Houses in Ancient Egypt

Most Egyptians lived in homes built of sun-dried bricks, made of mud and straw.

Bricks were easy to make and the materials were freely found along the shores of the Nile river.

Brick molds were invented to make the bricks.

A mix of mud and straw was place into the molds and the molds were left out in the sun to dry.

• The outside of homes were often whitewashed to reflect the heat.

• The flat roof had air vents to allow air to circulate.

• The thick walls provided good insulation.

• Small, narrow windows set high up in the walls reduced glare from the sun.

• Homes had front doors and back doors. Each door was built about 4 feet off the ground to reduce sand and dust from entering as well as snakes.

• Each door was reached by a ramp. Ramps were used inside rather than stairs to move from one level to another.

• Ramps also led up to the flat roof which was often used as a living and sleeping area in the hotter months.

Most people lived in towns where the houses were built close together and often multi-storied to make the most of limited land.

Peasants’ homes were usually quite small.

The typical house was squarish in shape and consisted of three main rooms.

A living area, a sleeping area and a yard which acted as an outside kitchen.

Earthen floors were covered with reed mats.

Ceilings were made of sticks and palm rafters woven together .

Kitchens usually consisted of a cylindrical baked clay oven .

And a floor space for grinding grain which would be used to make bread or beer.

There was also a basement with two cellars for storage.

Craftsmen would usually have a working space at the front of their homes.

Nobles built huge villas along the Nile.

Some were fronted with Limestone which made the walls sparkle.

Most villas had 25 – 30 rooms. Some had more than 50.

These wealthy citizens had servants’ quarters for their help, plus granaries, stables and a small shrine for worship.

Their houses had high ceilings with pillars and were lavishly decorated with brilliantly painted scenery.

The floors were tiled, some had linen carpets

There were secluded gardens, courtyards with palm trees to provide shade and privacy and pools with sweet-smelling lotus blossoms.

The pool might also be stocked with exotic fish from the Nile.