GREECE

 Greek civilization occurred in the area around the Greek mainland

 Towards the later or Hellenistic period, Greek civilization spread to other far away places including Asia
Minor and Northern Africa

The period of ancient Greek history can be divided into four as follows:

a. 1100 B. C. - 750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages

b. 750 B. C. - 500 B. C. Archaic Period
c. 500 B. C. - 323 B. C. Classical Period
d. 323 B. C. - 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period

Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)

 The start of the Greek civilization is therefore dated to the end of the Mycenaean civilization in
1100BC
 Following the decline of Mycenae, the area around the Greek mainland went into a period of decline
that is referred to as the Greek Dark ages
 In the period following the invasion by the Dorians, there was a shift in lifestyle that produced a
sedentary agricultural lifestyle and society.
 Sedentary lifestyle allowed the Greeks to rediscover urbanized culture that ultimately led to evolution
of classical Greek culture

Archaic Period (750 – 500)

 The Greeks developed a new political form called city states
 City states are cities which are ruled as independent nations
 The polis or city state emerged as the natural and desirable political entity
 The archaic period marked the beginnings of Greek monumental stone sculpture and architecture
 The rising threat of the Persian Empire marked the end of the Greek archaic period and of classical
Greek culture

Classical period (500 - 323 BC)

 Athens reached its greatest political and cultural heights during the classical period
 The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was built
 The Death of Alexander marked the end of the classical period of Greece civilization

Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)

 Started with the death of Alexander in 323 BC
 The Greek empire split into smaller states with Alexanders generals as their rulers
 Marked increase in interest in civic buildings
 The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when the Roman Empire conquered Greece and incorporated
the city states into it

Place of Worship
  Temples were usually built in the cities of the Gods called Acropolis
 Temples were built in every town and city for one or more god or goddess
 The temples were considered as offerings to the gods
 They usually consist of a large open hall called sanctuary where the statue of the god to whom it is
dedicated is kept

Architecture in service of religion

 The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets of beauty lie in proportions
 Greek developed a system of building proportion that reflected those of the human body
 The principal building material was stone
 Timber was used mostly for roofing
 Temples were the main building type and it was used as a decoration element by every city
 Blocks were large and retained in position by their own weight
 Roofs were of wood beams and rafters cut to square shapes with tile roof

The Orders
 Refer to the entire set of form that makes up the principal elevation of a temple
 All the parts of an order are proportionally derived from the size of the base of
the column
 Greeks are credited with originating the three orders of the classical language of
architecture, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
 The entablature is divided into three sections; the cornices, the frieze and the
architrave

Doric Order
 the earliest to be developed
 is made up of three elements; stylobate, Column and entablature
 The stylobate is a podium raised three steps on which the temple sits
 The Doric column is further divided into the shaft and a square capital
 It had a height of between 5 and 6 times its diameter
 Entasis refers to the practice of optical correction in Greek Doric temples

Ionic Order
 The ionic column including the capital and base had a height of 9 to
10times its diameter
 Ornaments are used to decorate the area between the capital and the
volute
 One of the limitations of the Ionic order is that it is designed to be seen
from the front only

Corinthian Order
 This order is similar in its proportions to the Ionic order but has a different capital
 Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital unlike the ionic capital is designed to be seen from all
directions

Temple Architecture
 The temple is usually rectangular in plan
 It is lifted on a podium, and in plan has colonnades on all its external sides
 The number of columns is always even to allow the location of the entrance in the
center
 Cella -- the innermost part of temple housing the cult statue
 Portico -- entrance porch
 Colonnade -- series of columns running around the temple
 Colonnades define a portico around the temple
 The interior rectangular space of the naos is framed by a pair of colonnades on the
long side creating a central processional space
 The temple always faced east so that the rising sun would light the statues inside
Doric Temple
 The Doric temple is based on the Doric order
 The Doric columns appear heavy in comparison with later temples
 The capitals are also huge, heavy and very wide

Ionic Temples
 Ionic temples were built using the Ionic order
 The most famous of the Ionic temples is the temple of Artemis at Ephesus
 The temple stands on a platform 2.7 meters high
 It had 36 columns in its front and they had an additional relief sculpture at the base

Corinthian Temples
 The Corinthian order was not widely used during the Greek period
 The temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens was in the Corinthian order
 The Corinthian order became very popular during the Roman period

Theaters
 The Greeks invented the theater design that is still used
 Theater was built into a hilly landscape
 The theater had a bank of seats steps created from the
landscape

Planning and Design Principles

 City form were of two types
 Old cities such as Athens had irregular street plans reflecting
their gradual organic development
 New cities, especially colonial cities established during the
Hellenistic period, had a grid-iron street plan
 The Greek City was usually divided into three parts;
o THE ACROPOLIS,
o THE AGORA
o THE TOWN

The Acropolis
 Acropolis was the city of temples
 It is the location where all the major temples of a city are located
 The Acropolis were usually located on the highest ground

Agora
  Agora was the most important gathering place in a Greek city
 Buildings were constructed to define and enclose the space
 It was usually located on a flat ground for ease of communication
 It was placed to be easily accessible from all directions
 In many cities, it is also located close to the Acropolis

The Town
 The town was where the people lived
 Early Greek towns had an irregular street pattern, resulting from its organic growth
 Later Hellenistic towns such as Prienne had a formal rectilinear pattern
 Houses were usually constructed of mud bricks
 Houses were of the courtyard type, with rooms arranged around a courtyard

Propylae
 The propylae is the entrance to the Acropolis
 To reach the acropolis, people had to enter through the center section of
the propylae
 The columns on the outside of the propylae were Doric
 The columns in the interior were Ionic
 In times of peace, the gates of the propylae were usually left wide open

The Parthenon
 The Parthenon was the most prominent building
 The Parthenon is the most perfect Doric temple ever built
 The proportions of the Parthenon are based on the proportions of a
man, which is seven to one
 The Parthenon is an octastyle temple with 8 columns in front and 17 columns by its side
 The Parthenon had two rooms in plan; the treasury, which is most often empty and the naos or inner
sanctuary

Theatre Organization
 Theatre consists of three major parts:
1. the Orchestra,
2. the Scene
3. and the main theatre, called Koilon
 The Orchestra was the almost circular place, situated in front of the scene facing the audience
 Front side of the scene was called Proscenio
 The scene had one or three entrances for the actors
 Between the scene and the seats, there were two more entrances, called Parodoi
 The Koilon (or Theatron) was the auditorium of the greek theater and was divided in two Diazoma, the
upper and the lower
Council Chamber – Bouleterion
 The Bouleterion is where the Boule or council of the city state met
 It was a covered chamber fitted with banks of seats like a theater

Stadium
 Location of foot races held as part of sacred games often found in the context of sanctuaries
 Long and narrow, with a horseshoe shape, the stadium occupied reasonably flat terrain

Gymnasium
 The gymnasium was a training center for athletes who participated in public games

Palaestra
 Palaestra was an exercise facility originally connected with the training of wrestlers
 These complexes were generally rectilinear in plan, with a colonnade framing a central, open space

The Hellenistic Architecture

  Spread of Greek culture throughout the eastern Mediterranean & Near East
 Blending of Greek culture with Near Eastern influences

Great Altar of Zeus

 Marble, reconstructed, now in Berlin Museum
 Linked visually with the Temple of Athena
 Stood on a platform with wings
 Platform was supported by an Ionic colonnade
 Podium below was filled with a sculptured frieze

Library
 To the north of the 2 storey stoa that surrounded the court of the temple of Athena
 Here Pergamene kings kept what they considered to be their written heritage and works of art.

Athenian Agora
 In the 2nd c., the agora was transformed and formalized by being enclosed by stoas, ending any
possibility that other buildings might encroach on it

Stoa of Attalos
 East side of Agora
 2 storey building given to Athens by King Attalos II
 Marble columns and façade
 Served as meeting places, shopping centers, shelters
 External ground floor: Doric order, with Ionic columns inside.
 Upper storey: Ionic half columns at ends, new Pergamene order on interior

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
  The history of the civilization can be divided into three periods;
1. 753- 510 BC Etruscan Period
2. 510 – 44 BC Republican Period
3. 44 BC – 476 A.D. Imperial Period
 They developed new construction systems based on the arch and dome
 The combination of arch and vault construction with brick as formwork and concrete as bonding
material enabled the Romans to construct great buildings
 Roman construction also developed the system of wooden truss construction
 The orders survived simply as ornaments applied to great concrete buildings

Aqueducts
 Aqueducts were used to supply water to Roman cities
 The Pont Du Gard is probably the most magnificent of the Roman aqueducts
 The Aqueduct in some places is almost 50 meters above the deep valley of the River Gard
 It was constructed of 3 tiers of arches

Theaters
 There was an expansion of the stage and the whole theater was
contained within a high-unbroken wall
 The Roman Theater was an urban form located in a flat city
 The structure of the theater consists of massive structural
arcades on piers
 The trabeation was of the Greek orders and gave scale to the
building
 It also creates a rhythm of solids and voids on the elevation
 The three orders of Greek architecture were used on the theater
elevation

Amphitheater
 Amphitheatre is a public building used for spectator sports,
 Distinction between an amphitheatre and a theatre is that amphitheatre is round or oval in shape

Colosseum
 The Colosseum is an amphitheater in Rome
 The colosseum is elliptical in shape
 The wooden arena floor was 86 metres by 54 metres, and covered by sand
 The colosseum had a seating capacity for 50,000 spectators
Bath
 The Bath of Caracalla is a good example of a Roman bath
 The bath is set free standing within a square precinct
enclosed by walls
 The precinct has a water reservoir to the south
 The east and west walls have a curved exedra that
defines space for cultural activities such as library, music
performance, philosophical lectures, etc
 The front wall has a series of shops with the entrance at
the center
 The bath has a large dressing hall, apodyterium at the
center of the building

Temple Maison Caree

 raised on a podium 3.3 meters high
 6 Corinthian columns in front, 10 diameters high
 It has an entrance porch that is 3 columns deep
 The temple has a cella that is one and half times long as its wide

Pantheon
 It was built as a temple dedicated to all the Roman Gods, hence the name
Pantheon
 The Pantheon essentially consist of two parts:
1. the an entrance portico
2. a circular part or rotunda
 The portico is 8 columns wide and 3 columns deep and leads to the
entrance of the temple
 The columns are of unfluted Corinthian order
 The wall of the rotunda is 3 storeys high on the outside
 The interior has eight large niches one serving as the entrance Seven used
dedicated to the seven major Roman Gods
 The Dome roof forms a perfect sphere with a diameter of 142 feet in the
interior
 At the head of the dome is a 30ft wide oculus
Basilica Ulpia
 Basilica Ulpia stretches for 120 meters in length over the width of the Trajan forum
 The Basilica consists of a central hall, 25 meters wide surrounded on all sides by double colonnades
 Two semi-circular apses at it’s two ends
 The walls of the Basilica were finished with multi-colored marble
 Whole structure was covered with a truss roof

Triumphal Arches
 A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental gate, usually built to celebrate a victory
in war
 Some triumphal arches are made of stone

Arch of Titus
 It was built to commemorate the military victory over Jerusalem
 The arch has a height of 15.4 meters, a width of 13.5 meters and was constructed of stone
 The marvel of its stone construction is evident in the keystone, which ensures the stability of the arch
 It has a single opening flanked on each side by attached columns of the Composite order

Arch of Constantine
 Its form shows an attempt to create an arch more majestic than that of Titus
 It has three arched openings, a larger one in the center flanked by two smaller ones
 There are four free standing columns in front framing the arched openings

Ancient Egyptian Architecture

 Tombs were most outstanding architectural element
 Tombs also serve as the focus for the worship of the dead

Mastaba
 The earliest method of burial in ancient Egypt was in shallow pits in the desert
 In the end they built a bench-like structure over graves to create first burial structure called Mastaba
 Above ground the Mastaba is a large bench of sun-baked bricks
 It had a flat top and slanting walls
 Internally, a mastaba consist of three parts:
 a burial chamber, a serdab and a chapel
 The burial chamber was located 30 feet below ground
 It was connected to burial chamber above ground through a shaft
  In the chamber is found the sarcophagus where the dead body was placed
 After burial, the shaft to the burial chamber is sealed
 The Serdab and Chapel are located above ground
 The serdab is a room where the statue of the dead person is kept
 The chapel is where the ka is supposed to live for ever
 It is a colorful room meant to deceive the gods into letting the ka enter the next world
 Had a false door leading to the land of the dead
 The Mastaba of Kagemni has eight rooms.
 The walls are all decorated with nature scenes.
 Some mastabas had fence walls, and chambers for burial of servants
 Mastaba served as an embryo for the evolution of the pyramid
 Most mastabas in Egypt are still buried in the sands, along the winding course of the vast Nile River's
western side

Early Kingdom Tombs Stepped Pyramid

 King Zoser[Djoser] was the powerful pharaoh of the third dynasty of the old kingdom
 The stepped pyramid was built for king Zoser by Imhotep
 It was built as a funeral complex in the necropolis at Saqqara
 Imhotep initially conceived of the tomb as a large Mastaba of stone
 Stepped pyramid was 200 feet high with 6 giant steps
 The burial chamber is entered from the north side and is 92 feet down
 On either side of the chamber are store rooms for the kings treasures
 All the treasures buried with Zoser have long been stolen
 A stone statue of zoser was also recently found staring out through peep holes in his Serdab
 The Serdab is located on the north side, along with the funerary temple
 The stepped pyramid stands at the middle of a large complex
 The funeral complex consisted of palaces, temples and the stepped pyramid
 They were all surrounded by a fence wall 33 feet high
 The fence wall of the funeral complex has a breaking pattern of
about 200 projections and recessions
 Fourteen of these were larger than the others and 13 out of the
fourteen had false doors
 The false doors were for the use of the pharaoh’s ka

 The entrance door leads to a long hall having two rows of columns
 This is one of the first uses of columns in history
 The columns were designed to look like bundles of reeds and had
flutes
 In the north palace is also found stone columns with capitals
 They were designed to look like the papyrus plant
 Zosers funeral complex was designed as a model of his palace, city and kingdom
 The shape of the pyramid suggest a stairway to the sky to join the sun God Amon Ra
Attempts at Pyramid Building
 After the stepped pyramids, there were several attempt at building a pure geometric pyramid

 Among the prominent attempts were:

1. The pyramid at Medun

2. Two pyramids built by Snefru at Dashur

 King Huni made the first attempt at building a pure pyramid at

Medun

 Seven stepped pyramid with a square plan

 Height of 90 meters

 Angle of incline of 51 degrees

 The pyramid did not have a mortuary temple

 Pharoah Snefru

 two attempts

 His first pyramid, the Bent pyramid at Dashur had a square plan
with a height of 102 meters

 The pyramid had a change of angle midway, leading to its being

called the bent pyramid

 Snefru’s second pyramid, the north pyramid, is the place he was buried
 It had a low pitch of 43 degrees instead of 52 degrees
 It look stunted
 A true pyramid has an incline angle of 52 degrees


The Pyramids at Giza

 The construction of a true geometrical pyramid was achieved during the reign of Cheops, son of Snefru
 Located at Giza and is called the Great Pyramid because of its size
 The pyramid is 482 ft high on a plan 760 ft square
 Two additional pyramids were subsequently built at Giza
 The second largest in the center was built by Chefren, the son of Cheops
 The third and smallest was built by Mykerinus, the son of Chefren
 The three together are referred to as the pyramids at Giza
 The three are aligned diagonally along the projection of the diagonal of the
great pyramid
 The small pyramids close to them were built for their Queens

The Great Pyramid Cheops

 The great pyramid has a unique internal arrangement
 First it has a chamber built below the base of the pyramid
  Another chamber was built above it known as the queen’s chamber
 A larger burial chamber known as the king’s chamber was built at the center of the pyramid
 This is the chamber where the king was buried in his Sarcophagus
 The kings chamber was 35 ft by 17ft in plan and 19ft high
 Both the king and queen chamber are connected to the entrance on the north side
 Two air shafts also connect the king’s chamber to outside for ventilation
 Once a king is buried, the burial chamber was sealed forever

Early Kingdom Pyramid

 The pyramids were designed as part of a funeral complex for the burial of a pharaoh
 Chefren’s complex is the best preserved example
 The complex consist of three interconnected units:
o A valley temple by the river Nile where the pharaoh’s body
was embalmed
o A pyramid mortuary temple for rituals
o A long narrow causeway connecting the two

Valley Temple
 -outer plan square-
 twin entrances leading to transverse
vestibule
 long antechapel
 transverse two aisles-
 a triple aisled main chapel

The Sphinx at Giza

 Located in Giza is the great Sphinx with the
body of a lion and head of Chefren
 The reason for its construction is not clear
 A theory hold that it was produced from
leftover material
 It may also have been carved to stand guard
over the temple and tomb of Chefren

Pyramid Construction
 The pyramids were in general a response to the vast desert landscapes
 For structures to be visible in the desert they have to be of gargantuan size
 The pyramids were also a product of the will to achieve immortality by the pharaohs
 The pyramids are the everlasting home of the pharaoh’s ka
End of Pyramid Construction
 After the Mykerinus period, the era of pyramid construction ended
 More pyramids were built later but they were smaller and less complex
 Later pharaohs could not also afford the cost of huge pyramid construction
 Grave robbers also learned how to break into and steal the goods buried with pharaohs
 The end of the Old Kingdom therefore marked the end of the great era of Egyptian pyramid
construction.

Mid & New Kingdom Burial-Cham Mortuary Temples

 The Middle Kingdom began when pharaoh Mentuhotep united Egypt again after the first intermediate
period
 During the middle kingdom, the practice of pyramid construction disappeared
 Focus in architectural development was however still on tombs and burial chambers
 Two categories of structures came into use- mortuary temples and underground tombs
 Mortuary temples served as the place for the burial and worship of pharaohs
 Temples dedicated to Gods were also located in them
 Mortuary temples owe their origin to the pyramid
funeral complex, particular the valley and pyramid
temples
 Underground tombs became popular because of
the belief that they could not be robbed
 Many power and wealthy pharaohs and noblemen
carved their tombs directly into rock cliffs and
underground during the Middle and New
kingdoms
 Most of the tomb and burial chamber
construction was carried out at Del Al Bahari
 Two mortuary temples were built at Del al Bahari;
mortuary temple of Mentuhotep and Hatshepsut
 Mentuhotep was the first Pharaoh of the middle
kingdom
 He built the first mortuary temple at Del-al Bahari
 The temple is terraced in two levels
 The upper terrace is faced with double
colonnades
 At the center is a core believed to have a small
pyramid on top
 The pyramid is believed to be a dummy burial chamber
Mortuary Temple of Mentuhotep

 Entrance to the real tomb is found at the rear from the

western courtyard
 The burial tomb is accessible through a ramp leading down
at the center of the court yard
 Just like the pyramid funeral complexes, the temple of
Mentuhotep also has a causeway
leading to a valley temple
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
 Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was built 500
years after that of Mentuhotep during the
new kingdom
 Hatsheptsut was the only female pharaoh to
rule Egypt
 When Her husband Pharaoh Tutmosis died,
her step son was too young to rule
 She therefore became the ruler
 Even when he grew old, she would not allow
him to rule and crowned herself pharaoh
 She dressed as a pharaoh, wearing men’s
cloth with a false beard attached to her chin
 The temple of Mentuhotep served as a
model in the design of her temple
 Her extraordinary funeral temple located at
Del-Al-Bahari, is set against the background
of the cliffs
 The architect of her temple is believed to be
Senmut who is also buried in the temple
 The temple of Hatshepsut is like a giant stage
on three levels
 Each of the three levels was connected by a ramp
 Her temple fits very well into the tall rock cliffs behind it
 On the top level is her chapel dedicated to the goddess Hathor
 The chapel was dug out of the rock cliff
 Hatshepsut hided her tomb in the deep rock cliffs to stop robbers
 Temple was not a construction of stone masses as in the pyramids a play of the emptiness of terraces,
ramps and courtyards against background of the cliffs shift from the compact geometry of the old
kingdom pyramids to the linear composition of the New Kingdom temples
 But her tomb was also plundered and smashed into a thousand pieces
 Archeologist believe that her son Tutmosis III poisoned her to death and wrecked her tomb
 The temple of Hatshepsut had no dominant mass
 Instead, there was a strong horizontal axis running across the set of terraces and perpendicular to the
mountains
 The rapprochements are more correctly seen in the preserved colonnades particularly the Proto-Doric
sections, permeated by sureness of proportions and crispness of lives.
 Trabeation --- building with horizontal lintel and beams
 2 elements:
a) unadorned lintel slabs
b) standard Egyptian cornice composed of torus molding, capped by an upright , flat
lintel.

Underground Tomb- Rock Cut Tomb

 Two types of Underground tombs were built by pharaohs and nobles during the Middle and New
Kingdom periods:
a) Rock cut tombs
b) Shaft tombs
 Rock cut tombs are tombs that are carved out of rocks
 Many of theses are found along the cliff of the Nile
 A very good example is the Rock cut tomb at Beni Hassan
 Beni Hassan consist of 3 elements:
a) A colonnade entrance portico for public worship
b) Behind the portico, a chamber or hall with columns supporting the roof serving as a chapel
c) A small recess towards the back of the chapel where the person is buried
 Façade piers when not square, were beveled down to 6 or 16 sided prism
 With a short square block remaining at the top as a rudimentary capital.
 This form sometimes is formed as Proto Doric, because of its similarity to later Greek order.
 Hard for historians to believe
 yet Proto-Doric forms may have existed in the late Egyptian architecture of the Nile Delta
 which would have been accessible for Greeks
 The columns on the exterior were shaped like a prism with 6 or 16 sides
 The columns in the interior were designed as a bundle of reed tied together by rope

Underground Tomb- Shaft Tombs

 Shaft tombs were a complex series of underground corridors and rooms
 Cut out of the mountains in the valley of the King at Del-Al-Bahari
 The large number of rooms and their complicated arrangement
is deliberately done to create a maze or puzzle
 This is designed to make it difficult for robbers
 Not to determine where a dead person is buried
 A dead pharaoh or nobleman is buried in one of the many underground rooms
 Once the burial is finished, the entrance is sealed permanently and hidden from everybody

New Kingdom Cult Temples Introduction

 The Middle Kingdom lasted for 275 years
 The New Kingdom started after the end of second intermediate period
 The New Kingdom lasted for 500 years
 During the New Kingdom, the capital of ancient Egypt moved from Memphis to Thebes
 The most important and common architectural elements of the New Kingdom were temples
 Several temples were built dedicated to Egyptian Gods
 Temples borrowed a lot of elements from the funeral complexes at Giza
 They also borrowed elements from the Mortuary temples at Deir-Al-Bahari
 The borrowed elements include:
a) Long approaches
b) Guardian sphinxes
c) Colonnaded vestibules and inner courts
d) Darkening shrines
e) Intricate linear progression of constructed space
 The New Kingdom temples allow a series of experiences passing in stages from openness and light
in the exterior to interior closure and darkness
 This feeling was deliberate as only the Pharaoh and priest were allowed into the inner part of
temples
Temple of Khons, Karnak
 The temple of Khons at Karnak is a good example of a simple New
Kingdom Cult Temple
 This temple show an example of the components and organization
of a typical temple
 This is dedicated to the God Amun
 A person approaching first meets the entrance wall called pylon
 The pylon is higher and wider than the temple behind it
 The pylons were treated with molding and decorated relief carvings
 Mast with royal and religious flags fly in front of the pylon
 The pylon had edges with torus moldings,
 crammed by the characteristic cavetto cornice
 Were decorated by reliefs, colossal statues, and masts for royal and religious banners
 Behind the pylon is the peristyle courtyard
 Made up of a row of twin colonnades on two or more sides and was open to the sun
 It is the only place where common people were allowed to enter
 Beyond the Peristyle courtyard is the hypostyle hall
 Hypostyle means covered space with many columns.
 Peristyle hall and columns painted in bright colors
 The ceiling was usually painted blue to resemble the sky with stars twinkling
 The columns in the center of the hypostyle hall were usually higher than on the two other sides,
giving the room two roof levels
 In between the two roofs, windows were place to allow light to enter
 These are called clerestory windows
 A gate from the hypostyle hall leads into the sanctuary
 Only the pharaoh and the priest were allowed here
 In the sanctuary is found boats or barges kept on stone
 Each boat had a god inside
 At the far end of the Sanctuary are found chapels dedicated to gods and goddesses
 Here the priest washed, fed and dressed statues of the Gods each day
 As you move from the pylon into the temple, the roof becomes lower and the floor rises up
 The inside is also slowly darkened
 The sanctuary is completely dark except for small holes over the chapel of the Gods
 Every morning, the rays of the sun awakened the Gods
 The whole temple is surrounded by a wall

Temple of Amon, Karnak

 All the other New Kingdom temples have the same
components and sequences of space found in temple of
Khons
 They are usually more elaborate in terms of scale,
enlargement and duplication of elements
 The temple of Amon, Karnak is an example of the more
elaborate temples
 It is the largest of the New Kingdom temple and it grew in a
haphazard way
 It is the largest of the New Kingdom temples and it grew in
a haphazard way
  Built by at least 16 pharaohs over a period 1700 years
 Each pharaoh added either a pylon, courtyard, hypostyle hall
or decorated on parts built by an earlier pharaoh
 Queen Hatshepsut, Tutmosis II and Rameses II all added to
the temple
 The front pylon had two obelisk in front
 Apart from the front pylon, the temple had two additional
pylons
 Dimensions 1215x376 feet
 Close to it were secondary temples like the one of Khonus In
this temple the first impression is given by the immense pylon
of 146 feet high and 376 feet wide.

Temple of Amon-Ra at Karnak

 Within the great temple of Amun the hypostyle hall of Seti I and his son Ramses III is the largest
one of its style. (340 x170 feet)
 The roof of stone slab supported by 134 columns which are standing in:
 16 rows, 7 rows on each side, each 9 feet thick and 42 feet high.
 These double sided sever rows are closed by two rows of larger columns, dimensions 12 feet thick
too 69 feet high.

Temple of Amon at Luxor

 There are several other temples built during the New kingdom
 We will not be able to review all the others[339]
 Among the important ones are:
  The temple of Luxor (1408-1300 BC)

The Ramesseum Thebes (1301 BC)

 The Ramesseum is in fact the mortuary temple of Rameses II who was the last of the great pharaohs of
Egypt.
 After him Egypt, and indeed most of the civilized world of the east Mediterranean gradually declined
into the dark ages.
Architectural Features

A - First Pylon, North and South

B - First Court

C - Royal Palace

D - Colossal statue of Ramesses II

E - Second Pylon

F - Second Court

G - Original position of statue taken to

London by Belzoni

H - Vestibule

I - Hypostyle Hall

J - "Room of Barques" with astronomical

ceiling

K - "Room of Litanies"

L - Sanctuary

Other Temples The Great Temple Abu Simbel (1301 BCM) - Temple of Tuya and Nefertari
 Site of two rock-cut temples of Ramesses II, located about 250 km south-east of Aswan.
 The temples were discovered by the traveller Jean-Louis Burckhard in 1813 and cleared
by Giovanni Belzoni four years later.
  The largest temple is dedicated to Amon-Re, Re-Horakhte, Ptah and the deified Ramesses II.
 The facade is dominated by four colossal seated figures of Ramesses II wearing the double crown
and nemes headcloth.
 Between the two pairs of figures is the entrance to the cavernous interior of the monument.
 The monument thus symbolized
Ramesses II's domination of Nubia.
 The great temple is precisely aligned so
that twice a year (20February
and 20 October) the rising sun
illuminates the sanctuary
 and seated statues of the gods at the
rearmost point of the temple.

Columns
 Egyptian architecture also developed
several unique architectural elements
 Includes Columns, relief carving, and writing, the obelisk and sphinxes
 Egyptian column has its origin in plant materials:
a) the lotus flower,
b) papyrus plant
c) and the palm tree
d) Columns were design to imitate the plants
e) Capitals were designed to resemble a bud or bell form of a flower
 Relief carving and painting was used to record history or depict everyday social

Obelisk
 The obelisk is an element unique to Egyptian architecture
 It was carved as a monolithic piece of stone and erected in front of temples
 They were usually dedicated to a particular God, pharaoh or nobleman

Sphinxes
 Sphinxes are statues with the body of a lion and the head of the God Horus
 They are used to line avenues leading to temples
 They are believed to provide protection
 They also reinforce the axial planning of the new kingdom temples

Secular Architecture
 The cult of Dead and of the Gods dominated Egyptian monumental architecture
 but it did not prevent Egyptian life from attaining a richness and vitality left itself in secular
construction and cities.
  Since the residential buildings were usually built of perishable material, remains of actual
structures are lacking.
 However the descriptive realism of Egyptian art provide a useful
record and from this houses and towns can be reconstructed.
 Egyptian towns were crowded with narrow streets of two-three
story houses like that of Theban treasures Tehutynefer c.1440
B.C.

Tell el Amarna
 Still today there are some vestiges of some royal palaces such
as the one at Tel el Amarna built around 13-70 B.C. by
Akhenoten (Amenhotep IV)
 It has a ground plan of remarkable regularity that parallel
developments in the monumental temple structures of the
period.
 Tel el Amarna is an important example of early urban planning.
 It was built once at 13-70 B.C. as a and new capital city as
residence for the king Akhenaten, queen Nefertiti and his court.
 It lies between Luxor an Cairo at eastern bank of the Nile.
 Many varieties of public and domestic architecture are found at Tell el Amarna from the classically
planed apartments of the royal palace to more modest
 Yet still impressive houses of the court officials, in addition to office buildings and warehouses.
 The resemblance to modern architecture has made possible the reconstruction of a block of
buildings in the North suburb’s Merchant section.
 The buildings were grouped in narrow streets. such houses were comparatively tall with roof
terraces and loggias, suitable for hot climate which could serve a variety of functions including
storage and laundry.

Buildings and Other Arch. Elements Buildings

 Two buildings types dominated ancient Egyptian architecture; tombs and temples
 Minimal attention was paid to houses because belief
 House were simple designed to last a life time
 Effort was on buildings associated with the afterlife
 Tombs and temples were design to last forever
 Tomb construction varied with the various period of Egyptian civilization
 During the early Kingdom, tomb construction evolved from the Mastaba through the Stepped
pyramid to the Geometric Pyramid
 At Giza, we see the ultimate development of the Egyptian Pyramid
 In Middle and New Kingdoms, grave robbers forced a change in tomb construction
 Pharaohs of the periods did not also have the power of Early Kingdom pharaohs to undertake
pyramid construction
 Pyramid construction disappeared and underground tombs became popular
 Two types were examined-Rock cut tomb and Shaft tomb
 Rock cut tombs were carved out of existing mountains
 Shaft tombs were dug in the underground of mountains
 The Middle and New Kingdom also saw the introduction of Mortuary temples
  Two Mortuary temples were examined- Mentuhotep and Hatshepsut
 Mortuary temple of Mentuhotep was constructed during the Middle kingdom
 Hatshepsut’s temple was constructed during the New Kingdom
 The mortuary temples were a place to bury as well as worship a dead person
 The mortuary temples owe their origin to funerary buildings that were attached to the Pyramids
 During the New kingdom Focus in temple construction shifted to Cult temples
 The cult temples were dedicated to the worship of Egyptian Gods
 Two temples were examined all located at Karnak
 The temple of Khons is a typical Egyptian cult temple
 The temple of Amon shows how the temple can become complicated through addition and
duplication of elements
 Also examined some unique architectural elements
 Includes columns, relief carving and painting, obelisk and sphinxes
 Columns designed to mirror plant materials
 Evolved from attached columns in the Zoser’s complex to the heavy columns of Egyptian cult
temples
 Relief carving and painting were used to capture history
 Obelisk are free standing poles dedicated to Gods, Pharaohs or nobles
 Sphinxes are used to line avenues to temples for protection

Materials
 Three common materials of construction in Egypt
 Plant materials, clay and stone
 Plants consist of readily available material like reeds, papyrus and palm ribs and shaft
 Timber was available in limited quantity; used for roofing
 Clay was used for construction either as for frame construction or as sun dried brick
 Stone was not much used during the early period of ancient Egyptian civilization
 It became popular after the 3rd dynasty of the Early Kingdom and was used for tombs and temples

Construction System
 Construction system in ancient Egypt reflected the availability of materials
 Two construction systems were predominant: Adobe construction and post and beam construction
 Adobe construction took the form of clay on vegetable material or sun dried brick construction
 This construction was reserved for houses and other buildings of daily life
 These buildings are supposed to last for only a generation
 Egyptian monumental construction is mainly of a post and beam style
 This is expressed mainly in pyramids, tombs and temples
 Columns are designed to look like plant material
 Their shaft resemble bundles of plant stems tied together
 Their capitals are derived from the lotus bud or the papyrus flower or the palm leave
 Great importance was attached to relief carving and it was an integral part of the architecture
 The true arch was not extensively used in ancient Egypt
 The principle was however known
 Construction in Egypt took place during the period of floods
 It took 20 years to build a pyramid with a team of 20,000 men working three to four months during
the floods
Technologies
 Ancient Egyptians contributed to technologies in the aspect of lighting
 Egyptians used courtyards extensively for lighting
 Technology has existed since the ANE period
 The greatest contribution of the Ancient Egyptians is in the aspect of Clerestory lighting
 In the hypostyle hall of Egyptian temples is found one of the earliest application of the clerestory
method of lighting
 By making columns higher and creating two roof levels, the ancient Egyptians were able to admit
light into halls

Principles
 Principles of Arch. Organization
o Emphasis on Building Massing
o Linear and Geometrical Organization
o Application of harmony and Contrast
 Forces shaping Arch Organization
o Influence of the desert environment
 Influence of religion and social symbolism

Emphasis on Building Masses

 The examination of ancient Egyptian architecture shows more concerned with massing and limited
attention to space or function
 The Mastaba, Pyramids, Mortuary and Cult temples all display a focus on massing and form
 There was limited consideration on functional space
 Consideration of function in design was limited to provision of spaces for ritual activities such as
chapels dedicated to Gods in Pyramid funeral complexes and Mortuary and Cult temples

Application of Linear & Geometrical Org

 The Most important compositional principle in ancient Egypt is linearity and axial organization
 Linearity means organization along a line, while axial organization means that there is a defined axis
running through the whole composition
 Almost all the predominant monuments have a linear and axial organization
 These include the pyramid funerary complexes and the mortuary and cult temples
 Egyptian architecture also displays an understanding and application of geometry in design
 This is noticeable in the pyramids at Giza
 All the three main pyramids are Geometrical pyramids
 A geometric pyramid has a square base and a 52 degree inclination of its sides
 All the pyramids are also aligned in a straight line along their axes
 This could only have been achieved with the understanding of geometry
Application of Harmony & Contrast
 Architecture in ancient Egypt also displays understanding of the principle of Harmony and contrast
 Example of this is reflected in the pyramids at Giza
 The color and material of the pyramid create a harmony between the pyramids and the desert
 The form and shape of the pyramids however contrast sharply with the smooth undulating desert
 This understanding is also displayed in the temples of Mentuhotep and Hatshepsut
 A double row of columns used to front the lower and upper terraces create a harmony with the
rugged background of the mountain cliffs
 The terraces of the temples are however in sharp contrast with the mountainous nature of the
environment
 The temples appear like an island of peace in a rugged and violent environment

Mesopotamia
Historical Background
 Located in and around the valley of Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq
 Area is also known as Mesopotamia or land between two rivers
 The area witnessed the earliest rise of human civilization around 4500 BC
 Transformation from prehistory, to villages and cities occurred there
 Civilization there lasted for 5000 years
 Cultural development was not homogenous during the period
 Different cultures established city states and empires at different periods
 The cultures include Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian

Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization
 Civilization is usually associated with the cultural practices of cities and urban living, the presence of
writing and written law
 In Mesopotamia, earliest cities were established and urban culture took hold
 Between 4000 and 3000 BC, large number of people began living in a small area creating first cities
 Many people began to have jobs that is unrelated to agriculture
 Cities in the Mesopotamia initially developed with authority residing in an assembly of male citizens
 Short term leaders were selected during wars
 When war leaders were retained during peace time, kingship evolved
 It was initially elective and later hereditary
 As some cities became more powerful, they defeated weaker ones to create empires and kingdoms
 This led to collective rule of city states by a sovereign king
 With kingship also came monumental palaces as place of residence and administration for the king
 Almost all Mesopotamia culture worshiped many gods and goddesses
 Mesopotamia people did not believe in immortality or eternal life
 They believed only gods were immortal
 Rather, they believed in divine rewards for moral conduct
White Temple Uruk
 Rooms oblong and in shape and vaulted surrounded the long side of the sanctuary
 The temple had imposing doorways located at its either end
 Series of staircases and stepped levels lead worships to the entrance of the temple
 The temple was plastered white externally, making it visible

Great Ziggurat Ur
 The Great Ziggurat was located as part of a temple complex
 The temple sits on a three multi-tiered Ziggurat mountain
 Access to the temple is through triple stairways

Oval Temple- Khafaje

 Oval temple is an example of second type of Sumerian temples
 The temple is raised on a simple platform enclosed within the oval walls
 The inner court had an offering table

Assyrian Architecture

Palace of Sargon
 The palace was arranged around two major courtyards
 The building was decorated with relief sculpture and glazed brick
 The doorway to the Khorsabad palace was guarded by large statues of creatures called “Lamassu

Babylonian Architecture
Ishtar Gate
 From the palace originated a procession street that cuts through the city
 The procession street enters the city through the famous Ishtar gate
 The gate had a pair of projecting towers on each wall
 All the facades of gates and adjoining streets were faced with blue glazed bricks
  Ornamented with figures of heraldic animals- lions, bulls, and dragons

Persian Architecture
Palace at Perspolis
 Persian architecture achieved its greatest monumentality at Persepolis
 Some of the spaces were very big and generally square in plan
 The spaces were enclosed by mud brick walls
 The spaces were enclosed by mud brick walls
 The columns were fluted and stand on inverted bell shaped bases
 The throne room was also known as hall of a 100 columns
 The slim nature of the column created room and spacious feeling

Buildings & Other Arch. Elements

Sun dried brick became the standard building material

Wood was probably applied mainly for roofing or for producing tools and ornaments

The Babylonians introduce glazed brick, which was used in the façade of their gates and prominent buildings
Rooms were unsually roofed with domes or vaults

Courtyards were used for cooling to create livable environments in houses