Egypt and Monumental Architecture

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the monumental architecture in Egypt that was associated with worship of the gods and with funeral customs. The paper discusses the building and development of the pyramids and the purposes that they served. It then shows how the cycle of birth and rebirth is expressed in much Egyptian art and is central to the religion of ancient Egypt.

From the Paper:

"The pyramids, of course, are massive tombs for high-born rulers, while smaller tombs or burial sites have been found for people of lesser rank, including massive underground structures housing hundreds of mummies in some cases. The huge statues in the Valley of the Kings were also dedicated to rulers who had died and were carved in stone so they would be remembered. The polytheistic religion of the Egyptians supported their ideas about the after-life and about how their rulers would join the gods after death, just as they represented the gods in this world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Edwards, I.E.S. The Pyramids of Egypt. London: Penguin Books, 1955.
• Hamlin, Talbot. Architecture through the Ages. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1940.
• Meskell, Lynn. Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002.
• O=Brien, Alexandra A. "Death in Ancient Egypt." Oriental Institute Research Archives (1999), retrieved April 23, 2005 from http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/DEPT/RA/ABZU/DEATH.HTML.
• Woldering, Irmgard. The Art of Egypt. New York: Greystone Press, 1962.

More papers on Egypt and Monumental Architecture:

• Analytical Essay # 130551 : "Egypt and Monumental Architecture"
• Descriptive Essay # 117615 : "Ancient Egyptian Burials and Funerary Architecture"
• Research Paper # 73951 : "Privatization in Egypt and Tunisia"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: