Egyptian Architecture Flashcards
Egyptian king.
Pharaoh
Uses flat platforms as steps; receding from the bottom up to form a pyramid shape. Bottom step is a mastaba in some cases.
Step pyramid
Earliest tombs that were built as eternal houses for the departed and were based on the design of dwellings for the living. They were built from bricks; bundled reeds and wooden supports. The building was a block like structure above ground containing a small room for offerings and another for the body and a statue of the deceased. Later a deep shaft was added to the design that places the body at its base with the shaft filled with stone and rubble to deter would-be robbers.
Mastaba
A cemetery of mastabas; where pharaohs were once buried.
Necropolis
Architect and advisor for King Zoser (Djoser); designed the first pyramid; for Zoser’s funerary complex at Saqqara.
Imhotep
Spirit of the king. It was believed that a Ka statue at a king’s tomb would keep the spirit from wandering away.
Ka
Set of rules for designing figures and buildings; such as rules of proportion.
Canon
Lotus capital have two types closed bud for dark spaces that act as “night” and a open bud in open and bright spaces that act as “day”. This plays on the nature of the lotus flower. Papyrus capitals also plays with nature.
Papyrus and lotus capitals
A perfect geometric pyramid with flat; smooth sides.
True pyramid
King Sneferu’s son. Had the largest true pyramid built at Giza.
Khufu (Cheops)
Son of Khufu; had the second largest true pyramid built at Giza.
Khafre (Chephren)
Son of Khafre; had the smaller of the three main true pyramids at Giza.
Menkaure (Mycerinus)
Column carved as a person.
Caryatid
Temple was devoted to Amon (sun god). Has 3 terraces and 2 ramps. The temple is a rock cut temple; cut into the cliff face. Aligned to the temple of Amon. Celebrates the harsh sunlight. The columns don’t have a base stone; just a shaft with a capital on top.
Mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahri 1473-1458 BCE
A linear series of columns with entablature.
Colonnade
Sizable chambers created by rows of large columns placed closely together.
Hypostyle hall
Windows placed high in a wall; generally above lower roof elements.
Clerestory
Monumental masonry entrance gates. Represented the entrance of the sun being reborn every day and the underworld.
Pylon
A line at the end of which movement terminates at a significant feature and thereby divides a composition into two equal parts.
Axis
Stone shaft with a pyramid on top. Pyramid shapes such as the great pyramids was a symbol of the connection between the ruler and the sun god. Monolith (one rock); cut on four sides and had hieroglyphs with a story of the king. Glorified the pharaoh and was a visual marker in the landscape.
Obelisk
Spirit of the queen.
Ma
A man-headed lion carved in situ. A ka statue for Khafre; was made of very hard rock located at a quarry site. Arms and head made of quarry limestone and the body was from hard stone that was already at the quarry site and could not be removed. Located at Giza.
The Great Sphinx
A structural element; square or rectangular in plan; that supports an arch.
Pier
Designed by Imhotep; for Pharaoh Djoser. This was Egypt’s first pyramid and monumental construction in stone. The pyramid started as a Mastaba; and has 6 steps. The exterior of the pyramids was dressed in limestone.
Pyramid at Saqarra, c. 2360 BCE