Ancient Egyptian Architecture: Tombs and Temples

Egyptian Architecture: Tombs and Temples

The mastaba tomb is a rectangular and trapezoidal structure. It comprises four parts: a well descending to the burial chamber where the deceased's coffin was placed; a single-story chapel for offerings of bread, beer, and incense; and a false door carved into the east wall, allowing the owner's soul free passage. This simulated door was decorated with a portrait of the owner and an inscription of their titles.

Pyramids were used to ascend to heaven and meet with the gods. They had three classes: staggered, layered, and ultimately regular.

During the New Kingdom (1554-1080 BC), pyramids were replaced by the hypogeum, a set of burial chambers hewn into rock. The relocation of the capital from Memphis to Thebes enabled the establishment of a triple necropolis in the Valley of the Kings, Queens, and Nobles.

The first pyramid was built by Pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty (2668-2649 BC). His architect, Imhotep, constructed it in the desert area of Sakkara. It is superimposed on a staggered base.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops

The Great Pyramid of Cheops features external and internal elements characteristic of these structures. The architectural and ceremonial complex begins at the valley temple, situated near the Nile. Here, the Pharaoh's mummy was received upon arrival by boat. During pyramid construction, it served as a dock for unloading granite and limestone blocks from the Aswan and Tura quarries. The funeral procession then followed the same roadway used for transporting materials to the pyramid's base. Finally, on the pyramid's eastern face, the mortuary temple stands. Built on the site of former workshops, this chamber dispensed ritual offerings and facilitated the permanent worship of the glorified king.

Three plan changes occurred during the Great Pyramid's construction: Initially, Pharaoh was intended to be buried underground. A second chamber was created at the mezzanine level of the pyramid. A third room was reserved for the queen, and the great gallery, leading to Cheops' tomb, was built in the heart of the tomb.

Temple Complex Features

The temple complex includes an avenue of sphinxes leading to the entrance, flanked by pylons – massive towers where banners waved. In front stood an obelisk and colossal statues of the Pharaoh. Within the sacred enclosure, the longitudinal axis formed the courtyard, accessible to the public during great festivals. Various hypostyle halls for priestly use led to shrines housing sacred boats and the image of the titular god Osiris.

These structures were hypostyle, becoming habitual. The column capitals show concessions made to Egyptian local flora, using shapes of papyrus, lotus, and palm. Roofs descend in altitude towards the interior, and lighting becomes progressively dimmer, creating darkness that is only broken by a sunbeam falling on a divine statue.

The temple served as the economic center, with its priests acting as intermediaries between God and Pharaoh. Three types of temples existed: the outdoor temple, the semiespeos (partially rock-cut with a ceiling over half its parts, featuring hypostyle halls and chapels carved into the rock), and the espeos (entirely rock-cut with all dependencies within the mountain).

The temples of Karnak and Luxor, near Thebes, are prototypes of the outward-looking model. Built in honor of Amon by Amenhotep III (1403-1365 BC), they constituted the largest religious sanctuary in the ancient world. Years later, Queen Hatshepsut (1490-1470 BC) erected a semiespeos on the Theban cliff, formed by three terraces connected by ramps leading to cave chapels and the chapel of Anubis.