Egyptian civilization planning settlement

planning settlement

1. EGYPTIAN
CITY-PLANNING
GROUP F

2. INTRODUCTION
•Location: Nile Valley
•Climate
Egypt' s climate is semi-desert characterized by
hot dry summers, moderate winters and a very
little rainfall
The country is characterized by particularly
good wind flow.

3. SOCIAL –CULTURAL ASPECTS
•Social and cultural conditions in dynasties period were centralized
and ruled by the Pharaohs (almighty, god, demigod, mystery,
priests, builders),
•They involved armies of unpaid laborers, and prisoner of war for
the construction of massive structure,
•Egyptians skilled in craftsman and their knowledge of Astronomy
,Mathematics and Chemistry (preservation of mummies) was quite
advanced,
•Pictographs (art of picture writing ) in early stage well developed
and is the basis of writing in late stage in Egypt .

4. Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid
•ThePharaoh,Pharaohs played a crucial role in
urban planning, prioritizing the construction of
monuments like pyramids and temples.
•High government officials like vizier(the
pharaohs right handman ), thechief treasurer
and the army general, Priests and nobles (who
serve aslesser government officials)
•Soldiers
•Scribes (who write down important events and
calculate taxes)
•Craftsmenand merchants
•Farmers and unskilled workers
•Servants and prisoners of war

5. RELIGION
•Egyptian's strongly belief in future state (Life after Death) and
hence constructed massive pyramids for the preservation of
death bodies

6. ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Ancient Egyptian towns thrived based on location, resources, trade routes,
and social structures.
•AGRICULTURE :
Nile River floods created fertile land near towns, and Egyptians used
farming techniques to grow crops like wheat, barley flax etc. that fueled
their economy
•TRADE :
•Egyptian towns boomed as trade centers through to the Nile river and
location.
•They traded crops, crafts, and luxury goods with nearby empires such as
the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Nubia.
•Egyptians actively traded with neighboring regions, exporting their
surplus crops, papyrus, linen, gold, and manufactured goods. They
imported luxury items like wood, incense, and exotic animals

7. •CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INDUSTRY:
•Egyptian towns buzzed with craft production - pottery, weaving,metalwork,jewlery- for both their
people and tradeproduced a wide rangeof goods for local consumption and trade.
•SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND LABOR:
•Ancient Egyptian towns were economic pyramids with labors distingushed as peasants, craftmen,
merchants etc .
•Farmers were the base, growing food. Crafters made goods, merchants sold them, and officials on top
kept things running.
•GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION:
Egyptian towns doubled as mini-governments, collecting taxes, enforcing laws, and employing locals on
big building project, such as temple construction and monument building, and providedeconomic stimulus
to towns.
•WEALTH AND INEQUALITY:
Ancient Egyptian towns had a big gap between rich and poor, but practices like charity and government
projects helped bridge it by mechanisms such as religious offerings, charity, and public works projects
aimed at mitigating poverty and providing for the less fortunate.

8. SPATIAL PLANNING ( CITY PLANNING)
SPATIAL :having the character of space
SPATIAL CONCEPT :the understanding of how things are arranged in
space, including the patterns, relationships, and distributions between
different elements or locations
SPATIAL PLANNING is the coordination of practices and policies
affecting spatial organization
•includes all levels of land use planning including urban planning,
regional planning, national spatial plans
CITY PLANNING / URBAN PLANNING the process of guiding and
directing the use and development of land, urban environment, urban
infrastructure, and related ecosystem and human services—in ways that
ensure the maximum level of economic development, high quality of life,
wise management of natural resources, and efficient operation of
infrastructures.

9. •The planning of a town was based on two main factors
– the nearest to a water source and the height it was
built above Nile to make sure the flooding didn't affect
the city.
•Towns generallyhad a boundarywall with only one or
two entrancethrough wall.
•Houses were built on the edge of the streets with each
house usually sharing three walls with neighbouring
houses
•Streets were normally very narrow (case of
Hotepsenusret, only 1.5 metres)
•Space was extremely limited

11. PLANNING ELEMENTS
•Cities as ceremonial centers
•Pyramid cities
•Monumental avenues
•Colossal temple plazas
•Compact city,town classifications – sacred towns , trading towns
, capitals

12. PLANNING PRINCIPLES:
•Proximity to waterways: Settlements were primarily located along the Nile River for access to
water, transportation, and fertile land.
•Height above floodplains: Buildings were constructed on higher ground to avoid the annual Nile
floods.
•Hierarchical road systems: Towns and cities often had a network of streets and alleys, with
varying widths and functions.
•Common orientation: Structures were often aligned with the Nile River, acting as a central axis.
•Grid-iron patterns: Some towns, like Deir el-Medina, employed a grid-iron layout for efficient
organization.
•Public spaces: Cities included gardens, zoos, and other public buildings for recreation and social
interaction.
•Sanitation systems: Advanced drainage and sewerage systems were developed to manage waste
and improve hygiene.
•Zoning: Land use was often segregated, with dedicated areas for the palace, temples,
administrative buildings, and residential quarters.

13. Development and Architectural Features
•Nile-centric development:Since ancient times, Egyptians settledalong the Nile River, the
source of life and fertile land. Cities andtowns organically grew on the river banks, with public
spaces,markets, and religious buildings facing the water.
•Use of local materials: Mudbrick was the primary building material, supplemented
by stone and wood.
•Monumental architecture: Temples, pyramids, and other large-scale structures
were prominent features of Egyptian cities.
•Advanced construction techniques: Egyptians developed sophisticated
engineering and architectural skills, evident in their use of columns, arches, and
load-bearing structures.
•Artistic expression: Towns and buildings were often adorned with intricate
paintings, sculptures, and hieroglyphic inscriptions.
•Sustainable practices: Sunken vessels and other methods were employed for
rainwater harvesting and drainage.

14. FEATURES
•Compact urban living: Due to limited arable land, Egyptian
settlements were historically compact. Houses were built close
together, often using shared walls for better heat insulation.
Narrow streets provided shade and helped create a sense of
community.
•Courtyard houses: Homes frequently incorporated central
courtyards. These provided natural light and ventilation, acting
like passive cooling systems essential in the hot desert climate.
•Mudbrick construction: Mudbrick, made from Nile silt and
straw, was a common building material due to its availability
and insulating properties.
•Fortifications: Many towns had defensive walls and gates,
especially those along trade routes or near borders.
•Preservation ofhistoric areas: Many Egyptian cities have
historic districts where traditional architecture and urban
layouts are preserved. These areas are tourist attractions and
important for cultural heritage.

15. MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY
•The mud-brick buildings were susceptible to water and damp conditions so
care had to be taken when considering the placement of a house, town or
city.
•When houses did crumble, new houses were simply built upon the ruins of
the former house
•This led to houses and towns being built on a more elevated plain.
•Houses:
•Mudbrick was the primary building material, with stone used less
frequently.
•Wood was used for columns, beams, and furniture.
•Reeds and grasses were used for roofs.

16. Town Types:
•Worker Towns:
•Medina: Housed craftsmen, painters, masons, and sculptors for the Valley of the Kings.
•amarna: Housed various classes of workers, including skilled and unskilled laborers.
•Segregated Town:
•Hotepsenusret: Unique town with separate wealthy and poor districts.
•Social Class and Housing:
•Wealthy Class:
•Large, 3-story houses with elaborate columns.
•Separate floors for servants, family living, and business.
•Grain storage and food preparation on the roof.
•Possible bathrooms and toilets made of limestone.
•Extensive gardens with pools, exotic plants, and animals.
•Poorer Class:
•Simple, 2-3 room houses with 1-2 stories.
•Kitchens at the back, living area in front.
•Sleeping on roofs for coolness.
•Small, high windows for ventilation.
•Some cooking done on the roof.
•Peasants and Farmers:
•Simple houses made of reeds and mud, often rebuilt due to Nile proximity.
Kahun, comparative plans of houses
Workmen's to mansion

17. MEMPHIS CITY
•The first-ever capital of Egypt (2950 BC to 2180 BC. )
•one of the official religious centers as it was the worship center for the
holy triad of the creator god of Ptah, his wife Sekhmet and Nefertem.
•The city of Memphis is located 15 mi south of modern Cairo in lower
Egypt.
•The stature of Memphis declined and served as a second capital after
the rise of Thebes in the new kingdom of Egypt (15570-1070 BC).
•After the official capital was transferred to Alexandria in 331 BC and
with the rise of Christianity, Memphis was completely abandoned and
faded within time.
•Only a few ruins still exist today like an alabaster Sphinx and statue of
Ramses II. Near Memphis lies the ancient city of Giza which holds the
great pyramids complex.

18. Cities of Egypt
1. Memphis City
2. Thebes City
3. Amarna City
4. Avaris City
5. Pi-Ramsess City
6. Thonis City
7. Alexandria City
8. Abydos City
9. Hermopolis City
10. Crocodiloplis City
11. Elephantine City
12. Heliopolis City

19. THEBES CITY
•Location : along the east bank of Nile river in upper Egypt
Spatial planning and architecture :
•Nile centric : like other ancient cities, Thebes sprawled along the
Nile east bank
•Distinct area : Thebes can be broadly divided into three sectors ;
•East bank : main town area with temples , palaces
•West bank : Theban necropolis including the valley of king and
queen, Deir el-Bahri, a temple complex
•Karnak temple complex :massive religious complex dedicated to
aamun
•Mudbrick construction , temple architecture

20. TOWN OF AMARNA
Unplanned Layout:
•No central organization or structure.
•Houses built seemingly wherever space was available.
Compact Design:
•Houses built close together, similar to Deir el-Medina.
Basic Houses:
•Houses were small and lacked the amenities of Deir el-Medina houses.
Water Scarcity:
•No town well, residents had to fetch water from a distance.
Animal Presence:
•Animals were kept within the town.
Neighborly Considerations:
•Despite the lack of overall planning, some level of consideration for neighbors existed, as
evidenced by the house-building agreement.

22. TOWN OF HOTEPSENUSRET
•Segregated social classes: Wealthy
residential area with houses significantly
larger than those in the poorer district.
•Wide main street in the rich area (9
meters) compared to a narrow street (1.5
meters) in the poorer area.
•No gardens in any houses.
•Estimated population of 5,000 based on
grain silo capacity.

23. •Function: Workers' town built for
pyramid construction.
•Organization: Grid-like layout with
distinct zones.
•Central zone: Temples and
administrative buildings.
•North and South zones: Workers'
housing, arranged in rows with
shared walls for efficiency and heat
insulation.
•East and West zones: Workshops
and storage areas

24. TOWN OF DIER EL- MEDINA
RIGID PLANNING
Centralized Layout:
•One main street through the center.
•Houses on either side of the street (around 70 total).
Compact Design:
•Narrow streets, houses close together.
Functional Houses:
•Each house had 3 rooms, a yard, kitchen area, and underground
storage.
•Niches for household gods.
Cities as ceremonial centers
•Pyramid cities
•Monumental avenues
•Colossal temple plazas
•Compact city,town classifications – sacred towns , trading towns,
capitals

25. CONCLUSION
•Resource Scarcity and Efficiency: With limited wood and stone, Egyptians
relied heavily on mudbrick, a readily available but impermanent material.
This influenced compact, high-density layouts to maximize space within the
fertile Nile Valley.
•The Power of the Nile: The lifeblood of Egypt, the Nile dictated settlement.
Towns clustered near the river for water, transportation, and the fertile land it
deposited during annual floods.
•Religion as a Guiding Force: Cities weren't just functional; they were
expressions of faith. Temples, the grandest structures, served as the focal
points, with monumental avenues and plazas facilitating religious
processions and public gatherings.
•Technology for Monumentality: While lacking advanced metalworking,
Egyptians developed sophisticated techniques for quarrying, transporting,
and shaping massive stone blocks. This enabled the construction of
pyramids, obelisks, and colossal statues, solidifying

26. How did the ancient Egyptians plan their cities?
•A1: Ancient Egyptian city planning involved careful consideration of proximity to water
sources, elevation above the Nile to prevent flooding, boundary walls for security, and
controlled access. Rulers invested in urban planning, constructing pyramids and temples as
symbols of their civilization.
How did the Nile River influence urban planning in ancient Egypt?
•A3: The Nile River played a crucial role in ancient Egyptian urban planning. Rulers and kings
utilized urban planning to address population density and the significance of the Nile as a
lifeline for the people.