Christian Ubertini

> FRANCAIS

Project: STUDY ON ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
Place / year: Elephantine, Egypt / 1999-2000
Organisation: Swiss institute for archeological reasearches in Egypt
Function: Architect

Schema of Type A (25th dynasty)

Schema Type B (Ptolemaic period)

Schema Type C (Roman period)

Schema Type D (Late roman period)

Example of type A screen walls (Kiosk 25th Dyn., Karnak)

Example of type A screen walls (Kiosk 25th Dyn., Karnak)

Example of transition from Type A to B (Kiosk XXX Dynasty, Philae)

Example of transition from Type A to B (Kiosk XXX Dynasty, Philae)

Example of Type B (Ptolemaic period mammisi, Philae)

Example of Type C (Roman period kiosk, Kalabsha)

Example of Type C (Roman period pronaos, Kalabsha)

Example of Type D (Roman period structure, Kalabsha)

Screen wall structures classification

Screen wall structures classification

Screen wall structures classification

Screen wall structures classification


The screen wall (or intercolumnar wall) is defined as a space divider "... with its origin in the reed matting suspended between wooden posts (1)" in the primitive houses. Screen walls are already represented in the stone architecture of the Old Egyptian Kingdom (ca. 2700 BC) but their architectural development rose in parallel with semi-open structures which appear in the late egyptian architecture.

The evolution of the screen walls from the 25th dynasty to the Roman Period shows a remarkable coherence between its forms and construction details. Its main characteristic is the transition from a columnar structure closed by screens (added afterwards) to a combined wall (screens and columns) where the screens are no longer secondary elements but become structural elements. This evolution ended with an example were the screens form a continuous wall supporting the columns. The construction details, and in particular the assembly of the screens and the columns follow the same transition, from a single to a combined masonry.

This study underlined the correlation between the evolution of the screen walls and the emergence of new structures which appear at the same period. These new structures, known as "kiosks", are semi-open spaces delimited by columns supporting a light roof, and closed by half height screens, placed between the columns to protect the inner view, but where the light could penetrate from the upper part of the columns. These structures were placed outside the main temple and were created to allow believers to assist at special ceremonies, where religious ideas were transmitted to them. For the rulers, this structures became favored places for propaganda and this might explain the special interest given to the architectural development of these structures.

Christian Ubertini 2001
Schweizerisches Institut für Ägyptische Bauforschung und Altertumskunde in Kairo

Selected bibliography