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Lecture 2 axumite architecture
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- 2. Influences in architecture •Historical background • Geographical • Geological • Religion • Trade
- 3. Historical background • Thepowerful kingdom of Axum rise Approximately 100 - 1000 AD • It was the Axumites who detailed the first civilization of historic Ethiopia. • Over time Axum became not only wealthy trading kingdom, but also strong military power specially during the time of king Ezana around 350 AD.
- 4. Geographical Influence • Geographicallocation provided advantages: well suited for agriculture; red sea proximity ideal for trade, access to Indian ocean • Axum was a great commercial civilization with Egypt, Persia, Arabia, Romans Byzantines, Ceylon and India • Axum was protected by the mountains of north Tigray.
- 6. Geological influence • Axumwas protected by the mountains of north Tigray. • The land of Axum was rich in fertile land for agriculture as well as stone for construction of buildings and monuments • Location of their churches at high places
- 8. Trade • The Axumitesexport Gold, Ivory, Rhinoceros-horn, hippopotamus hide and slaves, and they imported all kinds of textiles, knives, swords, luxury goods, cotton and silk • This trade connections gave Axum diverse cultures • Merchants who came to Axum brought new ideas as well as goods
- 9. Religion • King Ezanaconverted to Christianity and his court followed in early 4th century
- 11. AXUM’S ACHIEVEMENTSControl over NE African Trade Written Language Spread Christianity inN. & E. Africa Terrace Farming Built Stelae
- 12. Axumite Architecture • Decorationsof the largest stele at Axum symbolize building structures. • The door and the first row of small square windows can be read together as the ground floor.
- 13. • Monumental Architecture(a high level of artistic ability, advanced engineering and mathematical skills) • Expression of the desire to build a multistory building • Their ambition to build a high rise building is clearly stated in the stele . 8 - 10 stories Axumite Architecture
- 14. Construction technique: The‘Monkey-head’ • Typical structural method of the Axumite period and in the later Tigray vernacular architecture • The walls are made of small stone –and-clay masonry • The walls had to be strengthened at narrow intervals with long squared timbers. • These were then held by short round cross-pieces the ends of which became visible as rows of protruding and smoothly rounded “Monkey heads”.
- 15. • Axumite windowand door frames were made of timbers cut into each other, with no nails but with shallow recesses and projections. Construction technique: The ‘Monkey-head’
- 16. Construction technique: The‘Monkey-head’
- 19. Design principle: The„equal-equal‟ • Principle of „equal-equal‟ generates the square, the cube and the 450 angle and the octagonal shape. • „Equi-dimensional‟ of the Axumite principle is different from the „Central symmetrical‟ of the European/ Byzantine tradition
- 20. Proportion • Proportion inaxumite architecture was not by “the golden section” or any similar complicated geometrical procedure but by straight forward arithmetical counting of numbers and units. • Like 2:3 or 3:4
- 22. • All fourparts of equal length. • Similar to the „Greek cross‟ rather than the „latin cross‟. • These crosses were used on Axumite Coins • They are also depicted in drawings/paintings, artifacts or as architectural motifs in windows and reliefs. Early types of Ethiopian Crosses
- 23. Axumite dry stonemasonry construction • Large and squarely dressed stones at the corners • Small broken stones for the main bulk of walls • Slabs of slates or similar flat stones to cover the many narrow “shelves” which are formed because the walls are stepped inwards at regular intervals • The walls are much wider at the bottom higher up
- 25. Basic architectural characteristic featurein axumite palaces • Grand entrance stairs • Courtyards • Strong and well dressed corner walls • Strong stone buttresses • Multi storey
- 26. Legacies' of Axumitecivilization • Monolithic steles • Mausoleums • Palaces • Monkey head construction technique • Equal - equal proportioning technique • Multi - story building techniques
- 27. Examples Palace atDugur
- 32. Takha Mariam Palace •Coversan area of 85*120m •The palace is surrounded by a court •From the court the palace is Accessed by a grand stair •Multi story
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- 34. The Tomb ofKaleb and Gebremaskel
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- 38. Tomb of thefalse door No mortar between joints.
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- 43. Exercise Details of Axumitearchitecture features • Construction detailing • Decoration and pattern detailing • Etc… – Use one A-3 paper size as medium of presentation – The presentation technique could be free hand drawing or digital drawings. However it should be strictly architectural having plans, sections, elevation, and axonometric drawings.