Architecture Throughout History

Architecture changed dramatically from the time of the Egyptian civilization to the rise of Greece and further through the fall of Rome. In Egyptian times the pyramid was a pronounced improvement to the mastabas which were originally designed to be a burial tomb. In Greek times, they had three different types’ of columns. In Roman times they created many types of arches for various purposes.

In Egyptian times the pyramid was built as an improvement to mastabs, which were originally designed as a burial tomb for royal families. In the Third Dynasty, the step pyramid was constructed. Three types of pyramids were built by King Snerfu’s: Step Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, and Red Pyramid. The Step Pyramid was actually constructed by King Djoser, but King Snerfu was the lasted to construct this type. He then went on to build a Bent Pyramid which as constructed in Dashur, it was named for it reduced angle at top of the structure. However one failed to meet the standard of the Pharaoh. King Snerfu’s last constructed pyramid was a rousing success; this one was the Red Pyramid. The Red Pyramid was considered to be the first building structure to take on a real pyramid shape. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the largest ever built. Pyramids usually contained passage ways and chambers. Building of the pyramid structure continued into the fifth century. None of these stood up to the Great Pyramid at Giza. Pyramids were built by use of slave labor, and took decades to build. King Khufu’s Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid. This pyramid is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

In Greece, the most influential time was the 7th century B.C when the column was made to support horizontal rafters at the front of buildings. They were often decorated with figurines, capitals were divided into distinct designs which, were known as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian central pair in the classical order of architecture. Doric columns have capitals with simple curved molding, and were created in the Archaic Period (750-480 B.C). It was the oldest and simplest of the three columns. It has no base; it was considered based on the proportions the male body. The shaft of the column has twenty flutes, and entablature, which are decorations above the columns. Altering the triglyphs, metopes around Frieze at the top of plain band known as architrave where column meet Frieze, were popular on mainland Greece than on the outer islands. An example of a Doric column is the Parthenon in Athens.

Ionic columns built in the archaic period. Their capitals have two spirals, or volutes. The relatively slender shaft with twenty-four flutes instead of twenty in the Doric. The Ionic columns