The civilization that arose on the banks of the Nile is so early that at a time when the architecture of Ancient Egypt had already made its mark, the neighboring nations were still at the stage of prehistoric development. Since science is deprived of the ability to accurately determine the time of construction of a particular structure, it is customary to classify monuments in accordance with the dynasties that ruled at that time.
Features of ancient Egyptian architecture
In this regard, the architecture of Ancient Egypt is conventionally divided into 6 periods corresponding to the Early, Ancient, Middle, New and Late kingdom, as well as the period of imperial power. Despite many common features, a certain originality was inherent in each stage of the history of Egyptian architecture.
All the monuments of architecture of Ancient Egypt that have been preserved to our time - temples, palaces, fortresses and tombs - were erected from unbaked raw brick or limestone quarried in the Nile valley, sandstone and granite. This is explained by the fact that there was no forest there, and palm trees that grew in oases gave poor quality wood.
Construction methods for residential and religious buildings
As for the houses in which the bulk of the population settled, they were built from the mud that remained on the banks after the floods of the Nile. It was dried in the sun, cut into briquettes and then erected residential buildings. However, such structures almost did not survive due to the fact that this material was short-lived, and in addition, the level of the Nile rose every millennium, and the water again turned the houses into the same mud from which they were built.
Religious constructions turned out to be more favorable, and it was they that enabled modern scholars to gain an idea of ​​the technical features and artistic styles of ancient Egyptian architecture. In particular, it was found that throughout the history of this unique civilization, builders have adhered to a single technology in the construction of walls.
The stones were laid without mortar and often without any bonding elements. Moreover, they were pre-processed only from the inside, which ensured the reliability of the connection, while the front surface was trimmed during the finishing work, when the walls were completely erected.
The decoration of buildings characteristic of the architecture of Ancient Egypt along the entire path of its development did not undergo significant changes. They were always filled with symbolism and were images of the sun beetle personifying the god Ra - scarab, lotus flowers, palm branches, etc. The inscriptions were widely used to perpetuate the main events from the life of the pharaohs, as well as to praise the gods, worship which was an integral part of life.
Architecture during the Early Kingdom
The peculiarities of the architecture of Ancient Egypt related to the Early Kingdom can be judged by the images preserved on the stelae of the pharaohs of the 1st dynasty, and by some religious buildings that survived to us from that period. It was established that a characteristic element of their decoration was concave cornices of buildings, as well as friezes - decorative stripes framing the building and decorated with paintings or sculptural compositions. This period of the history of ancient Egyptian art is poorly studied, since over the past years almost no original structures have remained.
Ancient kingdom
The architecture of the Ancient Kingdom represents a slightly larger scope for study. Egypt during this period was united into a single kingdom with the capital in Memphis, and the idea of ​​the divinity of the pharaohs, which was directly reflected in architecture, became the basis of its ideology. Its heyday dates back to the reign of the III and IV dynasties (XXX century BC), when the largest pyramid tombs were erected on the banks of the Nile.
In the architecture of Ancient Egypt, tombs have always played a special role, being not only a manifestation of religious beliefs, but also an indicator of the brilliant development of the exact sciences and crafts, without which their construction would have been impossible. The early objects of this era include the ensemble of funerary structures erected for the pharaoh of the III dynasty of Djoser and made in a new style for that time.
Here, for the first time, a pyramid was erected, which had a rectangular base and consisted of several steps. Subsequently, tombs of this form became widespread. Among the most famous structures of the period of the Ancient Kingdom today are the pyramids built in Giza for the pharaohs of the 4th dynasty - Cheops, Chefren and Mykerin. They are rightfully considered one of the wonders of the world.
During the reign of the pharaohs of the V dynasty, the architecture of Ancient Egypt was enriched by the creation of a new type of building - solar temples. These were places of worship erected on top of hills and surrounded by walls. In their central rooms - prayer halls - giant sculptures of gods trimmed with gold and ritual altars were placed.
Middle kingdom
With the coming to power in 2050 BC. e. Pharaoh Mentuhotep Egypt entered the era of the Middle Kingdom. In the spiritual life of the people, the deification of the pharaoh was gradually replaced by a philosophy of individualism, which made it possible to lay claim to eternal life not only by the powerful people of this world, but also by ordinary inhabitants of the country. The construction of gigantic pyramids has become a thing of the past, in the place of which came funeral steles, accessible, due to cheapness, to many Egyptians.
However, the pharaohs continued to build tombs for themselves, although much smaller in size than in the past centuries. The method of their construction has also changed. Instead of stone blocks, raw brick was used, and outside the building was faced with limestone slabs. Such technology could not provide the former longevity, and the pyramids of this period have survived to this day in the form of ruins. The most significant building of this era is considered the burial complex of the pharaoh Amenemkhet III, consisting of a pyramid and a memorial church, covering an area of ​​almost 72 thousand m².
Ground Temples of the New Kingdom
During the New Kingdom, which lasted from 1550 to 1969 BC. e., when the capital of the state moved to the city of Thebes, the construction of magnificent palaces of the nobility and magnificent temples acquired a dominant role in the architecture of Ancient Egypt. The latter were built in three versions, which were terrestrial, rocky and half-rock complexes.
The layout of ground-based religious buildings was an elongated rectangle, usually surrounded by a wall. From its entrance, decorated with a pylon, an alley led to the gate, on both sides decorated with sphinxes or figures of other mythical creatures. Necessarily the accessory of such temples was the altar, installed in the center of the courtyard, and the prayer hall, located in the back of the room. The whole complex was richly decorated with sculptures and frescoes on religious subjects.
Rock and half temples
Rock temple complexes were cut down in hard rock so that only the main facade was placed outside, and the rest of the structure went deep into the mountains. A striking example of buildings of this type can serve as the temple of Ramses II, built in Abu Simbel. It includes two independent religious buildings, one of which is dedicated to Amon, Ptah and Ra, and the second to the goddess Hathor.
For the period of the New Kingdom, there was a very significant innovation that appeared in the architecture of Ancient Egypt - tombs were first separated from the memorial temples, which in previous centuries was not practiced. The first to break the tradition was Pharaoh Thutmose I, who, even during his lifetime, ordered his mummy to be placed not in a memorial temple, but in a separate, far removed tomb, which laid the foundation for the vast complex known as the “Valley of the Kings”.
Half-temples were built only partially submerged in the earth's rocks and consisted of several cubes placed one on top of the other. Their facades descended down the terraces and decorated with rows of columns. An example of such a structure is the temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
Persian period
During the Late Kingdom, the architecture and sculpture of Ancient Egypt again underwent a series of changes. This was due to the weakening of local kings, a significant increase in priesthood and the coming to power of representatives of foreign dynasties, which gave reason to call this period in the history of the state “Persian”. It lasted until the entry into Egypt of the troops of Alexander the Great.
Foreign rulers refused to erect monumental temples, which struck the eye with their scale. Religious buildings of the Persian period were built much smaller, although they were still richly decorated with sculpture and wall paintings. The construction of the famous temple complex in Karnak, which is today one of the most visited attractions in the country, dates back to the era of the Late Kingdom.
Egyptian architecture during the period of imperial power (briefly)
The most important thing in the architecture of Ancient Egypt, which appeared in 332 BC. e. as a part of the power of Alexander the Great, is a synthesis of its artistic traditions with ancient culture. Bright examples of the architecture of this period can serve as the temples of Horus in Edfu, Ptolemy in Karnak, as well as the complex of Isis, built on the island of Philae and rightfully called Herodotus the “Pearl of Egypt”.