World History
Through Architecture and Art
ANCIENT
EGYPT
•
The theme of Egyptian
architecture is: The
Focus on the afterlife
•
Pyramids were built
mostly by slaves to
serve as tombs when
the Ancient Egyptian
Pharaohs died.
•
There are 138 pyramids
found in Egypt as of
2008.
The Great Sphinx in Egypt
Surveying the sands of Giza, the great Sphinx has stood guard since about 2500 B.C. The
greatest monumental sculpture in the ancient world, the Sphinx is carved out of a single ridge
of stone 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high. It represent the body of a lion with
the head of a king or a god.
Ziggurats



These were temples not
tombs.
Kings built these temples
to perform religious
ceremonies.
Scientists have discovered 19
ziggurats and we know of 10
more through literature.
Ancient Mesopotamia
The Parthenon

Built in the city of Athens
and dedicated to the
goddess Athena.
Greek Art and
Architecture
Greek life was dominated by
religion, their buildings were
dedicated to the Gods.
 The column is a common
feature in their structures.
 Their art tries to portray the
human body “in motion” and
“the beauty” of humans.
 They used marble and limestone
to build these structures.

Ancient Greece
Famous
Greek
Structures
•
•
The Dodoni Greek Theater
The Temple of Poseidon
The Coliseum
Completed in the year 80 A.D.
by the emperor Vespasian.
 The coliseum seated 55,000
spectators and was used to
entertain the Romans.

Roman Aqueducts
Built to carry water from lakes
to the Roman cities. The Arch
was used for support.
 The aqueducts provided Romans
with a constant flow of water for
their needs.

Ancient Rome
One of 1000’s of roads the
Romans built by their army.
 The remains of the famous
Roman Forum

The Verona Arena built to seat
up to 30,000 people.
 The Baalbek temple built in
Lebanon.

More Roman Structures
Ruins from the ancient city of
Pompeii. Destroyed by Mount
Vesuvius in background.
 Theater built in 16 B.C. in
Merida (seats 6,000)


Notice how the Romans
portrayed the human body.
Basilica of San
Vitale
Hagia Sophia

Built in 537; has been a church,
mosque and museum. Located
in Istanbul, Turkey.

Byzantine cathedral built in 547
in Italy.
Byzantium Empire
St. Basil Cathedral
Moscow 1561
The Hermitage
St. Petersburg 1764
Byzantine Influence in Russia
Famous
Ancient
Structures
in Asia
•
The Great Wall of China
built over 2000 years to
protect China from
outside invaders.
•
Angkor Wat is the
largest Hindu temple in
the world. Located in
Cambodia it was built in
the 12 century.
Famous
Ancient
Structures
in Asia
•
Forbidden City: built in
1406 in China during
the Ming dynasty, has
over 1000 buildings and
was home to the
emperor.
•
The Shwedagon Pagoda
located in Myanmar is
over 2500 years old and
is one of the most
sacred Buddhist temples
in Asia.
Famous
Ancient
Structures
in Asia
•
The Taj Mahal in Arga,
India was built by
emperor Shah Jahan for
his wife. It took 20,000
workers and was
completed in 1653.
•
The Potala Palace,
located in Tibet was
built in 1659 is the
highest elevated
Buddhist temple in the
world.
Chartres Cathedral in France (1193)
Architecture of the Middle
Ages
Notre Dame de Paris
Paris, France
Built in 1163
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne, Germany
Built in 1248
Cathedrals of the Middle Ages
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury, England
Built in 1258

•
A new style of architecture
emerged in Europe during
the Middle Ages. Some
common traits of these
Medieval churches included:
A. Stained glass
windows
B. High vaulted ceilings
C. Tall arches and spires
D. Heavy roofs with thick
walls.
Cathedrals were built in all
European cities and
represented the wealth of
the church.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
(Italy) 1173 - 1399
Mont Saint Michel
(France)
More examples of Middle Age
Architecture
Tower of London
London, England
Built in 1078
Windsor Castle
Berkshire, England
Built in 1086
Castles of the Middle Ages
Santa Maria del
Fiore
Florence, Italy (1446)
St. Peters Basilica
Vatican City (1506)
* Worlds largest church
European Renaissance
Architecture
Renaissance
Architecture
•
Architects were inspired
by the highly
symmetrical and
carefully proportioned
buildings of Classical
Greece and Rome.
Features of Renaissance
buildings:
- Symmetrical
arrangement of windows
and doors.
- Extensive use
of columns and pilasters.
- Arches
- Domes
- Sculptures
Famous Renaissance Paintings


Architecture was marked by
a return to the intrinsic
dignity of what a
contemporary called "the
noble simplicity and tranquil
loftiness of the ancients.“
Classical style had resisted
baroque influences, the great
country houses of the
nobility now exhibited a
purity of design, which often
included a portico with
Corinthian columns.
Architecture from the
Enlightenment Period 1600 - 1800
Palace of
Versailles
History and How the
Palace of Versailles was
constructed
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=7oRPSEEEdV8

Machu Picchu (The Incas)

Chichen Itza (The Mayans)

Tenochtitlan (The Aztecs)
Architecture in the
Americas:
Pre-Columbus
Mount Rushmore
Statue of Liberty
Famous Structures in the United
States
Golden Gate Bridge
Empire State Building
Famous Structures in the United
States
St. Louis Arch
Washington Monument
Famous Structures in the United
States
Famous modern works
around the world
In the United Kingdom
In Europe
Around the world
Man Made Structures
We are still learning about…
Stonehenge
-
Amesbury, England
Built around 2600 B.C.
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Easter Island
Heads
-
-
Easter Island (Pacific
Ocean)
Built around 13th to 15th
centuries
The Great Zimbabwe
Ruins
-
Built around the 11th
century
-“The
three buried
ancient circles in
Turkey”
Built long before
Stonehenge in Southern
Turkey these ancient relics
still pose questions for
scientists.
-
And Finally…
Some pictures of the
world’s tallest
structures
(1) Burj Khalifa
(2) Shanghai Tower
Dubia, UAE (2010)
2717 Feet
Shanghai, China (2014)
2073 Feet
(3) Makkah Royal Clock
Tower Hotel
Mecca, Saudi Arabia (2012)
1971 Feet
(5) Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan (2004)
1670 Feet
(8/9) Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1998)
1483 Feet
(57) Burj Al Arab
Dubai, UAE (1999)
1053 Feet
Hopefully you have seen how
architecture has changed over
the centuries and time
periods. It will be interesting
to see how architecture will
evolve in the 21st century.