the liviing dead case studies

pyramids of Djoser and Khufu

• 2600 - 2450 bce

• pharaonic egypt

• nile valley, modern day egypt

• egyptians lavished their greatest effort and materials primarily on mortuary architecture

• one of the first momumental stone buildings of the world and the earliest site is the monrtuary temple complex of king djoser built at saggara

King djoser

• pharoah who ruled over two halves of Egypt, upper and lower

• estbalish the period known as the old kingdom

• stepped pyramid was his tomb

• stepped pyramid is an innovative form, introducing a type that as it became more developed has come to symbolize the architecture of ancient egypt

• based on a pre-existing tomb form, the mastaba

mastaba

• bench-shaped tomb structures with sloped outer wall

• served as above-ground markers for the tombs tunneled underground

• made from stone, marking it the first monumental stone construction in Egypt

funerary complex of King djoser

• tomb was the major vertical element of the site and stood wihtin a walled enclosure with additional buildings

• most of the elements within the complex were doubled to represent both the north and south kingdom

Pyramid section and plan

• meant to be a vehicle through which he would be transported to the afterlife

• - strong vertical axiality o fthe pyramid was meant to mark this journey

• plan shows multiple subterraneean tunnels to protect the tomb from robbers

imhotep

• first recorded architect who designed this compelx for djoser

• - physician, priest, and poet

collasped pyramid, meidum, and bent pyramid

• Imhotep initated a series of experiments which resulted in egypt most famous monuments

• at Meidum, builders added outer layers to an existed stepped pyramid in a failed attempt to achieve a smooth-sided form, sides are too steep, though

• changed the angle of the outer face midway resulting in the bent pyramid

Pyramids, Giza

• Sneferu’s successors, the pharoahs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure and built the three Pyramids at Giza, achieving a true achieving a true phyramid form

  • Pyramid of Khufu -455 feet tall

how are the pyramid construction

• egyptians were highly skilled mathematicians for their day as several of the Great Pyramids were incredibly accurately aligned to the north star and perpendicular axis of the sun

• ramps built into the interior core

• the largest pyramid, workers moved 6 million tons of material including 2.3 million individual blocks of stone weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons

what is the ceremony for the funeral of a pharaoh

• the pharoah’s body arrived by boat on the Nile River to a valley temple at the water

• body was transported over a long causeway - long, man made ramp, to the pyramid itself

  • the Great Pyramids for the pharoah surrounded by burial sites for other members of his family and royal court ( buried in smaller pyramids and mastabas that surround the enormous pyramids)

Qin Emperor tomb

• 221-210 BCE

• Qin people

  • modern- day China

what does confucians believe

• highlights family value and venerates ancestors

• mortuary archiecture

  • believe that “ the deceased ancestors should be treated as if they were alive”

Feng shui 

• wind and water

• most important issue in fengshui is to find the best site that would preserve the beneolent energy while blocking the evil ones

• based on practical needs of the ancient people

• ideal to have shielding mountains and a relatively open field in the south

K’ung Fu Tzu ( confucianism)

• The school of the Scholars

• compassionate or kindhearted, just or righteous, to obey rituals or rites, wise, trustful

• “ to govern by virtue, let us compare it to the North Star: it stays in its place, while the myraid stars wait upon it

• He who learns but does not think is lost. he who thinks but does not learn is in great danger

what is the Qin people famous for

• their great military power and efficiency

• have to constantly fight the nomards, which helped to strength their military skills

• location also gave them virtually endless space and resource for expansion

• First emperor of Qin Empire - Qin Shihangdi, unified the langauage

Qin Dynasty ( 221-206) BCE

• left us the Great Wall and the Emperor’s mausoleum along with the terrcotta army

• Qin ( catch or to seize)

• system of writing was standardized and language

  • believe that those outside the boundaries of his empire to be barbarians

how imperial capital city and garden planning in China was used as a model for making visible forms of power, hierachy, and ritual activities

• it is designed with an axial emphasis, the buildings and landscape laid out with a central axis as an organization tool

• built on high plinths or tai platforms

• higher the tai the stronger the claim to power by the ruler

• ex. Qin Shi Huangdii - between the Wei eiver and the Zhongnan mountain, able to take strength from both

• known to be immense with the main room able to host 10,000 for dinner

  • symmetrical strcture with two wings, an earthen core that creted the image of a 3 story building of remarkable size

how long did qin empire lasted

15 years

• brought down by rebellions throughout the country

• group of 900 men enlisted to guard the northern frontier near modern day Beijing was behind schedule to arrive at the garrison due to heavy rain

  • according to Qin’s law, they are to be executed; however, they choose to revolt and the entire country follow them to rebellion

  • significant portion of the entire male population were enlisted to build the Great Wall and the emperor’s tomb

size of the first emperor tomb

• step pyramid

• 350 by 345 meter surrounded by two layers of walls and gates

• outer layer covers an area of 2 square km 

what did the builders use to built Qin Shi Huangdi Tomb

• 8000 life size terra cotta figures, grouped in battle order, rank by rank

• pyramidal tomb mount represented a man-made mountain, comparable inform and function to those build for the Egyptian pharaohs

• builders produced an outer coffin of molten copper and a subterranean world with models of palaces, pavilions and offices

• also included replicas of the major streams and rivers of China , recreated in mercury with mechanisms

Qin Shi Huangdi Tomb Mound

• 8000 life-size terracotta figures

• there was a cross bowed soldiers at the entrance ready to kill anyone who entered

  • 4 subterranean pits , pits containing the terracotta army had a roof of planks supported by wooden crossbeams carried by massive beams

  • 100 variations which are repeated

• 2000 figures representing not an army but civil officials and scribes

• brightly colored with surface paint

Taj Mahal

• 1632 - 1648

• mughals/ mughal empire

• modern-day india 

• associated with romance

• popular myth about the taj mahal is that the mughal emperor Shah Jahan built it is a love letter in marble for his deceased wife

• mausoleum, king way for islamic kings and queens to memorialize themselves

who is the patron of the Taj Mahal

• Shah jahan

• ruler of the Mughal empire in India

  • 1627-1658

who is the architect

• Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

• served as the chief imperial architect of the Mughal empire

what is the purpose of taj mahal

• construct a monumental resting place for Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of shah Jahan

• favorite wife

• also as an expression of Mughal identity and imperial power

history of Mughal Empire

• founded in 1526 and came to a close in 1858

• empire that ruled India for over 300 years

• first mughal emperor came from Central Asia but his descendants would expand the empire 

• they would ruled over a multi-confessional, multi ethnic, and multi lingual population

• major theme of Mughal art and architecture was dynastic legitimacy

  • Jahangir, Timur

location of Taj Mahal

• located in the city of Agra in north India, one of three capitals

• 

what is the 1st area of the plan

• viewing garden

  • Taj Mahal was a place of pilgrimage, a destination for all those who wanted to honor Mumtaz Mahal

  • taj mahal is located at the end of this garden, on the riverfront 

    • across the yamuna is a viewing garden

what is the second area 

• taj

what is the 3rd area

• garden

• monumental squares that are subdivided into smaller squares

what is the 4th area

• forecourt

• roughly the same size as the rectangular platform that the Taj Mahal sits on

what is the last area called

• bazaar

what are the two other major structures in the complex 

• a mosque and a guesthouse

  • mosque is sandstone and marble, and topped by three marble domes, contains a single, large aisle, and a mihrab

mihrab

• niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca, which Muslims are supposed to face when they pray

• blind arch indicating the direction of Mecca

mosque

• signifies the sancitity of the Taj Mahal complex

• the site of ritual commemoration at least once a year

• members of the imperial family and nobility would gather to recite prayers for the dead

the design and symbolism of the char-bagh

• ( four partite garden)

• char - four, bagh - garden

• large square garden plot is bisected by two, perpendicular axes that intersect in the center, dividing the larger square into four smaller square

• founder of the Mughal empire, Babur who imported this garden type from central to south asia

structure of Taj Mahal

• plinth - base or platform 

• minaret - has 4 minarets

• chattri - small domed kiosks

• iwan - central, two - story or pointed arch

Pietra duraas

• translate “hard stone”

• tone inlay technique that originated in Italy and traveled to India through merchants, diplomatic gifts and luxury goods

  • the longest inscripitional program in the islamic world

what does the Qur’an believed

• the word of God, revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel

• inscriptions relate to themes that are appropriate for a mausoleum set in a funerary garden: the afterlife Day of judgement, and paradise

what is mughals fascinated by 

naturalism

• perfected this representational technique in their painting and sculpture

• Taj mahal incorporated an elaborate garden in the char bagh tradition 

what is the structure of Taj Mahal

• double-dome

• the plan is one that was originally developed in Iran

• hasht bihisht, “ eight paradise” plan

• in isiam, heaven is a garden with eight gateways and eight levels

• gardens of the Taj Mahal is a british vision of what islamic and indian archiecture