Architecture of the land of the pharaohs. Ancient Egypt. Architecture of the land of the pharaohs Presentation on the theme of the pyramid of the dwelling of eternity of the pharaohs

The architecture of Ancient Egypt still raises many questions in terms of its creation and construction. So what made the architectural features of the Egyptians unique?

Early Egyptian architecture

The history of the development of architecture in Ancient Egypt has a certain structure.
The following periods of architecture of Ancient Egypt are known:

• Early Kingdom;
• Ancient Kingdom;
• Middle Kingdom;
• New Kingdom;
• Later kingdom.

The architectural monuments of the early kingdom have not survived to this day. In those years, the Egyptians used bricks in construction made from clay and river silt, which did not withstand the test of thousands of years.

During the Early Kingdom, the construction of chapels and mastabas began on a large scale.

A mastaba is a tomb of noble people in the form of a truncated pyramid with internal passages and halls. In the prayer chamber there was a statue, which, according to religion, was inhabited by the soul of the deceased.

During the Early Kingdom of Egypt, concave cornices and ornamental friezes began to be used in architecture.

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We also note that the Sphinx was also erected more than 12,000 years ago, as evidenced by the latest scientific research.

Rice. 1. Egyptian Sphinx.

Age of the Pyramids

It is the period of the ancient kingdom that is the embodiment of Egyptian mythology and its unique culture. The idea of ​​building a pyramid instead of a mastaba first arose during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser. Architect Imhotep built a step pyramid measuring 121x109 meters with a height of 62.5 meters.

Its distinctive feature is a deep vertical shaft, covered with a dome on top. According to one version, this mine leads to a city built underground.

The pyramids of Giza are widely known. The tallest of them is the Cheops Pyramid - 140 meters high.

Rice. 2. Pyramid of Cheops.

Its main mystery is that it is not mentioned in the Egyptian papyri, but is in Herodotus. The pyramid has three tombs and many chambers and corridors.

During the Old Kingdom, the construction of solar temples began. Each of them looked like a building on a hill, surrounded by a wall, and an obelisk was installed in the center of the temple. The most famous sun temple is the temple of Nissuser.

Rice. 3. Temple of Nissuser.

The era of the Middle Kingdom witnessed the dominance of individualism. Every Egyptian cared about his afterlife, which led to the construction of small pyramids. During their construction, the emphasis was on the arrangement of the internal space.

Infrastructure is developing in cities. For example, in the founded city of Kahun, wide roads were made and drainage was installed.

It is worth noting the uniqueness of the Egyptian wall paintings with hieroglyphs and various designs.

Architecture of the New and Late Kingdoms

In the 16th century BC. The cult of the god Amun increases. The rectangular Luxor and Karnak temples are built in his honor. Both buildings were connected by an alley, which became the hallmark of the period.

Important: Another building was the temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri, which was carved into the rock and presented in the form of three steps connected by ramp stairs. Its attraction lies in the use of many columns and reliefs dedicated to the life of the queen.

In the Late Kingdom, elements such as hypostyles and pylons gained popularity. The emphasis was on decorative processing.
After the invasion of the army of Alexander the Great into Egypt, a synthesis of two cultures begins to be observed.

What have we learned?

If we talk briefly about the architecture of Ancient Egypt, it is worth noting that it has 4 main features - monumentality, rhythm, geometricity and strict symmetry. This was the greatest culture of antiquity.

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Architecture of the land of the pharaohs

Egyptian art begins its countdown from the 4th millennium BC. (predynastic period) and goes through the following stages of development: Ancient Kingdom (XXXII-XXI centuries BC); Middle Kingdom (XXI-XVI centuries BC); New Kingdom (XVI-XI centuries BC); Late Kingdom (XI-332 BC) Stages of development of Egyptian art

The Ancient Kingdom is called the greatest period in the history of Egyptian civilization. It was at this time that the construction of the famous pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin began in Giza. In the 1st century BC e. The pyramids were named one of the seven wonders of the world. The saying “Everyone is afraid of time, but time is afraid of pyramids” has not yet lost its meaning. Pyramids - “homes of eternity” of the pharaohs

Pyramid of Cheops The Egyptian pyramid of Cheops in Giza is the oldest and at the same time the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day. It received its name from the name of its creator - Pharaoh Cheops (about 2551 - 2528 BC). Because of its enormous size, it is sometimes called the Great Pyramid and is placed first on the list of wonders of the world. Apart from the Great Wall of China, the Cheops Pyramid is the largest structure ever erected by man. Its height was 146.6 m, which approximately corresponds to a fifty-story skyscraper. The base area is 230x230 m. Five of the largest cathedrals in the world could easily fit in such a space at the same time

Scientists have calculated that the Cheops pyramid was composed of 2,300,000 huge blocks of limestone, smoothly polished, and each of these blocks weighed more than two tons. Carefully hewn and polished limestone blocks were so skillfully fitted to one another that it was impossible to insert a knife blade into the gap between two stones. The name of the architect of the pyramid is known - Hemiun. The Pyramid of Cheops

Pyramid of Cheops The sides of the pyramid face the four cardinal directions, the entrance to the tomb is located on the north side, at a height of 16 m above the ground. Somewhere in the middle of one of the sides there was a stone, moving which one could get through a long corridor into the sarcophagus - the “dwelling of eternity” of the pharaoh .

Pyramid of Djoser The first of the Egyptian kings to erect a pyramid over his tomb was Pharaoh Djoser. This oldest pyramid in Egypt consists of six huge steps. The architect of the pyramid, Imhotep, was one of the highest dignitaries of the pharaoh, a scientist, doctor, astronomer and magician.

Pyramid of Khafre It is 8 m lower than the Pyramid of Cheops, but since it stands on a higher place, its top is at the same level. It is less destroyed. The top of the pyramid retains part of the polished cladding.

Pyramid of Khafre Near the pyramid of Khafre, a hill rises from the desert sand. Its height is about 20 m, length is about 60 m. Approaching the hill, travelers see a huge statue carved almost entirely from rock. This is the famous great sphinx - a figure of a reclining lion with the human head of Khafre in a traditional royal scarf.

It barely reaches a height of 66 m. It is surrounded by even smaller satellite pyramids, serving as the burial place of the pharaoh’s wife, his children and immediate relatives. Pyramid of Mikerin

The construction of funeral temples in honor of the gods was also thoroughly thought out. Most notable is the complex architectural complex at Karnak and Luxor, which took several centuries to build. Rock tombs and temples of the Middle and New Kingdoms

The Temple of Amun at Karnak has been well preserved to this day. The largest pillared temple in the world. The Hypostyle of Karnak, which is the greatest columned hall in the world, is 102 m wide and 53 m long. 34 columns 23 meters high in the upper part have a circumference of about 15 m. It consists of more than a hundred rooms, courtyards, alleys, passages, huge statues of gods and pharaohs, sphinxes, obelisks. The ceilings were painted dark blue with yellow stars and flying kites. Two pylons made up the façade of the building.

Temple of Amun-Ra in Luxor The main decoration - the colonnade is 260 meters long. In front of the facade there were two obelisks and 6 huge statues of the pharaoh. One obelisk now adorns the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The temples at Karnak and Luxor are connected by a road guarded by sphinxes.

Valley of the Kings On the left bank of the Nile is the Valley, where there are 40 tombs of the kings and their descendants. Some burials are hundreds of meters deep into the rock. At the beginning of the 11th century. BC e. here the temple of Queen Hatshepsut was carved into the rock.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple consisted of three wide terraces, rising one above the other and connected by gentle ramps. The tomb goes to a depth of 97 m and has a length of 213 m. Architect Senmut.

Abu Simbel - the pearl of Egyptian architecture The last great pharaoh of Egypt, Ramses II, brought glory to the construction of the temple complex in Abu Simbel - 2 temples carved into the rocks, a small and a large one. The big one is dedicated to the god Amon-Ra, the god Ptah, the god Horus and Ramesses himself. Twice a year, on March 21 and September 21, at 5 hours 58 minutes, a ray of sun crosses a line located 65 m from the entrance to the temple and illuminates the left shoulder of Amun-Ra and Ramesses II. After a few minutes, the beam moves and illuminates Harmakis, and after 20 minutes the light disappears. A noteworthy fact is that light never falls on Ptah, the god of darkness.

Lesson topic « Architecture of the land of the pharaohs "(2 hours)

Learning goals and objectives: introduce students to the values ​​of world culture; develop humanitarian culture; increase the level of their artistic development; create conditions for the development of the emotionally sensory sphere, cognitive interest, imaginative thinking and visual memory.

To acquaint students with the artistic culture of the Egyptian people, with their unforgettable architecture.

Study questions:

1. General characteristics of Egyptian culture.

2. Pyramids - “dwellings of eternity” of the pharaohs.

3.Rock tombs and temples of the Middle and New Kingdoms.

4.Abu Simbel - the pearl of Egyptian architecture.

5.Architectural structures of the Late Kingdom.

Basic concepts: Pharaoh, pylons, sphinxes, pyramids, papyrus, colonnade, ramps.

Equipment: Presentation "Architecture of the Land of the Pharaohs",Test"Architecture of Egypt"

During the classes:

1.Homework survey.

Ch. 1 page 18 questions 1-4

2. Studying new material.

Presentation "Architecture of the Land of the Pharaohs"

General characteristics of ancient Egyptian culture.

Since time immemorial, the ancient Egyptian civilization has attracted the attention of mankind. Ancient Egypt, like no other civilization, creates the impression of eternity and rare integrity. The geographical position of the country - a narrow fertile valley of the mighty African Nile River, pressed from the west and east by desert sands - limited the world of the ancient Egyptians. Their civilization existed for thousands of years according to its own laws, rarely being subjected to external invasions that befell other countries and peoples of the Ancient World.

The nature of Egypt - the expanses of sky and earth, the fiery disk of the sun, a huge, slowly flowing river, mountains with flat tops, palm groves, thickets of papyrus and lotus flowers - gave art motifs and forms and served as a source of inspiration.

The existence of Egypt depended on the floods of the Nile, which brought fertile silt to the fields: if they were late, the country was threatened with crop failure and famine. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Egyptians closely monitored river floods. Their observations formed the basis of the ancient Egyptian calendar. In order for the land to produce high yields, it had to be irrigated, and this influenced the development of the art of construction and the exact sciences. In ancient times, in Egypt, papyrus was invented (the material for it was an elastic sheet glued from strips of the core of Nile reed cut into thin layers, also called papyrus), hieroglyphs (sacred writing) and, in fact, books (having the shape of a scroll). Egypt is the birthplace of historical stories, fairy tales, fables, and love lyrics.

The achievements of the Egyptians in the field of mathematics and astronomy were great: they determined the area of ​​a circle and the surface of a hemisphere, calculated the volume of a truncated pyramid, compiled a solar calendar and zodiac signs, and divided the day into twenty-four hours.

Student report: “Papyrus”

The ancient Egyptians considered God to be the creator of writing. Thoth. As the god of the Moon, Thoth was the viceroy of Ra; as the god of time, he divided time into days and months, kept records and wrote chronicles; as the god of wisdom, he created writing and numeracy, which he taught to people. He is the author of sacred books, the patron of scientists, scribes, archives, and libraries. Thoth was usually depicted as a man with the head of an ibis.

The basis of ancient Egyptian writing was hieroglyphs (from the Greek “hieros” - “sacred” and “glyph” - “carved”) - drawings of icons, each of which corresponded to a word or concept. Hieroglyphic inscriptions included both paintings and reliefs. However, the main writing material was made from papyrus, a tropical aquatic plant similar to reeds. From the cut stems of papyrus, the core was isolated, dissected into thin long strips, laid out in two layers - lengthwise and crosswise, moistened with Nile water, leveled, compacted with blows of a wooden hammer and polished with an ivory tool. When folded, the resulting sheet did not wrinkle at the folds and, when unfolded, became smooth again. The sheets were combined into scrolls up to forty meters long. They were written on them from right to left with a thin reed stick. A new paragraph was started with red paint (hence the expression “red line”), and the rest of the text was black.

In the era of the New Kingdom, color drawings appeared on the scrolls, as, for example, in the “Book of the Dead”. The artist depicted the paradise of the afterlife of Iar - these are fertile fields; boats float along the deep canals; date and coconut palms line the banks; and cereals grow taller than human height.

The French Egyptologist Jean Francois Champollion () managed to decipher the ancient Egyptian writing, which had kept its secrets for a long time, in 1822. He was helped in this by the inscription on the Rosetta Stone (named after the place of discovery near the city of Rosetta in the Nile Delta), made around 186 BC. e. by the Egyptian king Ptolemy V in three languages, including Greek.

The entire history of Egypt can be divided into two periods: prehistoric (predynastic) and historical. There is an even more detailed division: 1) predynastic period (IV millennium BC);
2) Ancient Kingdom (XXXII-XXIV centuries BC);
3) Middle Kingdom (XXI – early XIX centuries BC);
4) New Kingdom (XVI-XII centuries BC);
5) Late time (XI century BC - 332 BC).

Student messages:

Prehistoric period begins in the 5th or 6th millennium BC. e. The population then lived the same way as now, along the banks of the Nile. Already in the 4th millennium BC. e. The Egyptians built canals with the help of which, during the flood period (June - September), they delivered Nile water containing fertile silt to the nearest fields. Notes on the state of water in different periods probably gave the first impetus to the emergence of writing; the construction of canals marked the beginning of geometry. Archaeological finds of the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. e. talk about the use of metals, mainly copper, the significant development of crafts and trade, including with the countries of Western Asia, and a surprisingly high level of metalworking skill. Burials from this period provide material that speaks about the formation of religious ideas and the process of property stratification. According to Manetho, the history of Egypt began with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by King Mena (Menes).

Old Kingdom period, existed in 2700 - 2270 BC. e., includes from the III to VI dynasties of the “builders of the pyramids”. The first king of the Old Kingdom and at the same time the first builder of the pyramid was Djoser. His pyramid at Saqqara is the oldest monumental structure made of stone. The second was the unfinished pyramid of his son Sekhemkhet. The largest pyramids were built by the kings of the IV dynasty: Snofru, Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure. These pyramids are usually called by the Greek names of the kings who built them: the pyramids of Snofru, Cheops, Khafre, Mikerin. During the reign of Khafre's successor, one of the first recorded uprisings of the popular masses broke out in history; its cause was the unbearable oppression experienced by the Egyptian people, who worked until exhaustion to build the pyramids. During the reign of the kings of the Old Kingdom, Egypt turned into a centralized slave state, the main support of which was a powerful army, bureaucracy and priests; The economic basis was agriculture with a developed irrigation system. The wealth of the rulers increased through predatory wars. At the same time, the five-hundred-year period of the Old Kingdom was a time of cultural flourishing; hieroglyphic writing reached the last stage of its development, and along with the construction of the pyramids, fine art - sculpture and tomb painting - developed widely.

First interregnum(2270 - 2070 BC) is characterized by the weakening of central power and the gradual disintegration of Egypt into nomes. The fragmented state did not have the strength to organize wars of conquest necessary to acquire the slaves needed in the economy; the irrigation system fell into disrepair. Egypt was on the decline. Chaos reigned in the country, and more than forty unremarkable rulers replaced different thrones in the nomes. Few of the rulers managed to maintain order.

Middle Kingdom(2070 - 1790 BC) includes the XI - XII dynasties. Egypt turns into a “blooming green garden”, metallurgy is improved, jewelry art reaches a high level, pyramids begin to be built again, but of a much smaller size and predominantly not from stone, but from unfired brick with stone cladding. The famous buildings of that time include the mortuary temple - the pyramid of Mentuhotep in Deir el-Bahri and the pyramids in Lisht, Dashur, Illahun. The city of Hotep-Senusret in the Fayum oasis, which arose thanks to the construction of irrigation canals in the desert, was also beautifully built.

Second interregnum(c. 1790 - c. 1580 BC) begins with large popular uprisings. The rural poor become their driving force, and they are joined by the middle strata of the urban population. At this time, nomadic tribes from Asia penetrated into the fragmented country, and the rulers on the throne of Egypt often changed. During the XV Dynasty, the Hyksos invaded Egypt and completely subjugated it. New uprisings begin, this time against foreign power. In the end, the Theban ruler, Pharaoh Ahmose I, wins, and he becomes the founder of a new, XVIII dynasty.

New kingdom(c. 1580 - c. 1090 BC) includes the XVIII - XX dynasties and is the period of greatest political, cultural and economic prosperity of Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II continued the traditional policy of conquest and subjugation of foreign lands. Under Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, a radical reform of religion was carried out: he replaced the traditional worship of many gods with the worship of one sun god - Aten, and he himself changed his name to Akhenaten - Pleasant to Aten. The political goal of this reform was to weaken the power of the priests and strengthen a strong, centralized state. Akhenaten never saw the results of his reform. Under his young successor Tutankhamun, the old religion was restored and Akhenaten's capital Akhetaten (Horizon of Aten) was destroyed. During the time of Ramses II, the power of the Egyptian state and the power of the pharaohs reached their peak. The colossal temples in Abu Simbel, Karnak and Luxor are evidence of the glory of Ramesses... Enormous construction and incessant wars exhausted the country. After the death of Ramesses, chaos ensues in the country.

Later kingdom(approximately 1090 - 332 BC) begins with the XXI dynasty. The most famous is Pharaoh Shoshenq I, who conquered Jerusalem and captured the Temple of King Solomon. After his death, the situation in the country worsened, and Egypt fell under the rule of the Nubians, whose king Shabaka founded the XXV dynasty. These were rulers brought up in Egyptian culture, they ruled according to Egyptian traditions, and the situation in the country improved. Meanwhile, in the East the power of the Persian kingdom is growing, striving for “world domination.” Egypt no longer has the strength to respond to the Persians. In 525 BC. e. The Persian king Cambyses invades Egypt and overthrows the last ruler of the last Egyptian dynasty, Psammetichus III, from the throne. For almost 200 years, Egypt was under Persian rule. At times he again achieved a certain independence, but no longer achieved his former glory and power.

Development of architecture in the land of the pharaohs.

All residents submitted to the unlimited power of the pharaoh. In Ancient Egypt, art was in the service of the pharaoh, expressing the idea of ​​​​the inviolability of the power of the ruler deified during his lifetime, which is especially clearly demonstrated by architecture, the leading art form for this country. Sculpture and painting were subordinated to architecture. Ancient Egypt was very rich in stone of various types, and wood, as an imported material, was very expensive. It is no coincidence that Egypt gave the world amazing examples of stone sculpture and architecture. Many classical architectural forms (pyramids, obelisk, column) appeared for the first time in the art of Ancient Egypt.

The pyramids are amazing artificial mountains - the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings. This is the greatest miracle of Egypt, which amazed people in ancient times. They seem to grow out of the desert sands - colossal, majestic, overwhelming a person with their extraordinary size and severity of outline. Standing at the foot of the pyramid, it is difficult to imagine that these huge stone mountains were created by human hands. Meanwhile, they were actually built from individual stone blocks, just as children today build pyramids from cubes. Thousands of hands of slaves and Egyptians subject to the pharaoh were busy with hard and useless labor - the creation of a huge stone mountain, which was supposed to hide the dead body of the Egyptian king in its depths.

By creating an eternal tomb, the pharaoh provided his immortal spirit with an eternal home.

There are about seventy pyramids in total, and maybe about eighty. At first there were more of them, some were swallowed up by the all-consuming time, others fell victim to the sand drifts of the desert. The concept of “pyramid” is well known to everyone from the school stereometry course. This word is sometimes interpreted as a derivative of the Greek “pir”, which means “fire” (the fire burns so that the flame looks like a pointed pyramid); sometimes derived from the word “pira”, which means “burial boundary” or, in other words, “grave”.

Not all pyramids have the correct geometric shape. The most ancient form is the step pyramid at Saqqara, which was ordered to be erected by Pharaoh Djoser. Its dimensions are very impressive: the base is a rectangle with sides 125 X 115 meters, a height of about 60 meters. Its age, according to archaeologists, is from 4600 to 4800 years.

In Dashur there is a pyramid with broken contours of the walls, the so-called rhomboidal. It looks like the builders finished it in a hurry, essentially without finishing it. And this is where all the variety of pyramids ends.

But those pyramids that belong to the wonders of the world are regular tetrahedral pyramids with square bases, and they are all similar to each other, like two peas in a pod.

The first Egyptian king to erect a pyramid over his tomb was Pharaoh Djoser. This oldest pyramid in Egypt consists of six huge steps. The pyramid of Djoser was essentially six such mastabas, placed one on top of the other, decreasing towards the top. The creation of the world's first stone structure of such significant size (height about 60 m) is attributed to Imhotep, a remarkable medical scientist, mathematician and architect, former vizier of King Djoser. Imhotep's fame was so great that within a few centuries his name was surrounded by legends. From later times, figurines depicting this remarkable architect have been preserved. Apparently, Pharaoh Djoser himself was so pleased with the unprecedented tomb built by Imhotep that he allowed the architect’s name to be carved on the base of his statue - an honor completely unheard of in ancient Egypt. During excavations of the mortuary temple, located near the pyramid of Djoser, scientists found fragments of several statues of the pharaoh and among them a pedestal on which the name of Imhotep was written.

Excavations near the pyramid of Djoser discovered an entire “city of the dead” surrounding the tomb of the pharaoh. Mastabas were built around - tombs of members of the royal family and nobles close to the pharaoh. There was also a mortuary temple here, where sacrifices were made in honor of the deceased pharaoh. During excavations of the temple, archaeologists discovered a hall decorated with the oldest columns in the world. True, these were not yet ordinary round columns, they only protruded half from the walls, but Imhotep, long before the Greek architects, created the prototype of a strict and slender Dorian colonnade.

The mortuary temple and the pyramid were surrounded by a wall of white limestone and, according to the architect’s plan, formed a single architectural ensemble.

The largest in size is the Cheops pyramid. It is almost a hundred years younger than the pyramid of Djoser, but surpasses it in everything else. This huge pyramid has stood for almost five thousand years. Its height reached 147 m (now, due to the collapse of the top, its height is 137 m), and each side is 233 m long. In order to go around the Cheops pyramid, you need to walk about a kilometer. Until the end of the 19th century. The Cheops pyramid was the tallest structure on earth. Its enormous size amazed everyone who was in Egypt. It is not for nothing that the first Russian travelers who came to Egypt called the pyramids “man-made mountains.”

Scientists have calculated that the pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) was composed of 2,300,000 huge blocks of limestone, smoothly polished, and each of these blocks weighed more than two tons. Carefully hewn and polished limestone blocks were so skillfully fitted to one another that it was impossible to insert a knife blade into the gap between two stones. The total volume is about 2,525,000 cubic meters. The pyramid covers an area of ​​square meters, that is, 5.4 hectares. Smaller than it are Buckingham Palace in London, Versailles in France, and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The Pyramid of Cheops is taller than Michelangelo's dome above Rome's St. Peter's Basilica, the tallest Christian church. Taller than London's St. Paul's Cathedral, Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral. If the pyramid were hollow, it would include the entire platform with the launch tower for the space rocket. About 2 stone blocks with an approximate volume of over 1 cubic meter and a weight of 2.5 tons each were used for the construction of the Great Pyramid.

The second largest after the tomb of Khufu (Cheops) is considered to be the pyramid of Pharaoh Khafre (Khefre). It is 8 m lower, but less destroyed. The top of the pyramid retains part of the polished cladding. The remaining pyramids are much smaller, and many of them are badly damaged.

Near the pyramid of Khafre, a hill rises from the desert sand. Its height is about 20 m, length is about 60 m. Approaching the hill, travelers see a huge statue carved almost entirely from rock. This is the famous Great Sphinx - a figure of a reclining lion with a human head. His face was cracked, his nose and chin were broken off. So the Muslim Arabs mutilated the statue, which had stood for thousands of years. The Arabs believed that evil spirits lived in the statues of ancient Egyptian gods, and therefore tried to destroy as many of their images as possible. They were unable to cope with such a giant as the Great Sphinx, but they disfigured him thoroughly.

“Father of Terror” is what the desert inhabitants call the Great Sphinx. He inspires them with the greatest fear at night, illuminated by the bright moon, when deep shadows give his features special expressiveness.

Who does this colossal statue represent, and why did it end up in such close proximity to the pyramids? On the head of the statue is a bandage that was worn only by pharaohs. Scientists believe that this is a statue of Pharaoh Khafre, which was part of a number of structures associated with the tomb of the pharaoh.

In ancient Egypt, not every mortal had the right to approach the pyramid - this “eternal horizon”, beyond which the pharaoh “went” (they did not say about the pharaoh that he died - he “went” beyond the horizon, like the sun; Egyptian kings called themselves sons sun). In order for those who wished to be able to honor the memory of the deceased pharaoh without offending his greatness, a funeral temple was erected at some distance from the pyramid - something like a reception hall for the deceased king. Massive rectangular pillars of polished granite supported the ceiling. The granite walls and floor of the building were carefully polished.

The light fell from small holes punched in the upper part of the walls, and created a solemn twilight, in which the dark statues of the pharaoh - the ruler receiving respectful guests - seemed especially majestic. A long covered corridor led from this ceremonial hall to the pyramid. Its walls and floor were also made of polished granite. Along this corridor, the body of the pharaoh was taken to the pyramid in a heavy sarcophagus made of valuable stone.

In order to preserve the king’s body, which was the abode of his soul (the Egyptians called it Ka), from decay, he was embalmed. A detailed account of the embalming process was preserved for us by the ancient Greek writer Diodorus, who lived in the 1st century. n. e. Herodotus also talks about embalming the dead. The deceased was brought into the room for embalming. The corpse was laid on the floor and a person approached it, who was called the sign scribe. On the left side of the body, he marked with a line the place where the incision was to be made. Then another person approached and made a cut on the corpse with an Ethiopian stone, after which he fled, since, according to custom, everyone present threw stones at him with curses. These curses constituted an ancient religious ritual associated with mutilation of the deceased. After this, the embalmers directly began to work on the body. One was using iron hooks through his nostrils to remove part of the brain from the skull. The remaining brain was dissolved by injecting various strong drugs. The entrails were removed through a wound in the side and washed with palm wine and fragrant essences. Then they were wrapped in thin linen cloth and placed in special canopic vessels made of clay, alabaster or porphyry. The canopic lids were made in the shape of various heads. The stomach and intestines were placed in a canopic jar with a lid depicting a human head, the lungs and heart lay in a canopic jar with a jackal’s head, and a vessel with a falcon’s head was intended for the liver. At this time, the body of the deceased was first rubbed with cedar oil and washed inside with palm wine. Then they put it in a special alkaline solution for 40 days. Then they were washed again with wine and soaked in various aromatic resins that protected them from rotting. Having filled the inside of the body with aromatic substances, the incision was stitched up and the embalmed corpse was handed over to special dressers who decorated it. Often the fingernails and toenails were gilded, and eyes made of crystal or ivory were inserted. Rings were put on the fingers and toes. Having dressed the deceased in this way, the dressers covered the entire body with a layer of glue and began to wrap it in thin linen bandages. They carefully wrapped the fingers and toes and the entire body several times, so that the length of these bandages was several hundred meters. In this way, a mummy was prepared - an imperishable abode for the spirit of Ka, which was supposed to live forever.

Next to the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre is the pyramid of Mikeren, the grandson of Cheops. Its height is 66 m, and the length of each side is 108 m. A considerable part of the material from this pyramid was used to make the Cairo Citadel, so it was preserved worse than others.

These three pyramids were erected in Giza - this is the modern name of the large Cairo necropolis, which occupied approximately 2000 square meters. m.

Rock tombs and temples of the Middle and New Kingdoms.

In addition to the pyramids, mortuary temples were built in ancient Egypt in honor of the gods. The most common were temple-sanctuaries in honor of the especially revered god Amon-Ra. Most notable is the complex architectural complex at Karnak and Luxor, which was built on both sides of the Nile near the city of Thebes. This grandiose ensemble was built over several centuries.

The main sanctuary of the monumental ensemble at Karnak is the ancient Temple of Amun. This is the largest pillared temple in the world. It could accommodate the famous Parisian Notre Dame Cathedral. It consists of more than a hundred vast rooms, huge courtyards, countless alleys, passages, colossal statues of gods and pharaohs, sphinxes, and obelisks. The road leading from the Nile to the main entrance to the temple was guarded by sphinxes. Two pylons - trapezoid-shaped towers with tall obelisks - made up the façade of the building.

The temple of Amun-Ra in Luxor is magnificent and grandiose, the main decoration of which was a 260-meter long colonnade. In front of its facade stood two obelisks and six huge statues of the pharaoh.

The temples of Amun-Ra in Karnak and Luxor are connected by a road guarded by sphinxes.

On the left bank of the Nile lies the Valley of the Kings, where forty tombs of kings and their descendants are located.

At the beginning of the 15th century. BC e. here the temple of Queen Hatshepsut was carved into the rock. The temple consisted of three wide terraces, rising one above the other and connected by gentle ramps. The tomb of Hatshepsut goes to a depth of 97 m and has a length of 213 m.

Abu Simbel is the pearl of Egyptian architecture.

The last great pharaoh of Egypt, Ramses II, brought true glory and immortality with the construction of the temple complex in Abu Simbel. The large temple is dedicated to the god Amun-Ra, the god Ptah, the god Horus in the form of a falcon and Ramesses himself. The small temple is dedicated to Ramesses' wife Nefertari and the sky goddess Hathor, who was depicted as a woman with the head of a cow.

Architectural structures of the Late Kingdom.

A new element of temple complexes during the Late Kingdom were sanctuaries dedicated to the cult of the god Horus, considered the first pharaoh of Egypt, and his mother Isis. The temple of the god Horus in Edfu is the best preserved. In terms of size, it is second only to the Karnak Temple. This beautiful structure of magnificent proportions and forms on the left bank of the Nile took 180 years to build. Its length is 137 m, and the height of the pylon is 36 m. The entrance is guarded by two majestic statues of the god Horus in the form of a falcon made of black granite.

Egyptian architecture took 3,000 years to develop, and it still excites people with its grandeur, scale and mystery.

3. Taking a test on the material studied.

4. Homework: Chapter 2 p. 27 question. 1-4

5. Lesson summary.

The economy and culture of Ancient Egypt arose on a narrow strip (15 - 20 km) of the fertile Nile Valley, compressed by the Libyan and Arabian deserts.

The most ancient monuments of Egyptian architecture are concentrated in the river delta.

In the fertile, very long and narrow Nile Valley, surrounded on both sides by desert, a civilization developed that was one of the most significant and distinctive cultures of the ancient world. The history of Ancient Egypt spans several millennia - from the end of the 5th millennium BC. e. until the 4th century n. e. Over such a significant period of time, a huge number of magnificent buildings, sculptures, paintings, and decorative arts were created in Ancient Egypt. Many of them remain unsurpassed examples of the highest craftsmanship and creative inspiration.

At the head of the state that united the possessions of the Middle and Lower Nile and at the end of the 4th millennium BC. e., there was a king (who later received the title of pharaoh), considered the son of the sun god and the heir of the god of the underworld Osiris.

Independently of each other, the tribes of Lower and Upper Egypt create the foundations of a unique architecture. Its development is sometimes divided into several large time periods.

It is assumed that in prehistoric period(before 3200 BC) fortified settlements with residential buildings were built from non-durable materials and funerary architectural structures were erected.

IN Old Kingdom period, approximately 2700-2200. BC e., the construction of monumental temple structures begins.

IN Middle Kingdom period(2200-1500 BC), when the capital was the city of Thebes, semi-cave temples appeared.

IN New Kingdom period(1500-1100 BC) outstanding temple structures are created in Karnak and Luxor. Late

During this period, foreign elements began to penetrate into the architecture of Egypt.

Time frames of historical periods

• OK. 10,000 – 5,000 BC The first villages on the banks of the Nile; formation of 2 kingdoms - Upper and Lower Egypt
• OK. 2630 BC The 1st step pyramid was built
• OK. 2575 BC During the era of the Old Kingdom, bronze replaced copper; the pyramids are being built at Giza; mummification of the dead begins
• OK. 2134 BC Civil strife destroys the Old Kingdom
• OK. 2040 BC Beginning of the Middle Kingdom; The nobles of Thebes unite the country; conquest of Nubia
• OK. 1700 BC End of the Middle Kingdom
• 1550 BC Beginning of the New Kingdom; standing army
• 1400 BC Egypt reaches the pinnacle of power
• 1070 BC Beginning of decline
• 332 BC Conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great
• 51 BC Beginning of Cleopatra's reign
• 30 BC Egypt becomes a Roman province

The main building material in Egypt is stone. The Egyptians were masters of its extraction and processing. They carved tall, slender blocks of stone in the form of obelisks, which were symbols of the sun - the great Ra, as well as huge pillars and columns the height of a three- and five-story house. Individual carefully hewn stone blocks were fitted to each other perfectly, dry, without mortar.

The weight of the heavy floor beams was carried by walls, pylons and columns. The Egyptians did not use vaults, although they knew this design. Stone floor slabs were laid on the beams. The supports were very diverse; sometimes these are monolithic stone pillars of a simple square section, in other cases - columns consisting of a base, a trunk and a capital. Simple trunks had a square cross-section, more complex ones were polyhedrons and often depicted bundles of papyrus stems. The trunks sometimes had flutes (vertical grooves).

Egyptian architecture was characterized by the peculiar shape of the capitals, depicting a papyrus flower, lotus or palm leaves. In some cases, the image of the head of the fertility goddess Hathor was carved onto the capitals.

The religious views of the ancient Egyptians, which mixed the veneration of local deities, the cult of Osiris and Isis, as well as the sun god Amun, deserve special attention - they determined the social and state life of the country: the vast majority of the architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt were buildings for religious purposes: temples and funeral complexes.

Palaces of Egypt

The palaces of the pharaohs and nobles in Ancient Egypt were built mainly from clay bricks dried in the sun. Unlike temples, which were built of stone for centuries, where the gods were worshiped constantly and at all times, each of the pharaohs built himself a new palace after ascending the throne. Abandoned buildings quickly deteriorated and collapsed, and therefore, as a rule, not even ruins remained of the palaces of the pharaohs. At best, on the site of magnificent palaces you can find the remains of walls and broken tiles.

It is believed that the appearance of the pharaoh's palace and its facade repeated the forms of architecture of the ancient royal tombs of that time. The tomb was considered the home of the deceased in his afterlife, it is logical to assume that it was similar to his home in this life. Based on this assumption, the palace wall could be divided by ledges with figured battlements on top. The few surviving images of the pharaohs' palaces indicate that the walls of the palace were decorated with bas-reliefs and ornaments.

We can see the palace facade on the famous pallet of Pharaoh Narmer; victories, the name and title of the pharaoh are depicted against its background. From this image we learn that the territory of the palace, shaped like a quadrangle, was surrounded by a fortress wall with towers. The line of the building's foundation is also marked on the pallet. A similar palace facade is depicted on the tombstone of Pharaoh Jet: on the rectangular field of the wall, three high towers stand out, decorated with three vertical features-blades. Between the towers you can see two recesses that look like gates.

Huge sarcophagi made of basalt or limestone tell us especially clearly about the palace architecture of the ancient Egyptians. Their carvings on each of the four sides depict the facades of the royal palace.

Reconstruction of the palace

Reconstruction of the palace

Reconstruction of the palace

Luxury in the Pharaoh's Palace

Pharaoh's Palace

pharaoh's palace

Temples of Egypt

The Temple of Thoth in Luxor is a historical monument of Egypt.

The shrine was built between 1925 and 1895 BC. The main building material is stone.

The ancient Egyptian Thoth was the god of wisdom and education, so huge statues of him were installed at the foot of the temple.

During the excavations, 4 bronze chests were also found at the base of the temple, the height of which is 20.5 centimeters, the width is 45 centimeters, and the length is 28.5 centimeters. They contained many silver balls, mostly crumpled, gold chains and molds, lapis lazuli - unprocessed or in the form of cylinder seals.

Ruins of the Temple of Osiris

The temple is located in the legendary Valley of the Kings. Unfortunately, only ruins remain of the once great temple, but they are literally saturated with the history of Ancient Egypt. It was built quite a long time ago and is of historical value. It was built by Pharaoh Seti I, who reigned from 1294. Before 1279 BC.

The building itself is very complex in its design and has a very large number of rooms. Seti I did not complete the construction of the temple; this difficult task was completed by his son Ramesses II. The structure is quite complex, but interesting. There were two halls, each of them was decorated with many columns. In the first hall there were 24 of them, and in the second - 36. The second hall was the most mysterious: passages were made from it to seven sanctuaries. Each sanctuary was dedicated to one of the seven gods (Osiris, Isid, Horus, Amon, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and Ra). At the end, Seti I himself was deified. The chapels contained a statue of the god, a sacred boat and a false door. The spirit of the deity entered through this door.

Behind the temple itself is a building called the Osireion. On its walls you can see carved texts from the Necronomicon, the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Scientists are still studying the territory of the Temple of Osiris and conducting excavations on it.

Merenptah Temple

The mortuary temple of Merneptah is located in the Valley of the Kings and is practically destroyed. Once upon a time there was a whole complex here, thought out to the smallest detail, but now only statues remain.

Previously, a gate led into the first courtyard of the structure, opening a view of the colonnades - six columns on each side. The left side of the courtyard of the complex was the facade of the king's brick palace. And the giant Israel Stele, which once stood in front of the second pylon, was built in honor of Merenptah, indicating his military prowess.

This pylon was followed by a second courtyard, in which a bust of Merneptah from a collapsed statue was discovered. A passage led from the courtyard into the halls. The temple ended with 3 sanctuaries with rooms for sacrifices and sacred objects. Once upon a time, the entire temple complex was decorated with tiles and gold, and was surrounded by a huge brick wall, but now practically nothing remains of the former buildings.

Montu Temple

Temple of Montu - Egyptian temple dedicated to the god of war Montu.

This shrine was built during the Old Kingdom. The temple was located in the ancient city of Medamud. This city was excavated in 1925 by French archaeologist Fernando Bisson de la Roque. During the excavations, numerous structures were discovered, as well as a temple.

Only columns and fragments of walls have survived to this day. The temple was built of brick and stone. The structure of the temple is as follows: platform, stands, canal, dromos, main gate, portico, hall and sanctuary. There was also a courtyard for a live sacred bull. The god Montu was associated with the raging bull, so the bull was a revered animal. Montu himself was also depicted with the head of a bull. A similar statue and figurines of bulls were found during excavations of the temple.

Temple of Isis at Philae

The famous sanctuary of Isis, which existed until the disappearance of the ancient Egyptian civilization, is located on the island of Philae, near Aswan. Isis (Isis) is one of the greatest goddesses of antiquity, who became a model for understanding the Egyptian ideal of femininity and motherhood. She was revered as the sister and wife of Osiris, the mother of Horus, and, accordingly, the Egyptian kings, who were originally considered the earthly incarnations of Osiris. The cult of Isis and the mysteries associated with it became widespread in the Greco-Roman world, comparable to Christianity.

Now the temple of Isis is located on the island of Agilika. During the construction of the Aswan Reservoir in 1960, UNESCO took the initiative to move the temple upstream of the Nile. The temple was cut, dismantled, and then the stone blocks were transported and reassembled on the island of Agilika, located 500 meters upstream. All this was surrounded by such broad PR activities, such as: the Russians are destroying nature and monuments of ancient culture with their dams and reservoirs, and we, the enlightened Western world, are saving churches from flooding. It was only kept silent that this temple suffered the main damage after the construction of the English dam at the beginning of the century, and the Aswan Dam, built with the help of the USSR, in turn, became an object of important social significance and maintaining the energy balance in the region, without which the modern Egyptian economy simply did not exist would.

Undoubtedly, one of the most developed civilizations of the past is Ancient Egypt. It was formed starting from the 5th century BC. up to the 4th century AD. During this huge period of time, the Egyptians created many great masterpieces of architecture, sculpture and painting. Some of them are still considered examples of a high level of craftsmanship that cannot be surpassed.

Architecture in Ancient Egypt

The climatic features of Egypt determined the main building materials with which residential buildings and monumental structures were erected. The Egyptians used raw bricks made from straw and mud to build housing, but stone was used to build temples and tombs. The history of the development of ancient Egyptian architecture is usually divided into six main periods:

• Predynastic period (before 3200 BC)
• Early Kingdom (3200-2700 BC)
• Ancient Kingdom (2700-2200 BC)
• Middle Kingdom (2200-1500 BC)
• New Kingdom (1500-1100 BC)
• Late period (1100-400 BC)

Architecture of the Ancient Kingdom of Egypt

The period of the Old Kingdom is particularly outstanding in the history of ancient Egyptian architecture. It was from this time that the construction of grandiose religious buildings of the ancient Egyptians began: pyramid-tombs for the pharaohs, (tombstones of nobles) and temples with columns. The skill of creating relief also develops. The most legendary surviving monuments of this era are the pyramid complex at Giza.

Architecture of Ancient Egypt: pyramids

For the Egyptians, the afterlife and preparation for it were important; for well-being after death, it was necessary to follow certain rituals and rules. For “eternal” existence, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs, it is necessary to preserve the body of the deceased and build a house for it. For a noble person they built a mastaba, for an ordinary person - when they were still alive, colossal tombs were erected with a system of secret underground passages - pyramids. They contained a sarcophagus with a mummified king and all the necessary things and valuables for “eternal” existence. Most of the pyramids were built using the golden ratio proportion, which indicates the professionalism and considerable knowledge of Egyptian architects.

Artistic art in the architecture of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian masters were among the first to begin using reliefs, mosaics and paintings to decorate buildings in architecture. The art of painting in Ancient Egypt followed strict laws. On the outside of the buildings, the pharaoh was depicted on the walls. The interior of the premises was usually decorated with images of cult scenes. had its own specific style. For example, the poses of people's bodies were unusual, even unnatural: the head and legs were drawn in profile, and other parts of the body were drawn from the front. Men were drawn much darker than women.

Architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt

Another legendary monument is the Pyramids of Giza, near Cairo. These include the largest tomb - the pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), approximately 150 meters high, one side of its base is 233 meters.
The most famous architectural monument of Ancient Egypt is the step pyramid of Djoser, created around 2650 BC. It is considered one of the most ancient pyramids, its height is 62 meters.
The temples are a huge complex of structures and sculptures. This masterpiece of ancient Egyptian architecture attracts a lot of tourists with its grandeur and mystery.
The Valley of the Kings is a popular attraction in Egypt, located near Luxor. The impressive architectural and sculptural forms amaze the imagination. Here are numerous burial places of the pharaohs of the Middle and New Kingdoms, including. The seated statues of Memnon in the Valley of the Kings make a stunning impression on viewers.
And, of course, it is impossible not to remember the main symbol and historical monument of Egypt - the majestic Sphinx. Its length is about 70 meters, and its height is about 20 meters. Was created in 2500 BC. The lion man proudly towers over tourists, as if guarding the secrets of ancient kings.