Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture
One of the greatest cultural achievements of Ancient Egypt was undoubtedly in their architecture associated with religion.
"Temples, tombs and pyramids - all have witnessed this earth for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt's greatest virtue lay in its architecture" (Fumeaux:11, 1964)
When one travels to Egypt, what does he/she see - pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. One stands out - they are all associated with religious beliefs, they all have stood unmoving for thousands of years, and they all involve mechanical genius- the moving of colossal stones without the use of the wheel. The finest example such mechanics is shown in the construction of the revered pyramid. These three factors, all belonging to the religious architecture of ancient Egypt, do nothing else but prove its greatness.
Egypt's grand architectural design was a result of the religious values and beliefs that were in place at the time. Thousands of years ago, 'Ancient Egypt accepted the challenge of reeds and swamps, hot sands and floods, and build the 'first' nation' (Romer:75, 1982). There were few things to impress themselves upon the Egyptian mind; their psychological impact however was immense. There was the Nile itself, source of all life, there was the mysterious regularity of the Sun, Moon and stars; there was fertility and death. It was out of fear and mystery of these things that
"...the Egyptians made their complex heirachy of Gods, and their strange religion. In the service of that religion they made their architecture" (Romer: 75,1982).
Thus, the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt stemmed directly from their religion. Egyptian theology, with its deified pharaohs and strange animal-headed gods, was complicated, but the most important belief was that survival after death depended upon the preservation of the body. This belief would influence the architectural design of the tomb, where the corpse was ultimately sealed (Silverman:142, 1997). Immortality was only for privileged royal and priestly beings (Stierlin:54, 1983).This implies that their tombs would be somewhat prestigious and not just and ordinary burial site. At the day of resurrection the Ka or soul would re-enter the dead body; this meant that it must be there, intact, ready for that moment. It followed logically, that 'once the corpse was embalmed or mummified, it must be preserved in an impregnable tomb.
The expansion of the political and economical power during the New kingdom, led to the devotion of resources to the religious architecture; numerous new temples were constructed while the pre-existing temples were renovated. Individual Pharaohs endeavored to out do their ancestors, not only in the construction of their own mortuary temples, but also in the establishment of worship temples of their deities. Kings of this period abandoned the pyramid complexity of the earlier ages and constructed their tombs in the Valley of the Kings well away from their mortuary temples due to the increase of robbers; therefore a standardized plan became default for both the worship and mortuary temples. Because of this movement, I believe that the divine and mortuary spheres became entwined in both theory and practice. During the 18th dynasty, temple construction reached its highest point under Amenhotep III and Tuthmosis II; it was the art of the Middle kingdom that they wished to imitate. Hatshepsut temple at Deir el Bahari compared to its neighboring temple of Mentuhotep III, are great examples of the return to ancient architectural resources. ( image 4&5) show the direct inspiration based on the replica of the previous kingdom’s architecture. Some of the imitated elements were the long porticoes with squared pillars rising in terraces, wide ascending ramps, the entrances colonnaded with the sanctuary, the great use of papyrus columns and above all the strict harmony of the building with its setting. Although there was a conscious desire to return to the disciplines of the former period, yet development also took place. The attempt to achieve greater effect of lightness became dominant as well as the extra care given to the decoration and t...
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Looking at the anthologies, one can observe that despite the fact that they were compiled within two centuries of each other, differences and similarities exist between the two, creating the distinction between the Manyoshu and Kokinshu. From the earlier to the later anthology, the progression of poetic form takes place in Japanese literature from the influence of China and the conversion of native thinking. Thus, these changes in literature from the Nara Period to the Heian Period somewhat reflect the transformation in culture of the time, giving the reader insight into ancient Japanese culture.
Monumental architecture in Pharaonic Egypt is represented primarily by the funerary complexes of the pharaohs. The principal function of these elaborate complexes was to ensure that the pharaohs, who were exalted as living gods, would attain the afterlife they desired. This required that two basic conditions be fulfilled: the body had to be preserved from disturbance or destruction; and the material needs of the body and the ka had to be met (Edwards 20). Pharaonic burial complexes were also centers of worship for the god-king interred there and were designed to exalt his memory and deeds.
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Man’yōshū is thought to be compiled by Otomo no Ya, an accomplished poet who also wrote four of the twenty books of Man’yōshū. There is some controversy that Otomo was not the only compiler, but it is generally agreed that he is at least a main compiler. Although Man’yōshū is dated to been completed in the late 700’s, some of the poems are dated as early at the 5th century. Consisting of 4,516 poems, Man’yōshū displayed a variety of poetic forms (different syllable counts), topics, and authors from varying backgrounds, as well as some rather explicit political views, but unlike Kokinshū, Man’yōshū has no known available preface or evidence of whether or not it was an imperial anthology (Handout 2). Topics were organized into three different categories: zōka (Miscellaneous), sōmon (love), and banka (death) (Handout 2). During the time Man’yōshū was complied, Japan was greatly influenced by mainland Asian countries so Man’yōshū played a role in showing the other countries that Japan was creating progress in the literary field even if poetry is not originally a Japanese form of writing. The ...
Constructed during Egypt's 4th Dynasty, The Pyramids of Giza are truly an astonishing work of architecture. These pyramids display several of the characteristics, that are now known, to be attributed to the Ancient Egyptian era. Years of research show that much of the ancient Egyptian's focus in their artistry, was that of a religious nature, regardless of medium. Artists of the time, focused their efforts on depicting the various Gods and Goddesses, immortality and the afterlife, and the glorification of the pharaohs. (MindEdge) One of the best examples of this are the pyramids. Each pyramid was built to be the final resting place of a pharaoh (Khufu, Khafre, or Menkaure) upon his death, and subsequent mummification. They were built on the
...lear to see that there isn’t a definite answer to how the Egyptians leveled, designed, and constructed the pyramids. All we can do is speculate and form theories and ideas. One can become more partial to one theory than to another. After all, this is why the Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Whether it was intentional or not, the Egyptians created a worldly masterpiece of a monument. The intervention of geometry into the building of the pyramids provides for the early stages of architectural aspects. These days every building is geometrically sound. It is much easier for architects to design their buildings geometrically these days than it was for the builders in 2500 B.C. The Egyptians, overall, were important founding fathers of incorporating geometric complexities into the design of their buildings. Designing a building is a way of art; the architect expresses his or her ideas through their building. By interpreting the historical aspects of the pyramids and comparing them to the building aspects of today, a similarity can be found. It may be taken to a higher level, but the weaving of geometry into buildings is evident both today and over 3000 years ago.
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