Sunday 19 May 2013

Egyptian Architecture


Probably the world's best architectural achievement even though they were built many centuries ago, the Pyramids are world wide famous structures used to hold within them the deceased kings. These structures can be as tall as 147m high. The first pyramid was built for the king Zoser in Saqqara, and it was called a step pyramid because as the name implies  it had a step-like shape. The pyramids that where later built were smooth sided.

 The Step Pyramid at Saqqara in Egypt.


Before the pyramid, the kings used to be buried in tombs. The tomb also featured a false door which was accommodated by highly decorated walls of the funerary chapel. This was a symbol which meant the linking of the dead with those who were alive. There used to also be a carved image of the pharaoh buried of the tomb. The halls led to many smaller rooms that housed the deceased pharaoh's furniture, offerings, victuals and sacred text and this was done because the Egyptians believed that once the pharaoh crosses over, he would need these riches. 
The Tomb of Sennefer on the West Bank at Luxor.

Stone figures can also be seen throughout Egypt. These figures had various shapes which represented figures like a king, a tiger, an eagle or even a mixture of both. The best known stone figure is probably the Sphinx  which is a creature with the body of a lion and a head of a king wearing a striped head cloth.

Stone Figures




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The Great Pyramid of Giza | OpenBuildings. 2013. The Great Pyramid of Giza | OpenBuildings. [ONLINE] Available at: http://openbuildings.com/buildings/the-great-pyramid-of-giza-profile-1161. [Accessed 19 May 2013].

Egyptian Stories (Myth-Folklore Online). 2013. Egyptian Stories (Myth-Folklore Online). [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.mythfolklore.net/3043mythfolklore/reading/egypt/images/tomb.htm. [Accessed 19 May 2013].

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