Egyptian Terminology,
Mastabas & Pyramids
Prepared by : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika
M.Arch Landscape
Assistant Professor
GITAM School of Architecture
Hyderabad
Sarcophagus :
A stone coffin is typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient
civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece.
Pharoah :
A ruler in ancient Egypt.
Necropolis :
• Any graveyard can be called a necropolis, but the word is best used to describe a very large burying ground made up
of tombs or the ancient grave site of a famous or powerful historical figure.
• The pyramid at Giza, in Egypt, is an example of a necropolis — it's the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. In
Latin, necropolis literally means "city of the dead," from the Greek burial site Necropolis.
serdab :
A narrow chamber of the ancient Egyptian mastaba either concealed or accessible only by a narrow passage and
containing a statue of the deceased
Hieroglyphs – Sacred carvings :
A stylized picture of an object representing a word, syllable,
or sound, as found in ancient Egyptian and certain other
writing systems.
Peristyle hall :
• A row of columns surrounding space within a building such as a court or
internal garden or edging a veranda or porch.
• A space such as a court or a porch that is surrounded or edged by a peristyle.
Hypostyle Hall :
(of a building) having a roof supported by pillars, typically in several rows.
Egyptian Architecture :
Tomb architecture
• Mastabas
• Pyramids
• Temple architecture
• Obelisks
• Dwellings
Funerary / Tomb architecture in Egypt
• Egyptians believed very strongly in the afterlife
• Hence, they did their utmost to build lasting tombs to preserve the body along with the most acceptable commodities
that might be needed for sustenance and eternal enjoyment of the deceased
• As early as First Dynasty – bands of linen were used to wrap the body to aid its preservation – through embalming
was not developed till the New Kingdom
• Dynasties I & II – TWO TOMBS – one each in Upper and Lower Egypt – 1 actual tomb – 1 cenotaph
• Both are surrounded by rows of burials of retainers sacrificed for their master
• This custom soon died out
Mastabas
• Tombs were most outstanding architectural element
of the period.
• Tombs also serve as the focus for the worship of the
dead.
• The tomb evolved during the old kingdom from the
Mastaba, through the stepped pyramid to the
reknown ancient Egyptian pyramid.
• The earliest method of burial in ancient Egypt was in
shallow pits in the desert.
• The desert dried the bodies and preserved them.
• In the end, they built a bench-like structure over
graves to create the first burial structure called
Mastaba.
• The name Mastaba derives from podiums in front of
traditional houses.
Section of mastaba
• In the Old Kingdom, rich and noble person-built mastaba for
their burial in the city of the dead.
• Above ground the Mastaba is a large bench of sun – baked
bricks rising 9 meters high
• It had a flat top and slanting walls.
• The earliest royal tombs were decorated with painted patterns
in brilliant colours.
• Internally, a mastaba consist of three parts – a burial chamber,
a serdab ( a narrow chamber of the ancient Egyptian mastaba
either concealed or accessible only by a narrow passage and
containing a statue of the deceased) and a chapel.
• The burial chamber was located 30 feet below ground.
• It was connected to a burial chamber above ground through a
shaft.
• The burial chamber is the place for the burial of the
dead person.
• In the chamber is found the sarcophagus where the
dead body was placed.
• The burial chamber is packed with everything
needed in the afterlife.
• After the burial, the shaft to the burial chamber is
sealed.
• The Serdab and chapel are located above ground.
• The serdab is a room where the Statue of the dead
person is kept.
• The statue is a substitute for the body in case it is
destroyed.
• Some mastabas had fence walls and chambers for the
burial of servants.
• Mastaba served as an embryo for the evolution of the
pyramid.
Example: The Mastaba of Thi, Sakkara
• Well preserved and restored, dates from the Fifth Dynasty and was erected by Thi, who held the position of royal
architect and superintendent of pyramids.
• It consists of a small vestibule, beyond which is a large court, where offerings to the deceased were made, and from
which a mummy shaft led to the tomb chamber.
• The masonry is accurately jointed, and the bas-reliefs are some of the finest and most interesting in Egypt.
• A second tomb chamber, 22 ft. nine ins. by 23 ft. nine ins. and 12 ft. six ins. High has mural reliefs that represent
harvesting, ship-building, slaughtering of sacrificial animals, as well as arts and crafts of Old Egypt. At the same
time, Thi himself is pictured in a papyrus thicket, sailing through the marshes.
Pyramids
Pyramids :
• Most famous of all types of a burial tombs.
• Built for the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom to last for all eternity.
• The dead were accompanied by all the things required for a comfortable afterlife.
Construction of Pyramids :
• The most astonishing fact in the construction of the pyramids is how the Egyptians managed to raise these
enormous blocks of stone weighing 2.5 tons & measuring 8’ x 8’ x8’ each to a height of 480.’
• One of the theories is that ramps were built of mudbrick & rubble on which stone blocks were dragged on sledges
to the required height.
• Another theory suggests that a first-step pyramid was carved out of an existing mountain to form the core, around
which the ramps were built concentrically to raise the stone blocks to each stage and fill up the steps to create the
pyramidal shape.
• Finally, the pyramid was finished by adding a tura limestone casing.
Example: 1) Step pyramid at Djoser(Zoser), Sakkara
• Intended to hold his mummified body, Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara began as a traditional, flat-roofed
mastaba.
• But by the end of his 19-year reign, in 2611 B.C., it had risen to six stepped layers and stood 204 feet (62 meters)
high. It was the largest building of its time.
• Extensive use of stone—here and there carved to resemble wood, reeds, or other softer materials—made the tomb
more durable than its mud-brick forebears.
• Such pioneering techniques led many ancient historians to credit the chief architect, Imhotep, with inventing stone
architecture.
• The Step Pyramid complex was enclosed by a 30-foot (10-meter) wall and included courtyards, temples, and chapels
covering nearly 40 acres (16 hectares)—the size of a large town in the third millennium B.C.
• As in earlier mastaba tombs, the Step Pyramid's burial chambers are underground, hidden in a maze of tunnels,
probably to discourage grave robbers.
• The tomb was nevertheless plundered, and all that remains of Djoser, the third king of Egypt's 3rd dynasty, is his
mummified left foot
• Constructed as a series of smaller terraces, one on top of the other.
• 1st monument built entirely of stone.
• Designed by Imhotep and defied in Egypt as God of Architect.
• Consists of six tiers.
• Rectangular base (109 m X 121 m).
• Height:59.93 m (now 58.63 m due to erosion).
• Volume : 330,400 cu.m
• The royal tomb is 28m underground with a vertical shaft. The entrance
was sealed with a 3-ton piece of granite.
• A series of corridors and a tomb chamber were dug. Some of the rooms
are lined with blue tiles.
• Interior contains a network of channels and shaft with the burial chamber
of Djoser at its center.
• Stone blocks used were slightly larger than bricks previously used during
the construction of raw mastabas.
Example: 2) Bent Pyramid of Dashur
• This first Egyptian attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid
was likely designed to have very steep sides.
• But a lack of stability probably influenced the architects
to aim for a new angle halfway through construction.
• Built after he abruptly shifted his court north to Dahshur,
this second pyramid by Snefru had an unprecedented two
burial chambers, each with a separate entrance.
• Perhaps because of the awkward angles in the Bent
Pyramid, the pharaoh commissioned the third pyramid
nearby and sent workers back to Maidum to finish his
first pyramid.
• Classic fact: The cult of Snefru was centered at the Bent
Pyramid, even though he was never buried there.
• The bent pyramid is very smooth and has curved
sides
• The sides sign as brightly as the sun when the sun
reflects against
• The bent pyramid is made of plain stone and
limestone
Western descending order
Example : 3) Great Pyramid of Cheops,
Gizeh
• The construction of a true geometrical pyramid was
achieved during the reign of Cheops, son of Snefru.
• This was located at Giza.
• This pyramid is called the Great pyramid because
of its size.
• The pyramid is 482 ft high on a plan 760ft square.
• Two other pyramids were subsequently built at
Giza.
• Chefren, the son of Cheops, built the second
largest in the center.
• The third and smallest, was built by Mykerinus,
the son of Chefren.
• The three together are referred to as pyramids at
Giza.
• The three are aligned diagonally along the
projection of the diagonal of the great pyramid.
• The small pyramids close to them were built for
their queens.
• The pyramids were designed as part of a
funeral complex for a pharaoh's burial.
• Chefren’s complex is the best-preserved
example.
• The complex consists of three
interconnected units :
• A valley temple by the river Nile where the
pharaoh’s body was embalmed.
• A pyramid mortuary temple for rituals.
• A long narrow causeway connecting the
two.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops :
• The great pyramid has a unique internal
arrangement.
• First, it has a chamber built below the
pyramid’s base.
• Another chamber was built above it, known
as the queen’s chamber.
• A larger burial chamber known as the king’s
chamber was built at the pyramid’s center.
• This is the chamber where the king was buried in his Sarcophagus.
• The king's chamber was 35ft by 17ft in plan and 19ft high.
• Both the king and queen chambers are connected to the entrance on the north side.
• Two air shafts also connect the king’s chamber to the outside for ventilation.
• Once a king is buried, the burial chamber is sealed forever.
Difference between Mastaba and Pyramids :
• A mastaba is an ancient Egyptian tomb made of mud bricks or stones, while a pyramid is also an ancient Egyptian
tomb made of rocks or bricks.
• A mastaba is rectangular, while a pyramid is triangular.
• Both were used as tombs for Egypt’s elite. While the mastabas were later used for the ordinary people, the pyramids
were exclusively for the Pharaohs and Egypt’s rulers.
• Mastabas have flat roofs while pyramids have pointed tops.
• Because of the materials used, more pyramids than mastabas survived
