with the body of a lion and a human head.
- Pylon
- It was the entrance, formed by a great wall before which obelisks or representations of the Pharaoh.
- Hípetra Room
- an open courtyard surrounded by columns. Inside there were a large number of sculptures. Anyone could enter.
- Hypostyle Room
- he was inside. It was a room with giant columns that could only be accessed by Pharaoh, priests and high officials.
- Sanctuaries
- they were the most important rooms. Known as Sancta Sanctorum it was the one dedicated to the main god. In another room was the boat that was taken out in the processions on the river. Only the pharaoh and the chief priest could enter.
Among the most important temples we find that of Karnak, considered the largest complex in Egypt. The Temple of Luxor, in ancient Thebes, also stands out thanks to its excellent state of preservation.
On the other hand, there was another type of temple, the funerary, whose function was to commemorate a deceased person. One model is the Ramesseum, ordered to be built by Ramses II.
Obelisco
The obelisk was another of the most outstanding religious representations. It consisted of an elongated, quadrangular column that rose from a larger base.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions were carved on it indicating the pharaoh who had commissioned it and the god to whom it was dedicated. If you are interested in learning about hieroglyphic writing, you will find more information in this article: Egyptian writing and hieroglyphs: meaning and characteristics.
The tip was shaped like a small pyramid and was known as pyramidion. This used to be covered with gold, bronze or some metal alloy. The tallest obelisks came to measure 28 meters.
Since the emergence of the Roman Empire, most of the obelisks built by the Egyptians were transported to the great cities of other cultures. At present, only six are preserved in Egypt.
Funeral constructions
The Egyptians believed in eternal life after death. To guarantee it, they designed large constructions that continue to amaze today.
mastaba
The mastaba was the first model tomb for pharaohs and prominent people who made the Egyptians during the Archaic Period and the Old Kingdom. It was rectangular in shape and had an underground chamber in which they left the body through a well.
It also had a chapel for people to make offerings. Another room was the serdab, where a statue of the deceased was placed in which it was thought that the ka, a part of the human spirit.
One of the most famous examples is the Mastaba of Idu, in Giza. Idu was an important civil servant of Dynasty VI. One of the peculiarities of this building is that it has a false door.
Pyramid
The pyramids are the most recognized funerary monument of this civilization. They began to be elaborated in Dynasty III as an exclusive funeral construction of the pharaohs. The first was the Pyramid of Djoser, from 2.700 BC, which you can see in this image:
This model is staggered, since it is formed by an overlap of mastabas. The following were built with a double slope, as is the case of Pharaoh Seneferu. Later, the smooth pyramids were designed.
Inside these were corridors and chambers that were closed after the pharaoh's burial. In this way, his body and his wealth were protected so that they would be maintained throughout eternity.
The most prominent pyramids are those of Guiza, three models that belong to the pharaohs Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure. The one of Cheops has a height of 145 meters and inside it has a main gallery of 37 meters, in which there are two conduits so that the soul of the pharaoh could leave.
Hypogeum
After the age of the pyramids, came that of the hypogea. These were rock-cut tombs that reached their splendor in the New Kingdom.
This change was due to the continuous looting that the pyramids suffered. In this way, they tried hide to the maximum possible the tombs of the pharaohs and the riches that were in them.
The most important hypogeum is that of the Valley of the Kings, in Luxor, ancient Thebes. In this location we find a total of 28 pharaohs buried over 420 years.
A similar type of grave was the speos, which was a combination of temple and hypogeum. On the other hand, hemispees They had a decorated façade and a part carved into the rock, as is the case with the Temple of Ramses II, in Abu Simbel.
Civil architecture
Civil architecture is the one that has been least transcended in Egyptian history, since there are few preserved examples that we can find today.
Housing
Domestic construction, unlike religious monuments, was a type of building perishable, since materials such as adobe and brick were used. As a consequence, there are no remains today and the information that is possessed comes from the reliefs of other buildings.
The houses had a quadrangular structure and only had one entrance. Normally, they had a maximum of three rooms, although the upper classes owned larger dwellings that included an exclusive part for the service.
Some of these had an interior patio from which they took advantage of the light. The noble villages were located outside the cities. Also, around the pyramids, cities of workers were formed.
Palace
The royal palace was the residence of the Pharaoh and his family. It was located on the outskirts of the city and, sometimes, to communicate with it, it had an avenue. They were built with more resistant materials.
Between the different rooms, was the reception hall. An element of some palaces that attracted attention was the window of apparitions, from which the pharaoh looked out so that the subjects could see him.
This official home used to also have large gardens where you could even find animals. One of the most prominent palaces is the North Palace, in Amarna, where Queen Nefertiti is thought to have lived.
If you want to know more about the lifestyle of the pharaohs, in the following article you will find all the details: Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
Artworks
The works of art that accompanied the great buildings did not go unnoticed, as they were also characterized by their monumentalism. The sculpture that is most repeated in this culture is that of the pharaoh with his arms close to his body, although there were also gods and animals.
Likewise, the figure that draws the most attention is that of the sphinx: a creature that has the body of a lion and a human head, although there are also models with the head of another animal, such as the sphinxes of Karnak.
Among those that are preserved, the Sphinx of Giza stands out. It reaches a length of 73 meters and a height of 20 m. The face is that of Pharaoh Khafre and it is thought that it was painted. The purpose of these creations was the protection of temples and tombs.
As for painting, frescoes were made on the walls of buildings. The theme was varied and we found religious representations, of everyday life, etc. Pharaohs and important people were represented larger than the rest.
This article has been shared 222 times. We have spent many hours collecting this information. If you liked it, share it, please:
