Ancient Egyptians developed agriculture along the fertile banks of the Nile River around 2000 BC. They built irrigation systems using canals, pools, and shadufs to transport water from the river. Egyptians grew a variety of food crops and medicinal plants. Temple gardens often featured symbolic water features and trees representing deities. Home gardens typically included fish ponds, vegetable plots, vineyards, and rows of trees. Egyptian garden plans from tomb paintings and models show symmetrical layouts divided into sections by walls and trees.

1. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF GARDEN DESIGN
ILLUSTRATED NOTEBOOK

2. Ancient Egypt 2000 BC – 1000BC

3. Geography
Figure 1 Northern Nile Valley (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014) the map shows location of the Egypt and the river
Nile.
The civilizationof ancientEgyptdeveloped onthe northof Africainthe arid climate. Thatarea has
fewdistinctivekeygeographicfeatures;the ArabianandLibyandeserts,andthe Nile River,which
flowsfromLake Victorianorthintothe MediterraneanSea.Because thisregion receivedalmostno
rainfall,the Nile Riverwas amajor keytothe base forthe future empire of the Egyptiancivilization.
The riverbanksrichin fertile oasisinthe middle of greatdeserts,whichallowedthe Egyptiansto

4. developintoapowerful state basedinagricultural wealth.Egypt’sdependenceona riverasits life
source was notunique.Thisdependence wascharacteristicof several ancientraces,includingthe
MesopotamiaandInduscivilizationsthatreliedonthe Tigris/EuphratesandIndusriversrespectively.
(World Museum, 2014)
The Egyptiantook an advantage of the locationbythe proximityof the RiverNile andsurroundedby
desert.Egyptianbyusingthose factorsstartedto cultivate the landandstartedagriculture.Theyuse
riverto fill uppool duringfloodsandstore itfordriermoments.Theydevelopedirrigation systemby
usingthose pool or wellsandbuckettobringwaterdirectlyfromThe Nile.
Figure 2 Ipuy tomb, Deir el-Madinah, 1250 BC. (World Museum, 2014). Shaduf (shadoof) is a machine to move water from a
lower place to a higher place.
Religionand philosophy
The Religion inEgyptwas part of everydaylife
Beliefs–Gods,creationmyths,afterlife
The primaryaim was – acceptance of the godsand entryinto the afterlife.Sotheysurrounded
themselveswithremindersandsymbolsof theirbelief
Art wasa meansof communicationbetweenthe elite,the restof societyandthe gods.
Foundintombsin the formsof hieroglyphics,frescoesonthe wall and sculpture
Religioussymbolismandmeaning wasanoverridingtheme inartdesignedtoprojectaperfect
versionof reality,inwhichthere wasnoevil,intoeternity.Itshoweddepictionsof Gods,religious
beliefs,nature andthe environment–includinggardens. (Wikipedia, 2014)

5. Theybuildtempleswithone of the fundamentalpart,whichwasa garden.Templesveryoften
representedelementsof the cosmos.A vital elementof the temple gardenwas water,whichwas
symbolicof the primordial watersof creation. These waterswere the manifestationof the godNun
and quite oftenthere hasbeen anisland locatedinthe centerof the bodyof waterto symbolize the
initial moments of creation.The bodyof waterfollowedthe east-westorientationof the temple
designedinrectangularort-shape formandlocatedinthe center. (Emily Teeter,202)
OldKingdomtextsoutlinedthe sacredrolesof plants. Plantsnotonlyrepresented divinities,the
godsalso embodiedthe plants.
Some examples:
 Date PalmrepresentedRa(SunGod)
 TamariskrepresentedOsiris(rulerof the underworldandgodof the dead)
 Sycamore representedHathor(Goddessof Love andjoy)
 Doum PalmrepresentedThoth(Godof writingandknowledge)
 Hathor was probablythe mostimportant inrelationtoGardens – she is oftendepictedliving
inthe Sycamore tree.
Accordingto the Bookof Dead,guidance forthe afterlife,twinsycamoresstoodatthe easterngate
of heavenfromwhichthe sungodRe emergedeachmorning. (Alison, 2008)
Social History
Pharaohhad an absolute power.Itwasthoughtto be God's representative onEarth.
He performsrituals,made lawsandcollectedtaxesanddefendedhisKingdom.He builttemples with
a form of outdoorspace bymany believedasagardento honorthe Gods.(Tangient LLC, 2014 )
The High Priestisheldonbehalf of the Governmentsof the Pharaoh.Initiallythiswasone person,
but overtime inlowerand upperEgyptcitedtwo topofficialsaswell he was a political advisertothe
Pharaoh.(Tangient LLC, 2014 )
Priests-were notonlyreligiousfunctions,buttheymanage the huge fortunesbelongingtothe
temples.Were likeinthose daysadvancedresearch.Theyalsohadastrong influence onthe policy
of the State. (Tangient LLC, 2014 )
Officials-were educatedandhada rare skill aswritingandcounting.Clerical positionswere not
heritage andwere notdependedonthe social originof the candidate. (Tangient LLC, 2014 )

6. Craftsmen- manufacturedtools,ceramics,clothesandusefulobjectsineverydaylife.Some were
involvedinthe productionof luxurygoods,while othersparticipatedinthe constructionof temples
and tombsof the Pharaohs. (Tangient LLC, 2014 )
Figure 3 Wall painting pictures Farmers and herders in ancient Egypt (Tangient LLC, 2014 ). Animals played significant role
in developing agriculture and cultivating soil. Egyptians use animals for work and source of food.
The nextdownwere the farmersandherders theywere responsibleof growingcropsand
maintenance of the canalsduringquite season. (Tangient LLC, 2014 )
Peasants-were the largestsocial groupinEgypt.Theyhave beeninvolvedinthe cultivationof land
leasedfromthe Pharaohor as priests.Duringbreaksinthe workof the fieldwere employedonlarge
constructionsites. (Tangient LLC, 2014 )
Slaves- theywere inEgypt,arelativelysmall group.Didnothave anyrights,belongedtothe Pharaoh
or the wealthyEgyptians.Theywere usuallymen,takenprisonerbythe armyof the Egyptianruler.
The last inthe pyramidand makingmostof the populationare the unskilledslavesandpeasants.
(Tangient LLC, 2014 )

7. History of Art and Architecture
Figure 4. A well-preserved painting from the tomb of an Egyptian builder Sennedjem, in Deir el-Medina (19th
dynasty) presents a cultivation of cereals, as well as plough using, but first of all—an orchard and a flowerbed,
located on fields surrounded by canals. Trees and flowers planted alternately with great regularity prove the careful
planning of the garden. (World Museum, 2014)

8. Figure 6. The garden scene of tomb at Thebes (Jellicoe, 1995) depicts the elegant and ephemeral nature of domestic
Architecture and the decorative use of plants such as the vine trellis and the pomegranate trees.
Neolithicpeopleswascoupledtogetherbythe bondsof birth,theywere noteducatedhierarchical
social structure,the codifiedbelief systems,administration.Didnotknow the Scriptureswell,
althoughitsoriginsdate backto the culture of the Vincaaround 5300 BC. The firstadvanced
sedentaryculture (i.e.agricultural) thatneedandcancreate great architecture formedok.3000 BC
inEgypt and lowerMesopotamiaSumerianera.Some kinshipinthe ornamental motifsusedinthe
art of these twocultures,indicate the existenceof adeeper,butdifficulttodeciphertoday
compounds.A commonfeature of theirarchitecture isagreat raw scale and monumentalityof
religiousandfuneraryofferings.Itisamazingthatthese firstorganizedculture,althoughhistorical
scale that undoubtedachievement,butwithstill veryprimitive technique,createdbuildingsof
extremelyhighartisticlevel andscale whichisachallenge evenformodernconstructiontechniques.
(World Museum, 2014)
History ofgardens and horticulture
Egyptiansare creditedasbeingone of the firstgroups of people topractice agriculture onquite big
scale.Thiswas possible because of the ingenuityof the Egyptiansastheydevelopedbasinirrigation.
Figure 5 Painting from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes (World Museum, 2014)
Rectangular fishpond with ducks and lotus planted round with date palms and fruit trees, in a fresco from the tomb of
Nebamun, Thebes, 18th dynasty (World Museum, 2014)

9. The Egyptianmethodincludesanetworkof canals,dikes,andsluices,basinswhere some of those
were foundinillustrationsof the templegarden.
“The Egyptianscultivatedawide range of foodstuffs(garlic,onion,radish,lettuce,parsley,different
beansand lentils,melonsandgourds,dates,figs,grapesandlaterthe pomegranate,olive,apple,
peachand pear),anda greatvarietyof herbs,spicesand medicinal plants.Aswell,200speciesof
floweringandaromaticplantshave been identifiedfromremainsfoundinthe tombs.” (Baeyer,
2007)
Accordingto Baeyerthe Egyptiansbuiltsome gardensondifferentlevelsthatwere linkedby
terraces,incorporatedwaterfeaturesintheirgardens,andseparatedtheirgardensintodifferent
sectionsbyusingwalls,linesof trees,pergolas,etc.The ancientEgyptiansclassifiedtheirgardensby
theirform,whatwas growninthemand the buildingsthe gardenswere attachedto. (Baeyer,2007).
Garden plans
EgyptianHome Garden we knowfromtoday'smodel inthe tombof Meketre IIMenhutohepa
Chancellor.Wall paintingspreservedinthe tombsdepictgardens,walledgardensconsistingof small
pondswithfishandaquaticbirds,vegetable plot,androwsof trees.
Figure 7 Figure 8
Left. Model of the house garden of chancellor from Meketre’s tomb (World Museum, 2014) house gardens the elements of
which include ponds inhabited by fish and water (ponds), also vegetable growers, vineyards and lines of trees.

10. Right. Reconstruction of palace Egyptian garden (World Museum, 2014) the complex consists of a walled house, surrounded
with decorative gardens, and the neighboring farming garden. Use of wall out side of the house was use as boundary and
completion of the composition.
The oldestandmost famousof the so-calledplan The Sennuferashowsthe existinginWestern
Thebesduringthe 18TH Dynastygardenadjacentto the House,consistingof the mainaxis
symmetricallyinrelationtothe scheduleof swimmingpools,rowsof treesandvineyard. (World
Museum, 2014)

11. AboutEgyptianTemple gardenswe know little,althoughitmaybe assumedthatinso many
assumptionsaslocatedonthe banksof the Nile,Karnak,inwhichthere were twogreatsacredLake
at leastaroundthese tanksand Sphinxesformedthe linesof trees.Itispossiblethatpartsof the
denselybuilt-upareasof the Temple tookplace inthe fruitsupplygardenssellingtothe victimand
the deceased.Inthe relativelysmalltemple of MentuhotepIIatDeir-el-Baharipreservedtracesof
the gardenin the maincourtyard andplantedthe processional avenue of figtrees. (World Museum,
2014)
Figure 9 Garden Sennufera, Western Thebes, ok. 1410 BC (17THdynasty)
Thebes during the 18TH Dynasty garden adjacent to the House, consisting of the main axis symmetrically
in relation to the schedule of swimming pools, vineyard and rows of trees. Garden was surrounded by wall
and divided into equal portions and by low walks.

12. The ramp and terraces of the sepulchral temple of Mentuhotep II (World Museum, 2014) Temple of Mentuhotep II in Deir-
el-Bahari rests of the principal courtyard garden and the processional avenue planted with fig trees has remained. Those
ruins are one of the remained of Ancient garden plan we can see similarities in todays designs.