The Architecture of Ancient Cities - Essay Example

Mephis, Egypt Different cities of the world have contributed to modern world civilization. Some of the contributions that ancient cities have made tothe modern world relate to architectural designs, defense, irrigation, agriculture, water supply, and waste disposal to name a few. Ancient cities cropped up as a result of different factors or to serve different purposes such as religion, trade, administration, and defense. While there are many ancient cities, I choose to research on the city of Mephis in Egypt. The city of Mephis was founded around 3000 BC by a pharaoh by the name Menes (Princeton 2014). The City was Egypt’s capital during the old kingdom and never lost its importance for a long time in Mediterranean history. Situated at the mouth of the Nile delta, the city had several workshops, warehouses, and factories and was an important centre for religion, trade, and commerce. Given that the city was prone to flooding, the people of Mephis constructed dams. During the old Kingdom, the city had white walls or fortresses to protect it, and the king from damage and conflict. In this respect, the city contributes to civilization through its architecture, dams and fortresses. I will rely on different sources for the project. Some of these include websites that talk about the histories of ancient cities, museum websites, and websites authored by educational institutions. Works Cited Princeton. Memphis Egypt. 2014. Web. https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Memphis,_Egypt.html Name of student Name of tutor Course title Date Ancient Cities Since the time of creation, humans have been on a constant and consistent journey of civilization; a relentless journey of mistakes and successes that has seen a great deal of inventions and innovations that has brought the world to its current status. Today things are different as compared to what was there in the ancient world; building are better, transportation and communications has become very fast, technology advanced, systems of government as mostly democratic, water and sanitation is considered improved, and education is developed. But all this could not have been achieved without the development of the ancient world that acted as the foundation of the world we are in today. The development of ancient cities came about due to ancient civilization which is known as the first settlements that later led to rise of states, empires and nations. As humans moved from a typical hunting and gathering lifestyle to an agriculturally productive society, the population experienced a very rapid growth. This saw a rise in agricultural revolution that later led to urban revolution in areas where conditions were favorable such as Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus and Yellow that made it possible for food production (Wattpad p1-3). In these areas there was constant supply of water and the soil was fertile. Besides this, humans were willing to come up with solutions to the challenges in their surrounding with the knowledge they had. People in these areas learnt the need of organization in their attempts to solve their problems which lead to civilization. Factors of interaction such as trade, conquest and migration worked as ways of spread civilization to other regions in the world at that time. With time this gave rise to better civilization such as Greece and Rome. The need for organization and settlement brought about the rise of factor that can be considered as characteristics of civilization such as shelter, security, art, science, rise of political and economical institutions to deal with basic needs, political organization, hierarchy of class, religious systems and communication. Some people gave up farming to take up roles in politics, organization, art and science, as what had become villages developed into urban centers then into ancient cities, kingdoms and empires (Wattpad p1-3). Some of the modern cities are just an improvement of old cities, as civilization got better and humans’ desire to conquer the world got meaner, some of these cities survived while others are considered lost and only archeological excavations can confirm their existence. Ancient cities as we may now call them were a symbol of glory, power, honor, defense and status for different empires. These empires were in the quest to out do each other and become the rulers of the known world at that time. Some of these empires include the Assyrian empire which covered the area of Mesopotamia between the river Euphrates and Tigris with Nineveh as its center of power(Wattpad p1-3). This were later conquered by the Babylonians whose territory stretched from the gulf of Persia to Egypt whose capital was Babylon, the fall of Babylon came with the rise of the Persia kingdom, who capital was Susa, covering most of the known world at that time. After a series of rebellion from different kingdoms under the Persian Empire, the Greece Empire whose capital was Athens took over as the dominant force, later on the Romans would take over with Rome as the center of power. Evidently some of these ancient cities played a major part in different reigns of different empires in those days. Some ancient cities also served as center for religion and worship, one of such is Jerusalem that was a dwelling place for the Jebusites before the Great King David conquered it under United Kingdom of Israel (Princeton p4). The city is significant to three Abrahamic religious groups that include Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This city was also the home to the famous worship center known as the Solomon’s temple that was build by King Solomon but later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar the ruler of Babylon. In the Greek religion different cities were related to different gods, such cities include Corinth which had a direct affiliate to Aphrodite and Rhodes whose patron was Helios. Some of the Greek cities had shrines and temples dedicated to some gods such as the huge statues of Athena in Parthenon of Athens and that of Zeus in Olympia (Cartwright p4-6). Other religiously significant ancient cities include Memphis in Egypt which was home of the temple Hout-ka-Ptahor Castle of the ka of Ptah, which was dedicated to the god of craftsman Ptah (Princeton p4). The architecture of ancient cities had some similarities and differences. Different cities were constructed to meet different needs; some were economic centers, other religious and others majorly for settlement. This led to development of different styles of structure in different cities. The ancient cities of the Mayans in America were developed to serve administrative and ritual purposes for the people in the city and those who lived outside the city, in agricultural lands. These cities had numerous structure that included pyramid temples to thatched roof huts numbering over 10,000 units (Canadian Museum of History p3). A city like Tikal had an estimated population of almost 60,000 people - a capacity that is considered to be several times greater than that of cities in America and Europe during the same period. These cities were design to have a platform rising in steps that was the base of structures that ranged from temples, palaces and individual houses. They were further organized around broad courtyards. Embroidery works of these structures were done in artistic fashions that included sophisticated base carvings and wall painting. stone roads and causeways served as connections between large buildings and major structures. Organization of Mayan cities was poor though, raising the thought that most of the structure s came up in an unplanned manner as evidence of severally rebuilt palaces show. This makes it hard to determine city boundaries in these times. There temple pyramids were awesome, built from hand cut limestone, they stood taller that all the structures around (Canadian Museum of History p4). These temples had several rooms that seemed too narrow to be used for other purposes other than ritual and ceremonial. Majority of the structures in these cities were palaces. These several storied structures constructed in the same manner as the pyramids only on lower platforms had several rooms that showed evidence of plastering. These had one or more courtyards as compared to temples that had none. Most Mayan sites were fitted with ball courts, while others had sweat baths that are thought to have their origin from Mexico. Major cities were constructed with pillars that were put on the floor of plazas facing noble palaces and temples; they were either on platforms or as a support for pyramids with low flat altars in front of them. The architecture of the Mayans had roof combs and corbel vaults. Compared to the vaults in Europe, these had no keystones. The roof combs were in lattice form and made of stone regardless of the pyramids height. The embroidery of the roof comb was done by stucco reliefs that were painted the same way the embroidery of the outside of the temple was done (Canadian Museum of History p9). Other ancient cities whose architecture was fascinating were those in Egypt. Egyptian architectural works are some of the earliest known construction works that had innovation in them (Afropedea, p4). Earlier they would use mud that would be shaped into bricks then put in the sun to harden. These were later covered with gypsum to bring out a finish that was fresh and shiny. Later they developed the use of limestone quarried in areas such as Moqattam in Cairo. For the interior of tombs, granite was majorly used from places like Swenet, which is in present time Aswan. Palaces in Ancient Egypt were built to last as long as the reigning Pharaoh, and not to last as the tombs. They were made of mud bricks and rectangular in shape. Egyptian tombs were a major thing that led to innovations. Earlier they were constructed using mud bricks and were known as Mustabas. These had surface structures that had a number of rooms while the tomb was dug underground cut out of rocks. They later begun using stones and the earliest evidence of such is the pyramid at Saqqara made by Pharaoh Djoser (Afropedea p7). The structure has a palace on the northern side and two other buildings that stood for upper and lower Egypt. Its structure was covered by a lime wall that was three storeys tall with an exit, with a 33 feet tall column of 40 stones. These developments led to the construction of other pyramids such as Maydum and Dashur pyramids and the first ever true pyramid, the Red pyramid. Later the tallest and largest pyramid of Giza would be built based on these innovations. These ancient cities had many temples in them; a perfect example is the famous Deir El-Bahri in honor of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple has three layers that are joined together by ramps, which are covered by colonnades. The sanctuary of the temple is in the third layer and has two chapels. Other temples include temple of Abu-simbel with two atriums and was curved out of a rock, and the temple of Karnak that was seven storey in height and had 144 columns (Afropedea, p1-10). Alongside Arabian and European Architectural works, ancient architectural work in China played a very important role in development of modern day architecture. Some of the techniques used by the Chinese included timber work, stone carving, rammed earth, bucket arc construction along side others (Travelchinaguide.com p1. Some of their famous works include the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Their most fascinating works were those done with timber, these were embroidered with painting and carvings. These have history that can be drawn back as far as Shang Empire of the 16th century BC. When constructing houses, they used timber that made the beams, joists and lintels that would develop into the frame work a technique that calls for antisepsis to be able to use. Other areas of their great craftsmanship include their painting and decoration. These include colour glaze roofs, beautiful flower designs done on house pillars and outstanding windows. The courtyard layout is even more outstanding as the main structure is centrally placed while others are directed to the left and right (Travelchinaguide.com p1-4). In the modern world, cities have developed a different way of defense. Some of the methods include radars, patrol helicopters and border armies. The ancient world was different, with limited technological advancement at that time, walls were built around most major cities a part from the usual army. Ancient cities of China had walls, trenches and moats for defense against sieges that were rampant in those areas at that time. The city of Pingyao stands as a great example of such, believed to be built between 872 BC and782 BC (Cultural China p2). Earlier they were built with temper earth. Having gone through rebuilding and improvement during the Ming and Qing dynasty, other layers such as the outer brick layer were added. Its wedge shaped thickness is 10 meters at the base and three to five meters at the top. It stands at a height of six to ten meters. The other Chinese city that had an outstanding defense wall was the ancient city of Nanjing. Built during the Ming Dynasty, the city had a height of between 14 and 21 meters and stood on a base of 14 meters with a top width of between four to nine meters (Cultural China p2). The city had a total of 13 entrances that each had a double gate. The double gates consisted of a front floodgate and a set of double door with a metal encasement. One amazing thing is the manufacture of bricks used to construct the wall. The level of quality control involved was outstanding as it was of the highest strictness. On every brick three identities appeared; place of manufacture, name of manufacturer and the name of the quality controller. To strengthen the wall further, the constructors used granite to build the foundation, and a mixture of lime, Tung oil and glutinous rice was used for brick binding. No wonder the wall has stood for all these years (Cultural China p2-4). With civilization and organization came a need that could not be ignored; water and sanitation. With the growing demand for water for irrigation and normal daily use, cities turned to rivers and springs that were available at that time, one such city is Babylon that depended upon the river Euphrates for its water supply (Hansen p4). Later on as population grew there was an inevitable need for constant and adequate water supply, and cities such as Ancient Rome had to device other methods to respond to the demand by raising the supply. Initially Rome depended on the river Tiber, surrounding springs and wells for drinking water. Later on the water sources became polluted as a result of poor waste management, besides it was not enough. This led to the invention of a technology called the aqueduct around 312 BC. At one time up to nine aqueducts supplied Rome with water; the water was designed to gently go down channels made of concrete, for water to cross low areas multiple viaducts were used. In deep valleys, inverted siphons were put to use. Areas where hills were hard to maneuver had tunnels and burrows dug in them that had vertical shafts that helped in inspection and cleaning. Residues from the cleaning process were laid near openings around the vertical shafts (Hansen p4-5). Though the modern world is truly advanced in terms of technology in areas of building and construction, water and sanitation, and agriculture, much of its development is owed to the world before. Their technological advancements acted as basis and foundation on what modern science and technology stands on. There methods of construction have weathered harsh conquests to stand the test of time and act as sites for economic, religious and social purposes. Work Cited Afropedea. Ancient Egyptian Architecture, 2014. Web. http://www.afropedea.org/ancient-egyptian-architecture Canadian Museum of History. Maya Civilization, cities of the ancient Maya. 2014 . Web. http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/maya/mmc02eng.shtml Cartwright M. Greek religion. 2013. Web. http://www.ancient.eu.com/Greek_Religion/ Cultural China. Military defense in ancient cities: walls and gates. 2007. Web.http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/83Arts7602.html Hansen D. R. Water and waste systems in imperial Rome. 2014. Web. http://www.waterhistory.org/histories/rome/ Princeton. Memphis Egypt. 2014. Web. https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Memphis,_Egypt.html Wattpad. Characteristics of ancient civilization. 2014. Web. http://www.wattpad.com/3132261-characteristics-of-ancient-civilisations Read More