Ancient and Ancient and Egyptian Egyptian

ArchitectureArchitectureArchitectural HistoryArchitectural History

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Doris KempDoris Kemp

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MesopotamiaMesopotamia SumerSumer BabylonBabylon Ancient IsraelAncient Israel CreteCrete MycenaeMycenae

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia Mesopotamia

MesopotamiaMesopotamia Coexists with same time period as the Coexists with same time period as the

EgyptiansEgyptians Centered around the Tigris and Centered around the Tigris and

Euphrates riversEuphrates rivers Modern day IraqModern day Iraq

Signs of civilization begin to appear Signs of civilization begin to appear around 4500 B.C.around 4500 B.C.

Peak of civilization is around 3300 B.C.Peak of civilization is around 3300 B.C.

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - SumerMesopotamia - Sumer

SumerSumer Great kingdom located in MesopotamiaGreat kingdom located in Mesopotamia Building materials were scarceBuilding materials were scarce

Timber was completely absent and stone Timber was completely absent and stone was very scarcewas very scarce

Mud was used to create bricksMud was used to create bricks Highly soluble in waterHighly soluble in water

Most structures have been destroyed Most structures have been destroyed due to rain and timedue to rain and time

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - SumerMesopotamia - Sumer

SumerSumer Architectural characteristics include:Architectural characteristics include:

Heavy walls made of mud bricksHeavy walls made of mud bricks Great massings of earth Great massings of earth Tombs were very rareTombs were very rare

Temples of interest:Temples of interest: Temple VIII at EriduTemple VIII at Eridu White Temple at UrukWhite Temple at Uruk

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - SumerMesopotamia - Sumer

SumerSumer Temple VIII at Temple VIII at

EriduEridu Ancient site near UrAncient site near Ur Thick walls of mud Thick walls of mud

bricksbricks Set atop a primitive Set atop a primitive

mud-brick platformmud-brick platform Featured stairs Featured stairs

leading up to an leading up to an entrance on the long entrance on the long side of the templeside of the temple

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - SumerMesopotamia - Sumer

SumerSumer White Temple at White Temple at

UrukUruk 3500 – 3000 B.C.3500 – 3000 B.C. Placed upon a huge Placed upon a huge

mass of earth called mass of earth called a ziggurata ziggurat

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - Babylon Mesopotamia - Babylon

BabylonBabylon Neo-Babylonian RevivalNeo-Babylonian Revival

Culture was revived in 612 B.C.Culture was revived in 612 B.C. Many new temples and palaces were builtMany new temples and palaces were built Thick walls surrounded the city with a Thick walls surrounded the city with a

distance of some 11 milesdistance of some 11 miles Key locations:Key locations:

Ishtar GateIshtar Gate Tower of BabelTower of Babel Palace of NebuchadnezzarPalace of Nebuchadnezzar

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia – BabylonMesopotamia – Babylon

BabylonBabylon Ishtar GateIshtar Gate

Most impressive Most impressive remnant of the great remnant of the great citycity

Dominated the wide Dominated the wide processional avenue processional avenue and led to the inner and led to the inner citycity

Partly reconstructed Partly reconstructed in the State in the State Museum, Berlin , Museum, Berlin , GermanyGermany

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia – BabylonMesopotamia – Babylon

Tower of BabelTower of Babel Most famous of all the Most famous of all the

ziggurats of ancient ziggurats of ancient MesopotamiaMesopotamia

Has been restored Has been restored many times throughout many times throughout the centuriesthe centuries

No one really knows No one really knows how it actually lookedhow it actually looked

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - BabylonMesopotamia - Babylon

BabylonBabylon Palace of NebuchadnezzarPalace of Nebuchadnezzar

The most grandiose palace in BabylonThe most grandiose palace in Babylon Featured the Hanging GardensFeatured the Hanging Gardens

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient WorldOne of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Approximately 900 by 600 ft. in sizeApproximately 900 by 600 ft. in size Has been praised by many historians for its Has been praised by many historians for its

many splendid featuresmany splendid features

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Mesopotamia - BabylonMesopotamia - Babylon

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Ancient IsraelAncient Israel

Ancient IsraelAncient Israel King Solomon’s TempleKing Solomon’s Temple

Built around the 10Built around the 10thth century B.C. century B.C. Located atop Mt. Moriah in JerusalemLocated atop Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem Rectangular structure surrounded by open Rectangular structure surrounded by open

courtyardscourtyards Rebuilt two times due to invadersRebuilt two times due to invaders The third temple is associated with the The third temple is associated with the

Christian New TestamentChristian New Testament Destroyed in A.D. 70 by the RomansDestroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Ancient IsraelAncient Israel

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:Ancient IsraelAncient Israel

Ancient IsraelAncient Israel Wailing Wall in Wailing Wall in

Jerusalem is believed to Jerusalem is believed to be the last remnants of be the last remnants of Solomon’s third templeSolomon’s third temple

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:CreteCrete

CreteCrete Key locations:Key locations:

City of TroyCity of Troy Was thought to be a mythical location until the Was thought to be a mythical location until the

1870’s A.D.1870’s A.D. Discovered by Heinrich SchliemannDiscovered by Heinrich Schliemann

Palace at KnossosPalace at Knossos c. 1700 – 1400 B.C.c. 1700 – 1400 B.C. Possibly built for King MidasPossibly built for King Midas Only the ground floor has survived the centuriesOnly the ground floor has survived the centuries

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:CreteCrete

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:CreteCrete

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:MycenaeMycenae

MycenaeMycenae Modern day GreeceModern day Greece A great society of warriorsA great society of warriors More interested architecturally in More interested architecturally in

citadels rather than pleasure palacescitadels rather than pleasure palaces Recognized the importance of geometry Recognized the importance of geometry

and proportions in architectureand proportions in architecture

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:MycenaeMycenae

MycenaeMycenae Two important Two important

structures:structures: Citadel at TyrinsCitadel at Tyrins

Best preserved Best preserved citadel of Mycenaecitadel of Mycenae

Up to 36 ft. thick Up to 36 ft. thick wallswalls

Lined with galleries Lined with galleries that featured massive that featured massive corbelled ceilingscorbelled ceilings

Treasury of AtreusTreasury of Atreus Large dome shaped Large dome shaped

tomb dating back to tomb dating back to 1300 B.C.1300 B.C. Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:MycenaeMycenae

Photo: Sullivan

Ancient Near East:Ancient Near East:MycenaeMycenae

Photo: Sullivan

ReferencesReferences Sullivan, Mary; Sullivan, Mary;

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/

wdpt1.htmlwdpt1.html Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From

Prehistory to PostmodernityPrehistory to Postmodernity Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western

ArchitectureArchitecture

Ancient and Ancient and Egyptian Egyptian

ArchitectureArchitectureArchitectural HistoryArchitectural History

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Doris KempDoris Kemp