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Egyptian Architecture

            The Funerary Complex and Stepped Pyramid of Zoser were built in about 2750 B. It was designed to be a residence for the afterlife, a replica of the royal palace, and a stage for the enactment of the elaborate rituals and festivals of kingship. The designer of the complex was Imhotep. He originally designed the complex to be a large example of the traditional mastabas. The only difference was that instead of using customary sun baked brick; huge blocks of cut stone were used. Over the years of construction, the mastabas were enlarged several times. An excessively large mastaba became the core of a huge superstructure built over an extended rectangular plan 411 by 358 feet, with five sloping setbacks toward the top, now 204 feet high. The shape of the pyramid represented a staircase to which the pharaoh might ascend to join the sun god Amon-Ra. The original mastaba had now been transformed into a stepped pyramid. Zoser was buried 92 feet underground in his granite!.
             -lined tomb. The rectangular funerary complex measures 1,800 by 900 feet and is surrounded by a large stonewall 33 feet high. The wall does not run in a straight line but follows a breaking pattern of more than 200 evenly spaced projections and recessions, forming sharply defined volumes in the brilliant Egyptian sun. Fourteen of the projections are larger than the others and form bastions. One of these has an actual door and the other thirteen have false doors. These false doors were meant for the deceased pharaoh to pass through on his visits to different realms of his kingdom. After entering through the real door, there is a long entrance hall that features two rows of half columns with plant like forms on top. The shafts of these columns resembled a bundle of reeds like those used in perishable residences and commercial constructions of timber-poor Egypt. One would wonder why all the detail and magnificence for a funerary complex? The Egyptian believed that the so.


Essays Related to Egyptian Architecture

1. Use of columns in Roman and Egyptian Eras

... seem to tell the tale of their culture and their beliefs (which were mainly encompassed with the religious and royal boundary). The type of column used in Egyptian architecture was usually, but not always dictated by its placement within the temple, and therefore most temples actually employed more then one design. Most of the time, "Bud" style columns were ... these themes. In the Graeco-Roman period, column styles became especially varied, and many Egyptian designs were exported to Greece and Roman, where they underwent further evolutionary changes. The open papyrus column and the cl...

  • Word Count: 2970
  • Approx Pages: 12
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Gothic vs. Egyptian Architectu

... new empire where great temples and large courts. The new empire fell and the idea of a strong, continuous rise in Egyptian architecture had almost ceased. The Nile River determined the building materials of the Egyptians. As time progressed and architecture was beginning to have history, technical skills were developing as well as architectural skills. One major discovery was slanted roofs were ... the vault. Vaults were most often used in tombs and cover storage rooms but never did this principle become a way of source. Stone was later introduced, which came late in Egyptian architect...

  • Word Count: 882
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Gothic vs. Egyptian Architecture

... new empire where great temples and large courts. The new empire fell and the idea of a strong, continuous rise in Egyptian architecture had almost ceased. The Nile River determined the building materials of the Egyptians. As time progressed and architecture was beginning to have history, technical skills were developing as well as architectural skills. One major discovery was slanted roofs were ... the vault. Vaults were most often used in tombs and cover storage rooms but never did this principle become a way of source. Stone was later introduced, which came late in Egyptian architect...

  • Word Count: 884
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Egyptian Art And Architecture

... kinds of art and architecture that have been made by different civilizations. Some of this art have been retrieved and put into exhibits in museums to help people further understand these works of art. One civilization that stands out very much is the Egyptian civilization. This civilization has ... this person. For many years, archeologists have been searching throughout the region of Egypt to find and study these works of art and architecture. Because this was an ancient civilization, many archeologists must dig up old ruins or search through pyramids to find different works of art ....

  • Word Count: 1770
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Mayan and Egyptian Pyramids

... able to create such massive structures. Amazingly, by comparing the two civilizations, you will find that these two cultures had very similar materials, architecture and reasons why they built pyramids. Easily, the greatest civilization in Central America was the Maya. They were outstanding in many different ways. ... to finish the outside of buildings, coat floors, make sculptures, and it also helped keep everything in place(Benson 43). As for the architecture of the pyramids, the Mayan architects did not build in right angles as we do today, for they relied heavily on bilateral symmetry...

  • Word Count: 2229
  • Approx Pages: 9
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6. Assessing An Egyptian Regime, Which Harbors Terrorist

... each of the twenty-two Arab states; has become increasingly important. Especially "in countries that possesses a vast number of "extremist- Islamic Militants, as Egypt does. The architecture of U.S. foreign policy, currently, in Egypt, is last in terms of mass public interest. However, since the most recent 911 terrorist attacks, U.S. foreign policies in countries ... U.S. National Defense or Security. Therefore, Egypt poses a threat indirectly; furthermore, an indirect threat is indicative of their current failing state disintegration and a corrupt government. The Egyptian government sy...

  • Word Count: 4300
  • Approx Pages: 17
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7. Early Egyptian Pyramid Design

... For much of the 3,000 years of ancient Egypt, it remained the capital seat of the pharaohs. Pyramids today stand as a reminder of the ancient Egyptian glorification of life after death, and in fact, the pyramids were built as monuments to house the tombs of the pharaohs. Death was seen as merely the ... of tombs of those in high positions in the court of the king can be found surrounding the Pyramids of Giza. When discussing design and architecture of the pyramids, one must look at how the pyramids were built. It seems likely that the Pyramids of Giza were not built by slaves ... begun...

  • Word Count: 2520
  • Approx Pages: 10
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8. Architecture and Contemporary Design Practice

... by working with nature and learning from materials of past centuries, design offers no limits and a more safe, pleasurable environment. Another example of using past concepts is Sir John Soane's architecture which expresses a distinct neoclassic style; "particular elements are continually developed in his work: the spatial potential of walls is explored through multiple layers and recesses," as well as ... admirably designed for contemplation and intimacy, resulting in machine men with machine minds. For decades, design resulted in repetitive box shapes, creating an environment that belon...

  • Word Count: 1820
  • Approx Pages: 7
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  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Pyramid Architecture and Construction

One of the greatest architectural achievements would have to be the construction of pyramids. The prospect of building a pyramid today is now less daunting than back when the Egyptians undertook the challenge. The ingenuity required to accomplish such a feat back then is just astonishing, and there are several resources that give an account of how exactly the Egyptians succeeded. While there are many topics I could have researched about regarding pyramid construction, I chose to research both the history behind pyramids, and the means by which the Egyptians moved the stone blocks in to place, ...

  • Word Count: 777
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