Gender in Egyptian Architecture

Gender in Egyptian Architecture

Introduction

This paper intends to discuss the 'gender' in Egyptian Architecture. Architecture remains one of the most important aspects of defining the cultural heritage of any region. The Egyptian architecture is famous for its uniqueness and various other reasons. The presence of traditional Islamic heritage is reflected within the architecture of Egypt. Egypt is located the north-eastern corner of Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea and the south western corner of Asia to the east. The ancient Egypt was located near the Neil River. Egyptian pharaohs have built huge temples for themselves thousands of years before the common array. The purpose of this paper is to make the reader aware about the significance of Egyptian Architecture.

Discussion

Egyptian artists created great works of architecture, statuary, paintings and reliefs. Primarily found in tombs, examples of Egyptian artwork reflect the characteristics of the Egyptians themselves. The work is highly representational and often tells the story of the religious beliefs and everyday life that Ancient Egyptians experienced. Egyptian artists usually worked together on large projects that were commissioned by the pharaoh or a wealthy nobleman. Craftsmen used standardized methods that changed very little over the course of Egypt's history. Their works conformed to the aesthetic specifications of the culture and lacked individuality. This uniformity was necessary because of the grand scale of art that rich Egyptians demanded for their tombs (Wilkinson, 2000).

Most other examples of relief work were found in temples and tombs all across Egypt. The mastaba (a tomb) of a 3rd Dynasty scribe named Hesire contained a self-portrait in wooden relief. His figure was carved in the typical combination frontal and profile pose. He appeared to be youthful and strong like the statues of pharaohs with his broad shoulders, slim hips, and muscular legs. For relief work of this type, artists formed a grid on the wood or stone so that the proportions of the subject would be correct. This practice was one way that Egyptian art was able to maintain a standardized format (McGill, 2009).

Other forms of art were practiced in ancient Egypt. Paintings on the insides of tombs still exist, though they were more easily damaged over time than stonework. One example of an Egyptian painting can be found in the 18th Dynasty tomb of Nebam in Thebes. The painting shows the women clapping and playing music. Two noble women were painted facing front, a pose rarely seen in Egyptian art. Two professional dancers move to the music and are almost intertwined, giving the painting more movement than many other rigid portrayals of humans in Egyptian art. This banquet painting also shows a new desire that came about in the New Kingdom for entertainment in the afterlife (Hilliard, Kristina & Wurtzel, 2010).

Sun baked mud bricks were the first building materials used by the Ancient Egyptians to build everything from homes to tombs. Unfortunately, most mud-brick buildings have not survived the effects of erosion and damage over ...