Egyptian architecture

Egyptian architecture centered on the king, who was the religious as well as the political ruler of ancient Egupt. The Egyptians considered their kings to be gods, and they built stone tombs, temples, and palaces as monuments to them.

The best-known Egyptian tombs are gigantic pyramids in which the kings were buried. The ruins of 35 major pyramids still stand along the Nile River. Each pyramid was part of a group of structures that commonly included a large temple on the eastern side of the pyramid and a smaller temple near the Nile. A long passageway connected the two temples. The Egyptians probably considered the king’s burial chamber the most sacred part of a pyramid. They blocked off and concealed the entrances to both the pyramid and the chamber after the burial.

The first known Egyptian pyramid was built for King Zoser about 2650 B.C. at Saggarah. It rises in a series of six giant steps. Three large and well-preserved pyramids were built from about 2600 to 2500 B.C. at Giza for Kings Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. These massive works have smooth sides.

A great period of Egyptian architecture began in the 1500’s B.C. and Lasted for about 500 years. Architects during this time mainly designed temples rather than pyramids. The temples were huge structures supported by columns. Ramps and halls connected the various rooms. People entered most temples through gateways formed by two huge towers called pylons. One masterpiece of the period is the temple built for Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri about 1480 B.C. Her subjects erected it along the foot of a huge cliff, vividly uniting architecture with nature.

№ 8. Complete the sentences:

1. Egyptian Architecture centred on_____.

2. The Egyptians considered their kings to be _____.

3. a long passageway connected ____.

4. The first known Egyptian pyramid was buit ___.

5. The temples were huge ___.

6. People entered most temples through gateways formed by___.

Give English equivalents equivalents of the following words:

Храм, башта, піраміда, вхід, споруда, гладкий, природа, період, річка Ніл, король, Бог, древній, політичний керівник, могила, гігантський, східці, споруджувати, архітектура, палата, священний, релігійний, добре відомий, кам’яний, палац, пам’ятник, масивний, переважно, ворота.

10. It’s Interesting to know.

The Temple of Khons. The temple of Khons was built in Karnak, Egypt, during the 1100’s B.C.

Two Large towers guarded the entrance. This cutaway drawing shows the columns within the temple that supported the roof. A sacred chamber at the right was dedicated to the moon god Khons.

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple.

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was built about 1480 B.C. at Deir el- Bahri, Egypt. The Egyptian erected the temple at the foot of a huge cliff. Rows of columns supported a series of limestone terraces. A ramp provided access to each terrace.

Grammar: