1 FROM THE BEGINNINGS TO THE 18TH CENTURY EARLY TIMES Can you match the buildings with the places where they were constructed? 1. pyramids 2. zyggurats 3. stupas 4. mosques a. India, China and Japan b. Muslim regions c. Egypt d. Babylonia and Assyria Have you ever seen any examples of very ancient buildings? Which ones exactly? Imohtep, one of the first architects known by name, designed the Step Pyramid in about 2,700 B.C. clay: argilla carved: inciso, intagliato cliff: promontorio, scogliera cradle: culla domed: a cupola fence: recinzione, cinta high-roofed: dall alto tetto hut: capanno mat: tappeto reed: canna relic: reliquia screen: parete divisoria, tramezzo straw: paglia The cradle of civilization The history of architecture had its real beginnings in two regions: the Nile Valley in Egypt and the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Babylonia and Assyria. In Egypt the first buildings were made of reeds, wood and sun-dried bricks. Later, the Egyptians imitated in stone the shapes of these early buildings. During the Old Kingdom (2,700 BC to 2,200 BC), workmen built great stone pyramids to serve as royal tombs . From about 1,800 BC to 1,200 BC, the Egyptians cut their tombs into huge stone cliffs along the Nile Valley. They also built large stone temples, such as those at Karnak and Luxor. In Babylonia and Assyria, little wood or stone was available. People built clay huts with oval, circular or curved roofs. Later they mixed clay and straw to make sun-dried bricks. Before 3,000 BC, builders learnt to make brick arches and vaults. The Assyrians and Babylonians honoured their gods with tall temples called ziggurats. Each ziggurat was built in layers that gradually grew smaller toward the top. India, China and Japan The people of India, China and Japan developed very different architectural styles. In India, architecture took a definite form when Buddhism became Ancient japanese house 284 HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE Ali Minaret the official religion. Three kinds of buildings became important: temples, monasteries and stupas (where sacred relics of Buddha were housed). Some of the temples were cut out of solid rock. Hinduism was the other religion of India: Hindu temples have rows of sculptured columns and richly-carved domed roofs. Mosques and minarets After they had conquered India, the Muslims introduced new architectural forms. Their temples, called mosques, have high domes and tall towers called minarets, as in the Taj Mahal at Agra (India). The Chinese built wooden temples and palaces with spacious courts leading to highroofed halls. Their houses had roofs gently curving upwards. The Japanese adopted many architectural forms from India and China. They built one-floor high houses surrounded by gardens with bamboo fences. Sliding paper screens separated the rooms and the wooden floor was covered by straw mats.