ARCHITECTURE THROUGH THE AGES
PART 1 - ANCIENT EGYPT
The construction of the most famous Egyptian structures ever, the pyramids, began around 2686 B.C. and ended around 2498 B.C. Temples built of stone were found in the Middle Kingdom around 2133- 1786 B.C. The forms of these stone structures seem to have been influenced by the Egyptian domestic architecture. Houses were built of mud-brick walls with columns made from bundles of reeds tied together. The walls of buildings were mostly battered, and the columns were short in proportion to their diameter. The column capitals were carved to represent flowers or buds, palm leaves, and papyrus heads. Stone and timber were rare in the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. So, Mesopotamian Architecture was mostly based on the use of clay bricks with an outer layer of coloured, glazed bricks. Farther up the Mesopotamian River in Assyria, stone was available, but it was used primarily as a wall covering that was decorated with sculpture and inscriptions from the knowledge of the Assyrian history. The architecture of the Babylonians (1900-1550 B.C.) and the Assyrians (1100-612 B.C.) was based on very large brick platforms raised above the plain and often further terraced to give the ziggurat form. The ancient Persian Empire (538-333 B.C.) adopted these features and supplemented them with the extensive use of columns, as in the palaces at Persepolis from 518- 460 B.C.
As for the finishing touches, workers placed hieroglyphics around the pyramid as well as many statues. There were also a lot of bright and vibrant coloured columns. There were also one or two large boats buried near the tomb so the king to have a peaceful sail over to the Next World. As for the path that leads up to the pyramid, there was first the Valley Temple. When the king died, his body was first rowed across the Nile to the Valley Temple to be mummified. Next, there was the causeway. This was a covered processional way which came from the Valley Temple. The walls on the inside were decorated many times, and there were holes in the roof to provide light. At the end of the Causeway, there was the Mortuary Temple. This was built against the side of the pyramid. The Mortuary Temple was the place where priests made offerings to the king's spirit every day for eternity. To the left of the Mortuary Temple, can be found the queen's pyramid. Much smaller than the kings pyramid, this was where the king would bury his wife.
