Ancient Egyptian Architecture

Semester I | Sri Renugambal School of Architecture, Polur | History of architecture

 LOWER EGYPT
• Pleistocene – 6000 BC - Hunter gatherer settlements

• 5000 BC - Distinct cultural settlements

• 3000 BC - Local Neolithic period

• Capital - BUTO

UPPER EGYPT
• Pleistocene – 4000 BC - Hunter gatherer settlements

• 4000 BC – 3000 BC - Distinct cultural settlements

• Capital - HIERAKONPOLIS

3200 BC – Unification was achieved

between both the settlements by the
god-king - PHAROAH

PRE HISTORY History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • Environment of Egypt favorable for a
centralized settlement and its
development

• Long, narrow valley of Nile, its rich

alluvial deposits and arid desert on each
side

• Nile was the only major water supply –

reliable, large amount of alluvium silt
deposits that made the land fertile along
the river banks which supported
agriculture and hence settlements

• Sparse rainfall, irrigation was required,

temperatures never soared beyond 38
degrees, deserts were rich in vast
building materials, Nile was an excellent
mode of internal communication.

• Settlements were spaced over really long

distances and they were walled cities

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS of EGYPT History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • Building materials used in pre-dynastic Egypt -
Reeds, Papyrus & palm branch ribs plastered with
clay

• Reed matting used as reinforcement between

mud-brick courses

• Chopped straw was mixed with mud – poured

into wooden moulds & sun dried into bricks (14”
x 7” x 4” thk)

• Lack of timber and hence imported ; date palm REEDS FOR FENCE/WALL CONSTRUCTION
matting was used as roofing material; palm logs
rounded on the underside was used as roofs.

• Stone was used previously for rubble &

foundation to mud walls

• Local stone with limestone dressing was later

used in building pyramids

BUILDING MATERIALS of EGYPT History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 ARCHES

• False arches were built in sloping courses in

concentric rings so that no support was required

• Palm leaf ribs were planted on the ground at

intervals, connected with a diagonal member and a BATTER WALL
horizontal member at top - after which it is dabbed
with mud to make walls

• Palm logs were rounded in the underside and used

as roofing material which was later repeated in stone
at the entrance corridor of the stepped pyramid of
Zoser.

• Masonry was usually in cross bond (English bond) FALSE ARCH

• Sagging concave courses for temple enclosure walls

BUILDING MATERIALS of EGYPT ENGLISH BOND MASONRY

 MONUMENTAL STYLE OF EGYPT

•Close relation between architecture & religion.

Kings were both priests & Gods

•Osiris – God of death & resurrection to eternal life

• House – temporary abode & tombs – Permanent

abode

•Columnar & Trabeated style of architecture

•Monumental architecture expressed in Pyramids,

tombs & temples

•Temples approached by impressive avenues of

sphinxes, massive pylons, hypostyle halls, secret
rooms, great courts and clerestory lighting

•The temple complex has successive buildings

diminishing in height till the sanctuary

BUILDING STYLES of EGYPT History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • A pavilion or kiosk of special religious
significance

• Commonly used on boats along the river Nile

• Rectangular, open fronted structure

• Slender angle shafts to support the slab like

roof arching from back to front

• It is raised on a high podium approached by

steps

HEB - SED History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • Early practice of decoration was
scratching on mud plastered walls

• This evolved into incised relief and

explanatory hieroglyphs – which
was used to teach

• Surprisingly this did not evolve into

modeled and projected ornaments

• Large flat surfaces with minimal

sized windows (due to the harsh
desert weather) gave a large
surface to decorate with.

DECORATION History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 Composite capital
COLUMN TYPES History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 Tomb architecture

Temple architecture

Obelisks

Dwellings

Fortresses

TYPOLOGIES History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 PRINCIPLE OF FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE
• The Egyptians believed in reincarnation (God OSIRIS) so they did their best to build
lasting tombs, preserve the body & leave commodities sufficient for an eternal
afterlife.

• The tombs were surrounded by other tombs of helpers & pets who were sacrificed to
accompany their masters. This practice was later abandoned

• The pyramids became the center of the cult of the royal dead and hence a dominant
element of a vast monumental complex

TYPES OF TOMBS

• Mastabas • Royal Pyramids • Rock hewn

tombs
o Stairway mastabas o Step pyramid

o Shaft mastabas o Bent pyramid

o True Pyramid

FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 ARCHITECTURE of FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE
• In the Archiah period, two tombs were built, one for Upper & Lower Egypt united by
Menes, the first of the Pharaohs.

• One tomb had the real burial and the other is called a cenotaph

• The cenotaphs were located at Sakkara

• The tomb chamber is sunk much deeper on to the leveled rock which forms the
foundation of any tomb structures – and is sealed off

• There is a false door allowing the spirit of the deceased to enter & leave at will

• An offering temple / chapel for the deceased is located on the E side

FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

Mastabas
 • The tombs resembled low benches outside
Egyptian homes and hence the name Mastabas

• The sarcophagus is placed centrally surrounded

by offering rooms in a broad pit below the
ground

• The wooden roof was supported by wooden

posts or crude brick pillars

• The entire area was packed with soil from the

excavation(dig out).

• The exterior was either

o Plain faced with a 75 degree slant inclined
on the inside like BATTER wall
o PALACE FAÇADE - Serrated with alternate
buttress projections & narrow recesses

• The graves were elaborate with facades(front

view of a building) painted in bright colors MASTABA AT GIZEH

TYPICAL MASTABAS – 1st DYNASTY History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • Tomb chamber sunk deeper into
the rock below

• N-S orientation for tombs

• Stairs / ramps from N end of

mastabas leads to a shaft(a
vertical passage to the tunnel)
which descends to the tomb
chamber below

• After burial, Portcullises were

dropped, filled and sealed with no
traces

• Plain façade with 2 recesses in E

side (facing the Nile) of which one
has a false door

• Front of the false door is an MASTABA AT BEIT KHALLAF

offering table

STAIRWAY MASTABAS – 2nd & 3rd DYNASTY History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 • Small offering temple / chapel was created – 5 th
& 6th dynasty had elaborate ones. Tomb
chambers were more deeper

• Approached horizontally from a vertical shaft

sunk from the northern side of the top of the
superstructure

• Mastabas were made of limestone which was

sparingly used earlier

• Group of rooms adjacent to mastaba –

columned halls with relics on walls depicting the
daily life of the deceased

• SERDAB – Completely enclosed except for a slot

opposite the head statue of the deceased inside

• STELE – an upright stone with inscription of the

deceased, funerary writings & relief carvings.
Offering table in front of Stele MASTABA AT GIZEH

SHAFT MASTABAS – 4th, 5th & 6th DYNASTY History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 • Pillared court at the N end of the E side

• Approached by a portico on the N Side

attached with a SERDAB

• A passage connects the court with a small

chamber and an offering room with 2 pillars

• A second serdab with 3 offering slots(a

opening of narrow passage) is alongside this
small chamber

• Two stele with an offering table on the W

side

• The actual tomb is below the S end of the

mastaba behind the W wall of the offering
room

• It is reachable from a passage slanting

diagonally to connect with a stairway at the MASTABA OF THI AT SAKKARA
center of the court.
MASTABA OF THI AT SAKKARA History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 Royal Pyramids

Semester I | Sri Renugambal School of Architecture, Polur | History of architecture

 • They were a primary part of a complex of
buildings in a walled enclosure

• An offering chapel is located at the E

(occasionally N) with a stele

• A mortuary temple for the worship of the dead

projecting from the enclosure in the E

• Raised & enclosed causeway leading to the W

side to a VALLEY BUILDING – where the
embalming & intermittent rites were
performed

• A canal was built to connect the Valley building

& River Nile where the funeral cortege arrived

• Entrances were usually from the North and the

corners were oriented in the cardinal directions

• Tomb chambers were cut out into the rock

core or in its constructed core
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS - PYRAMIDS History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 • Limestone from TURA, Granite (lining of
chambers & corridors) from ASWAN

• They are built in layers around a steep (75

degree) slope

• These layers were later filled with packing

blocks in case of the true pyramid

• Dressing was done from top to bottom

• Pyramids made out of local stones & finished

with limestone dressing

• The base of the limestone is 2 courses of

granite as observed in Pyramid of Chephren.

• The top stone is usually gilded

• Tomb chamber is built before the super-

structure

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS - PYRAMIDS History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 1. M1 - Initial Mastaba, square plan 63m x
63m x 7.9m (high)
2. M2 - Extended by 4.3m on all sides
3. M3 - Addition of 8.5m to the E side
4. P1 - This forms base of step pyramid so
enlarged to base of 83m x 75m
5. P2 - Addition to N& W side gave a final
pyramid base of 125m x 109m x 60m (ht)
with additional of 2 steps (total of 6 steps)

• Bottom of pit emerged 4

corridors along the cardinal
directions connecting to
galleries running parallel to
the pyramid sides
• 11 separate pits (32m deep) on E of 1st
mastaba were tombs of royal family. They
were sealed during pyramid extension.
STEP PYRAMID OF ZOSER, SAKKARA (2778 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
SECTION LOOKING WEST • The tomb chamber was done after the
superstructure due to the changes in plan

• TOMB CHAMBER - 7.3m x 8.5m (deep) was

dug for 1st mastaba which was extended to
28m made of granite. Approach from N by a
horizontal tunnel entering the shaft at
21.5m from base.

• A limestone chamber located above had a

granite hole to seal the chamber after burial

STEPPED PYRAMID OF ZOSER, SAKKARA(2778 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
ENCLOSURE BUILDING COMPLEX
• Enclosure is about 547m x 278m x 10.7m(ht) limestone walls with 14 bastions

• Each bastion has a false door and entrance is at South end of E side wall

• Offering chapel (with stele, table & statue of Zoser) and well developed mortuary
temple (with 2 courts & maze of corridors) in N side instead of E

• Rest of buildings in enclosure are dummy representation of Zosers palace so built

with debris or soil and faced with limestone around courtyards

STEPPED PYRAMID OF ZOSER, SAKKARA(2778 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
ENCLOSURE BUILDING COMPLEX
• The complex enters to a long processional columned hall lined with reeded attached
columns. This ends at a small pillared court with reeded columns attached in pairs. This
ends in a great court

• GREAT COURT – 2 B shaped pedestals, an altar near the S face of the pyramid.

• A mastaba aligned EW in S side of Great court. Unusual orientation of mastaba

• Near entrance a narrow corridor runs North to Heb-Sed court with dummy chapels
each with a forecourt. W side chapels representing provinces of Upper Egypt and E side
representing Lower Egypt.

• 2 large halls each with courts are located on the N side facing S symbolizing the 2
kingdoms then, Upper & Lower Egypt

• All facades have 3 slender attached columns

• ROYAL PAVILLION – W of Heb-Sed , has three attached columns

• No free standing columns, small spans of stone beam roofs – shows new use of stone
as building material

STEPPED PYRAMID OF ZOSER, SAKKARA(2778 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
ENCLOSURE BUILDING COMPLEX

STEPPED PYRAMID OF ZOSER, SAKKARA(2778 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 • First sign of a true pyramid that starts at an angle
of 54 degrees and 15 minutes till a certain height
and then slopes to 43 degrees, due to pressure
of base masonry after which it was further
sloped.

• Has 2 independent tomb chambers

o One from N with Tomb chamber
o One from W at constructed at Ground level

• Base of 187m x 187m x 102m(ht) made of local

stone and dressed with limestone

• TOMB CHAMBER – corbelled / False arched roofs

with gradually in stepping courses from all four
sides measuring 0.3m x 0.3m x 24m(ht)

• ENCLOSURE – Double walled rectangle

• Offering chapel & mortuary temple on E.

Causeway leads to Valley building

BENT PYRAMID, DASHUR (2723 BC) History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 • Largest of 3 on site 146.4m (ht) x 230.6m x 230.6m

• Each face is almost equilateral triangles 51 degrees and 52 minutes

• SE direction of E face of pyramid are 3 smaller pyramids for Cheops queens.

• 3 chamber
o Subterranean chamber -
ABANDONED
o Queens chamber -
ABANDONED
o Kings chamber – has the
granite sarcophagus

GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS, GIZEH History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 • Entrance openings 7.8m high – off
centre of N side, 17m from Ground level

• This leads to a subterranean chamber in

a shaft descending at 26 degrees

• At about 18.3m into the corridor (starts

ascending halfway) till about 21m above
GL is the Queens chamber – which was
sealed before its completion.

• Corridor from Queens chamber to Kings

chamber is the GRAND GALLERY

• GALLERY – 2.1m wide x 2.3m high. Roof

is 7 courses of ramped corbelled vault
for a height of 6.2m

GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS, GIZEH History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 KINGS CHAMBER

o 5.2m x 10.5m x 5.8m (ht) lined in

granite

o Vestibule lined in granite with slab

slots to seal the chamber after burial

o 5 tiers of stone beams (9 slabs in

each tier) arranged one on top of the
other with void space between each
other

o Above this is an embryonic vault of

pairs of stones inclined against each
other

o 2 air shafts 0.203m x 0.152m from

Kings chamber to the outside for
ventilation or allow Ka (spirit of the
dead King) to pass through

GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS, GIZEH History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

 QUEENS CHAMBER
o Incomplete air shafts
o 2 layers of embryonic vaults
constructed

• No trace of complex enclosure

wall or adjacent customary
buildings.

• Offering chapel – Center of E face

of pyramid; Mortuary chapel – in
front of offering chapel; Causeway
in E leading to the valley building

• E, W & N of temple are two boat

shaped pit cut in rock. Later,
another one was found in S where
the stone beam chamber revealed
a well preserved wooden boat
35.5m long.

GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS, GIZEH History of the ancient architecture of Egypt

Rock cut Itombs
Semester | Sri Renugambal School of Architecture, Polur | History of architecture
 • They served for nobility than royalty

• THE TOMBS, BENI HASAN (2130 BC –

1785 BC)
o Each consists of a chamber
behind a portico-ed façade
o 8 – 16 sides fluted & slightly
tapering columns
o Walls – light stucco & painted
with pastoral & domestic scenes

• TOMBS OF THE KINGS, THEBES

o In mountains on West of Nile
o Corridor type extending to 210m
long & 96m deep in to the rock
o Sarcophagus in the last rock
columned chamber
o Walls painted with funerary
ceremonial scenes & funerary
texts
o The funerary temple lay
detached elsewhere
ROCK CUT TOMBS History of the ancient architecture of Egypt
 End of lecture

Semester I | Sri Renugambal School of Architecture, Polur | History of architecture