The Columns of Egypt Book

In Ancient Egypt, as in most countries with a hot dry climate, buildings tended to look inwards to cool shaded courtyards and dimly-lit interior halls. In their massive temples and highly-decorated tombs, whose astonishing remains have drawn tourists from Roman times until today, the ancient craftsmen lavished much of their artistic skills on columns that gave individuality to what would otherwise have been box-like structures. A great variety of designs was used, some based on geometric shapes, many imitating plants and others doubling as statues of gods and pharaohs.

This comprehensive study of the column as used in Ancient Egyptian architecture, from the earliest dynastic times until the Coptic period, is the first such work ever to have been published in English. It will appeal to both the growing band of interested amateurs who have been captivated by this fascinating country and to the professional Egyptologist who will find it a useful catalogue of the columns used in the vast majority of the ancient sites.

Some of the innovative conclusions drawn by the author have the potential to alter permanently the study of Egyptology, but will also prove fascinating reading to any student of architecture. The influence of Egyptian design upon world architecture has been profound, and can be clearly traced within these pages.

The book is lavishly illustrated with examples drawn from all parts of Egypt and Nubia and also from museums throughout the world. It begins by classifying the different types of column, and then takes the reader through the history of Egypt, showing how these types were developed over time, and relating the architecture of the temples and tombs to the political and climatic changes that influenced it. Subsequent chapters concentrate on the use of columns in domestic and palace situations, on the symbolic meaning of columns and on their construction and decoration.

Because of its format and encyclopedic content, The Columns of Egypt could as easily be used as an introduction to the history of the country and as a guide to the tourist sites, giving as it does a whole new perspective on the meaning and content of the ancient remains.