HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

STUDY OF BUILT UP STRUCTURES DURING

THE ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS

Indus ValleyEgyptMesopotamia

EGYPTIAN CIVILISATION

Temple of isis, Philae,330 BC

GEOGRAPHIC

1. RIVER NILE, NARROW STRIP OF FERTILE ALLUVIAL SOIL AND SANDY DESERT BORDER.

2. BLACK LAND OR LAND OF PHARAOH (KEMI)

GEOLOGY1. TIMBER- ACASIA FOR BOATS; DATE PALM FOR ROOFING, SYCAMORE FOR MUMMYCASE2. BRICKS - SUNDRIED AND KILN BURNT3. STONES – LIMESTONE , SANDSTONE, ALABASTER, BASALT ,PORPHYRY, GRANITE

CLIMATE1. SPRING AND SUMMER ARE 2 SEASONS2. RARE OCCURANCE OF RAIN, STORM, FOG- HELPED IN PRESERVING THE BLDGS.3. FIERCE SUN4. FLAT ROOF CLEARSTOREY LIGHTING AND SLIT OPENINGS.

RELIGION

RELIGION INFLUENCED ARCHITECTURE TO THE MAXIMUM

1. BELIEF OF AFTER LIFE- PYRAMIDS, MASTABAS,TEMPLES2. DWELLING HOUSE REGARDED AS TEMPORARY ABODE AND TOMBS AS PERMANENT ABODE3. TEMPLES WERE MEANT FOR KINGS AND PRIESTS4. MYSTERIOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES DID NOT ALLOW REST OF THE PEOPLE INTO TEMPLES. TEMPLES HAD HIGH WALL ENCLOSURES5. INITIALLY MONOTHEISTIC AND LATER POLYTHESITIC (TRIAD GODS)

- KINGS WERE RANKED AS GODS

- CHIEF GOD- OSIRIS (GOD OF DEATH); ISIS(HIS WIFE) - AMON(SUN GOD); MUT (HIS WIFE); KHONS(THEIR SON) - PTAH ; SEKHET ; IEM-HETEP

6. NECROPOLIS (AT MEMPHIS)WAS AWAY FROM THE SETTLEMENT AREA

7. PYRAMIDS,MASTABAS , TEMPLES ERECTED.

MASTABAS

SOCIAL (AS RECOREDED IN OLD TESTAMENT & RECORDS FROM PAPYRI AND TABLETS)

1. A CUSTOM TO RECORD DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL MATTERS ON TOMBS, PAPYRU AND ON TABLET2. SOCIAL SYSTEM – MONARCHY PHARAOHS (KINGS) duties : practiced religion, patronised art, protected their country; waged war, fostered trading enterprise; encouraged industries and handivcrafts.

3. SLAVE LABOURERS( UNPAID LABOUR) EMPLOYED FOR CONSTRUCTION

4. SKILLS WHICH WERE HIGHLY ESTEEMED: WEAVING GLASS BLOWING POTTERY TURNING METAL WORKING MAKING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS JEWELLERY AND FURNITURE MAKING ASTRONOMY,MATHEMATICS, PHILOSOPHY

5. HIEROGLYPHICS

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

1. DWELLINGS CONSTRUCTED OUT OF SUN BAKED BRICKS, PUDDLED CLAY AND REEDS

2. WALLS : BATTER- EXTERNAL SLOPE OF WALL FACE .RESISTED EARTHQUAKE IMMENSELY THK-20-30' SIMPLICITY,SOLIDITY, GRANDUER3. FLAT WINDOWLESS WALL SURFACES

4. LIGHTING AND VENTILATION THROUGH CLEARSTOREY AND SLIT OPENINGS

5. BRICK VAULTS CONSTRUCTED

6. COLUMNS-

-6 TIMES DIA IN HT.-RESEMBLE PAPYRUS OR LOTUS STOCK TIED AT INTERVALS BT BANDS-CIRCULAR SHAFT- THICK MOULDED BASE- CAPITAL – BELL SHAPED WITH LOTUS OR PAPYRUS SCULPTED

7. COLUMNAR AND TRABEATED CONSTRUCTION8. CLOSE INTERCOLUMNATION 9. TEMPLE ENTRANCE HAD – PYLONS

- AVENUE OF SPINXES (MYTHICAL MONSTERS)

10. OBELISK- MONUMENTAL PILLAR STOOD IN PAIR FLANKING ENTRANCES - THEY ARE HUGE MONOLITH SQUARE ON PLAN AND TAPERING TO A PYRAMIDICAL SUMMIT WITH A METAL CAPPING.- HEIGHT- 9TO 10 TIMES DIA. OF BASE

The pylon – entrance gateway

11. ORNAMENTATION - GORGE CORNICE - BEAD AND ROLL MOULDING OF STONE ON TOP OF WALLS AND ANGLES HIEROGLYPHICS WERE BOTH INSTRUCTIVE AND ORNAMENTAL CONVENTIONALISED NATURAL OBJECTS- LOTUS,PALM,PAPYRUSALSO SPIRALS , FEATHER DETAILING

DWELLINGS

CRUDE BRICKS 1,2 OR 3 STOREYS IN HEIGHTFLAT OR DOMED ROOF- OF CLAY OR SUNDRIED BRICKSOUTSIDE STEPS WIND UP TO ANOTHER FLOOR

TELL-EL-AMARNA HOUSE -1400BCWITH PORCH INNER COURT, GRANARY,BEDROOM,BATHROOM,GUEST CHAMBERS, KITCHEN, WELL, DOG KENNELCLEARSTOREY LIGHTING

TEMPLES CONSISTS OF :

1. ENTRANCE PYLONS, 2. COURTS AND HYPOSTYLE HALLS OF UNLIMTED SIZE AND NUMEROUS CLOSELY SPACED COLUMNS.3. SACRED POND4. MASSIVE WALL ENCLOSURE(20- 30' THK)5. AVENUE OF SPINXES,OBELISKS6. ORNAMENTAL- - LOTUS BUD ,PAPYRI CAPITAL. - HIEROGLYPHICS COLOURED IN RED,BLUE AND YELLOW - SEMIDARKNESS - LOW RELIEF CARVINGS

TEMPLE OF HORUS , EDFU EGYPT

TEMPLE OF HORUS , EDFU EGYPT

TEMPLE OF HORUS , EDFU EGYPT

TEMPLE OF HORUS , EDFU EGYPT

SPINX

EG:THE GREAT SPINX,CAIRO 3700BC SEMI RECUMBENT LION WITH THE HEAD OF A MAN65' HT. ; 150 ' LONG ; sandstone

1. PYRAMIDS 1. PYRAMIDS 2. MASTABAS2. MASTABAS3. ROCH HEWN TOMBS3. ROCH HEWN TOMBS

TOMBS CONSIDERED AS PERMANENT ABODE

FORM OF THE TOMBS RESIST EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS

MASTABAS

1. RECTANGULAR FLAT ROOFED STRUCTURESWITH SIDES SLOPING 75 DEG TO GL2. IT CONSISTS OF 3 PARTS - OUTER CHAMBER- OFFERINGS TO KA ; has false doors - INNER SECRET CHAMBER “SERDAB” - STATUTE OF DECEASED - CHAMBER CONTAINING SARCOPHAGUS REACHED BY UNDERGROUNG SHAFT3. DERIVED FROM HEAPS OF STONES PILED OVER A DUGOUT FOR THE DEAD.

EG: PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH (3733 -3566 BC)

PYRAMIDS :TOMBS FOR KINGS TO SECURE THE PRESERVATION OF THE BODY MOUNDS OF MASONRY

SENEFRU'S BENTPYRAMID

EG: GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS (KHUFU) -3733BC

482' HT.; 760' SQUARE PLAN; AREA-13 ACRES4 SIDES FACE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS SIDES ARE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLES ; MAKE 52DEG. TO GROUNDIT CONSISTS OF ENTRANCE AT 47' ABOVE GLPASSAGE TO GRAND GALLERY( 7'x 28')TOMB CHAMBER ( 34'X17' AND19' HT)AT THE HEART OF THE PYRAMIDUPPER PART OF TOMBS HAS ELABORATE STONE LAYERING TO WITHSTAND THE MASONRYABOVE STONE PORTCULLIS 50 TONS ,FIT INTO A RECESSTRIPLE SEATH OF GRANITE SARCOPHAGUS, SYCAMORE COFFIN, BITUMINOUS MUMMYCLOTHS LAY THE BODY OF THE DEAD PHARAOH2 AIRSHAFTS 8”X6” LEAD TO OUT FACE OF PYRAMID.QEENS CHAMBER ,SUBTERRANIAN CHAMBER CONNECTED THRU' PASSAGESEXTERIOR- LIMESTONE SLAB CASING

King's chamber

Grand gallery

entrance

Subterranian chamber

airshaft airshaft

Queen's chamber

480'0”

The great temple,Abu SimbleRock hewn temple,Facade- 119' wide and 100' ht65' ht statues of rameses IIVestibule has 8 osiris pillars4 pillared hypostyle hall beyond vestibule(36'x 25')Long narrow chamber andthen the sanctuary Coloured wall relief

QUARRY METHOD

- INSERTION OF WOODEN WEDGES WHICH EXPAND AFTER SOAKING THIS SPLIT THE GRANITES INTO BLOCKSTRANSPORTED THRU' BARGES- ROCKERS USED FOR RAISING STONES- OBELIKS- PLACED BY HAULING IT UP A CAUSEWAY OF EARTH ANDTHEN TILTING IT INTO POSITION