Egyptian architecture, ancient

The Pylon gateway of the Karnak temple, Luxor, Egypt. The temple was built between 2040 and 1640 BC, to honour the gods Montu and Ammon, and the goddess Mut. Pylons are high sloping walls found at the entrances of many Egyptian temples.

Egyptian pyramid. The pyramids are huge, monumental structures that were built to house the tombs of the pharaohs. Pyramids evolved from the fourth millennium BC, first from simple tomb structures with sloping sides, to stepped pyramids, and then to the regular pyramids at El Giza (c. 2600–2480 BC).

The dynastic period spanning the years 4000–30 BC saw the emergence of a distinctive Egyptian architecture, best represented in its tombs and temples. Monumental in style, these were built exclusively for the higher echelons of society, particularly pharaohs and priests. Of the tombs, the pyramids are the most striking. These evolved from mastaba – simple tomb structures with sloping sides – through stepped pyramids, such as that at Sakkara about 2650 BC, to the familiar regular pyramids at El Gîza, about 2600–2480 BC. Temple architecture of the period is characterized by huge, sloping or ‘battered’ walls, and pylons, pyramidal towers flanking the entrances. Famous examples are at Karnak, about 1570–1085, and at Luxor, about 1570–1200.

In contrast to the imposing and lasting religious buildings of ancient Egypt, the homes of all classes were constructed of impermanent materials, so that hardly any have survived, in keeping with the belief of Egyptian religion that life on earth was no more than a preliminary to the afterlife.