The gigantism of ancient Egypt
To fully understand the architecture of ancient Egypt, we need to separate the buildings into two distinct groups: on the one hand, dwellings, seen as buildings as ephemeral as life itself, and therefore built from fragile materials such as clay and wood, and on the other, cult buildings, with tombs and temples. It is these latter monuments that bear witness to what is known as "gigantism". As you walk up to them, you immediately notice just how impressive their size can be. It's hard not to marvel at the grandeur of the Great Red Pyramid and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The size of the latter is simply staggering. Covering an area of 5 hectares, it took its builders almost 6 million tonnes of stone to complete it. Also worth mentioning are the Sphinx of Giza, one of the world's most mysterious monuments, with its human head and lion-like body in a reclining position; the Karnak temple on the eastern bank of the Nile, one of the greatest religious complexes of antiquity, 1.5 km long and 700 m wide; and the Colossi of Memnon, two monumental statues 18 m high, depicting Amenophis III in a seated position, hands on knees. In addition, the Egyptians did not hesitate to build colossal obelisks and gigantic statues to link the temples together, such as the 2.5 km-long Sphinx Alley linking the Karnak and Luxor temples. All these monuments, which visitors often flock to see, bear witness to ancient Egypt's taste for the grandiose and imposing.
Egypt, styles of great variety
Take a stroll through the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and surrounding areas and you'll notice that the architecture of these cities encompasses all the different styles that the country has seen since theFirst Dynasty.
Coptic architecture
It was in the fourth century A.D. that the Church of Egypt reached its apogee. The spread of Christianity encouraged the creation of Egyptian Christian art. It is then called Coptic art. At the same time, Coptic architecture developed, with monuments such as the churches of Old Cairo and the church of Deir el-Abiad, in Sohag, which is thought to have been built in 440 by Abbot Chenouté. The monasteries of Wadi Natroun and Upper Egypt also bear witness to the proliferation of this style, and are remarkable with their defensive adobe walls, closed by small gates. Inside, there are monastery buildings made of the same material and protected from the weather by lime.
Styles that refer to Islam
Islam has also influenced Egypt's architecture, through a variety of styles. As you stroll through Cairo, you'll come across a number of buildings that bear witness to this influence. Starting with the Toulounid style, whose emblem is the Ibn Touloun mosque, built between 876 and 879. The Toulouns were originally from Samarra, and this style can be seen in the construction of the monument, with its rather simplistic square ground plan, brick columns and merlons alternating with battlements, a construction typical of Mesopotamian art. The stucco floral decorations on the pillars reveal a Byzantine style, and the minaret is also a Samarra-style construction.
The Fatimid caliphate dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 969 to 1171, also left its mark on the region's architectural history. An example of the Fatimid style, said to be the most refined of Arab architectural styles, are the great mosques built in Cairo, distinguished by stucco decorations, elaborate woodwork and the insertion of elements such as ivory and bone. At Al-Azhar and Al-Salih Talai, the mosques are supported by slender columns, and in the case of Al-Salih Talai, it's impossible not to mention its remarkable exterior portico. Another symbolic element of this period is the melon-shaped dome found on Sayyeda Ruqaya's mausoleum.
While the reign of the Abbasid and then Fatimid caliphs was marked by the construction of large-scale urban buildings, the Ayyubid princes who took power in the 12th century developed military, religious and civil architecture in Cairo. A new era began. The military architecture is clearly visible when you reach the walls of the northern enclosure of the Cairo citadel, or when you walk along the wall linking Fatimid Cairo to the citadel, along Dar el-Ahmar. In these cases, the stone used comes from the small pyramids on the Giza plateau or from the Moqqatam quarries. As for civil art, it mixes bricks and cut stone. A fine example can be found in Cairo's southern cemetery, with the mausoleum of Imam El-Shaféi, whose muqarnas, those famous stalactite-like honeycomb ornaments, and colorful vaults are a perfect illustration of Ayyubid art. On Rue Al-Zahir, the Baybars mosque is a must-see.
The Mamluk era
The Mamluk domination in Egypt from 1250 to 1517 was characterized by the development of an art and architecture still visible today. The affirmation of the Mamluk style is made with Nasir ibn Qalawun and Barquq, two sultans who imposed the style in their city with the mausoleum of Qalawun, where painted coffered ceilings, mother-of-pearl and marble mosaics can be seen. For its part, the Khangah of Baybars is a perfect example of the geometric figures that Mamluk art developed for the decoration of its buildings. This building also bears witness to the Mamluk interest in elements from Islamic art such as minarets and domes. The Mamluks also made increasing use of naskhi calligraphy on mosques, particularly at the entrances to indicate the date of their erection. The richly decorated blue and gold dome of Sultan Barquq's mosque is a masterful example of the art of floral design. The refinement of bare Mamluk art can be found in the Mosque of Sultan Hasan, where the arched arches give a special elevation to the building, which, like other Mamluk monuments, rises more towards the sky than the Fatimid mosques, which are lower in height and more spread out in width. Mamluk buildings are also decorated with round shields, the first heraldry of the region. If one wants to marvel more and more at Mamluk splendour, the Madrasa of Qaïtbay, in the northern cemetery, is a fine example of how elements such as marble, wood and stained-glass windows were also used in the construction of certain monuments; in Alexandria, it was he who built the fortress guarding the port. Finally, the wakala of Sultan Ghouri and the palace of Emir Taz, which we have the pleasure of admiring in the medieval centre of Cairo, complete the tour of Mamluk art.
The architectural presence of the Ottomans
It is known that after the victory of Selim I over Asraf al-Guri in 1507, the penultimate Circassian sultan, Egypt fell under the domination of the Ottomans, who were also present in Asia Minor and Persia. For four centuries, the Ottomans left traces of different styles. The earliest constructions are quite similar to the Mamluk style, with coffered ceilings decorated and painted with geometric motifs and calligraphy. A fine example is the house of Gamal el-Din el-Dhahabi. In the southern enclosure of the citadel in Cairo, the Suleiman Pasha Mosque represents the architecture of a pure Ottoman style. In the Aqsunqur Mosque in Darb el-Ahmar, this time, the interest of the Ottomans in the art of Iznik ceramics is recognized, with the representation of pine trees, tulips and carnations. The Ottomans also achieved real architectural prowess, with the alternation of stones of different colours, assembled in a complex manner, as can be seen in the curved arch of the Sabil Kuttab Abdel-Rahman Katkhuda. Other monuments to be highlighted are the two finely decorated houses Kiridliya and Amna Bint Salim, and the mosque of Mohamed Ali, in the citadel, whose tapering minarets and large dome reveal pure Turkish inspiration.
When Europe imports to Egypt
In 1867, Khedive Ismaïl returned from the Universal Exhibition in Paris and wanted to integrate Haussmanian architecture in Cairo, but in a less rigorous style and with decorations closer to Italian standards. This is what he wants for the buildings in the new city centre. This is how some great French names made constructions and plans for Cairo: Barillet-Deschamps designed the Ezbekieh garden, when the great Gustave Eiffel built a bridge in the zoological garden in 1873. Other follies were erected at the time, reflecting the desire to introduce various elements of the West. These include the Austrian-inspired synagogue on Adli Street, the palace of the Sakakini family in the Abbaseya district, and large buildings in the city centre such as the court on 26-July Street, the Tiring store on Attaba Square, the dome of the Sednaoui store on Khazindar Square, the Groppi and its Art Nouveau tea room and the Cairo University in Giza.
Old styles come back into fashion
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Egypt again refers in some of its buildings to ancient, even very ancient styles. Between 1869 and 1911, the Al-Rifai Mosque was built in a neo-Mamluk style, as was the Gezira Pavilion in Zamalek, now the heart of the Marriott Hotel. In the same district, mention should also be made of the Cairo Opera House, built in 1987, which is also inspired by the neo-oriental style, but with purer lines. Some monuments in Heliopolis are reminiscent of them, a neo-Moorish inspiration, and the palace of Baron Empain is the finest example. This Andalusian inspiration can also be seen in the Museum of Islamic Art. If the time of the pharaohs marked the history of the country, the neopharaonic style is perhaps not the most attractive style in Egypt. Nevertheless, the presence of this architecture can be seen in the tomb of Saad Zaghlul, built in 1924, and in the Constitutional Court, built in 1999, which everyone can appreciate its rendering with their own criteria.
Modernism present in Cairo
You have to go towards Tahrir Square in Cairo to see buildings that make reference to modernism. One thinks of the Nile Hilton, the first modern hotel in the Egyptian capital, or the headquarters of the Arab League, built between 1955 and 1960 and which presents a sobriety that is not in the habits of the country. Finally, in 1961, the Cairo Tower was built, which represents a wicker braid and whose top symbolizes a lotus flower. It is 187 meters high and the revolving restaurant at the top allows a panoramic view of all of Cairo's horizons.
