Ancient Egypt as an independent state was founded at the end of the 4th millennium BC. (Appendix, Fig. A 1). Its territorial boundaries are confined to the valley of the river. The Nile, carrying its waters from south to north and flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. Here, naturally, mainly tamariks and date palms, and along the banks of the Nile, reeds, papyruses, lotuses. The hot and arid climate with hot winds, an almost total absence of precipitation excluded the possibility of the existence of tree-shrub vegetation on any significant areas. The ancient Egyptians created a developed irrigation system with canals that provide water for the fields and hydrotechnical devices that protect cities and settlements from floods during river flooding.
From the valuable building material with which Ancient Egypt was rich - granite, limestone, sandstone, and others. Magnificent palaces, durable temple complexes and pyramids, partially preserved to the present day, were built.
The history of ancient Egypt, including its history of architecture and urban planning, is divided into several periods:
The ancient kingdom - 3200–2400 BC e., the capital - Memphis. The middle kingdom of the XXII – XVIII centuries. BC e., the unification of Egypt after a two-century break due to war and fragmentation, the capital - Thebes (Appendix, Fig. A 2). Then came a two-century break (XVIII – XVII centuries), associated with the invasion of the Hyksos. New Kingdom - XVI – XI centuries. BC e. and later time from the X century. until 332 g. n. Oe., ie, before the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, who founded the new capital - Alexandria.
The period of existence of the Old Kingdom is characterized by the construction of the pyramids. Over the three thousand years of the existence of the Egyptian state, along with the development of urban planning, architecture and plant growing, garden art was also formed. Gardens were created at temples, palaces and residential buildings of a wealthy part of the population. Together with the sacred groves and green streets, they constituted the green design of cities that had a straightforward grid of the plan. The city "... visible from external walls or walls, gave the impression of a flourishing oasis, from the green of which obelisks and monumental pylons of temples stood" [11]. The trees and walls protected the city not only from enemy invasions, but also from floods during the Nile flood. The streets, oriented to palaces and temples, played the role of ceremonial roads for processions and had a considerable width (up to 40 m), designed for the movement of a large number of people. On both sides were rows of palm trees. When approaching the temple, the roads were often decorated with figures of sphinxes, sometimes in combination with palm trees. The use of such a technique gave a rhythmic alternation of trunks, shaded sections of the road, sculptural images.
On the territory of the temple complex, this road became a longitudinal compositional axis, which is also an architectural composition axis of symmetry. It was as if strung spaces and volumes, which as they progressed successively changed in size in the direction of increase or decrease.
In the complex itself, a constant change of impressions was achieved due to the rhythmic alternation of open, sunlit interior palaces with dark spaces of the interiors of the temple, its column halls and the successive changes in their dimensions during movement.
The geometric grid of city plans, the axial construction of temple complexes, the canonized use of the principle of symmetry determined the character of the Egyptian garden, which was formed as a regular one with a clearly defined main axis.
As an example, the plan of the Egyptian garden with an area of 1 hectare is given (Appendix, Fig. A 3). The garden is square, enclosed by a wall. The entrance is marked with pylons and is the beginning of the axis, closing the house, located in the depths of the garden. The compositional axis is a covered alley, or the so-called pergola, twined with grapes and forming a shady vault. A symmetrical axial road has four rectangular pools and two gazebos. Along the perimeter - ordinary landing. The considered garden is a sample of a regular style direction. Its specific feature is the presence of enclosing and internal walls surrounding certain areas - the entrance platform, pergola, reservoirs, landings. The landscape architecture of antiquity can be judged only by the mean descriptions, by the rare, very conventional images and the random finds of archaeologists (Appendix, Fig. B 1, a, b).
The garden gave shade and coolness, provided fruits and flowers, here were sacred plants - lotus, papyrus, etc. In the vegetable assortment, in addition to local species, introduced species - figs, pomegranates, roses, and jasmine were widely used. Trees giving fragrant oils were highly valued. Of the grassy were common carnations, cornflowers, poppies. For the ancient Egyptian garden was characterized by an organic fusion of religious, utilitarian and aesthetic functions.
In general, in ancient Egypt, garden art was formed with clear compositional planning canons:
- regular plan, including axial composition and the use of symmetry;
- the formation of closed compositions;
- the presence of water as an integral, and often the main part of the garden;
- using rhythm as a compositional technique;
- the use of alleys and ordinary plantings;
- using exotic plants in the assortment of woody plants.
Что бы оставить комментарий войдите
Комментарии (0)