History of Architecture

Sara Hassan

2023-2024
What Is History?
(the study of or a record of) past events considered together, especially events of a
particular period, country, or subject

The study of change over time, and it covers all aspects of human society.
Political, social, economic, scientific, technological, medical, cultural, intellectual,
religious, and military developments are all part of history.

A chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a nation or

institution) often including an explanation of their causes
What Is History of
Architecture?
 Architectural history is the discipline that records studies and interprets
architecture.

It studies its forms, purposes, and most importantly its evolution. Fortunately,
ancient architecture can easily be observed and recorded.

Studying architectural history enables us to understand the society and the

culture they represent which is very useful when working as a contemporary
architect.
 History of Architecture Timeline

Prehistoric Mesopotamia Egyptian Greek Romanian

Architecture architecture Architecture Architecture Architecture
The purpose of studying the history
of architecture

to understand how architecture influences society and its culture.

to understand how and why each era since the beginning of time
formed its own unique style.

The ''why'' is what really must be understood in order to

produce the kind of an architecture our contemporary
society needs because architectural should reflects the
philosophies prevalent at any given time.
It is important to understand why a building was created a

certain way in any given point in history

• Since the beginning, humans are in the need for a shelter to protect them
from enemies, bad weather conditions, wild animals, etc.

• Humans’ capacity to build is differing from other animals but they formed
their construct as they have seen in nature. In other words, they try to
imitate other animals’ shelter. For humans to build architectural construct
leveled up gradually since then.
• As the time passes, the need of different functional construct started
to increase.

• But firstly, humans do not have any information about how to treat
materials. They have learned with trial and error to have best result.

• As they are in the learning period, the constructs are changing

through temporary shelters with light materials to permanent ones
with heavy materials. Because temporary shelters carried to
different places, it had to be made from light materials.
• Once people change their lifestyle and turn it into permanent one,

they have started to use different materials like wood, mud and stone.

These materials’ use depends on where people live. Different

materials are found in different regions of the earth. So people

advanced in different material use.

• As people discovered new materials to work with, they transit to

permanent life style with using unbaked mud. It is the most popular

building material at its time. It has advantages and disadvantages to it.

Unbaked mud can be easily shaped but it is irresistant to external

factors. So people have reinforced it with rocks to prevent moisture.

• So, the easiest way to build with mud is digging or cutting the
construct from the surface. It still has the humidity problem but it is
safe to earthquakes. One of the materials have been used is adobe,
which is earthy substance shaped into unbaked bricks. It is the first
start to brick. Because of the orthogonal structure of the bricks,
people started to construct in the form of rectilinear not rounded.
As they learn and improve themselves about society, materials, etc., people
tried to built for political and religious reasons.
For Example, The feudal castles were built with not only defense in mind, but
also to allow civilians and livestock to come inside during a time of war;
whereas gothic architecture was designed in order to inspire awe in the minds
of the congregation every time anyone saw them. This awe lingers with us
even today.
Awe: a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
 THE TREE OF ARCHITECTURE,
Showing the main growth or
evolution of the various styles.
 The term prehistory references
the period before history was
written down, prior to any
Prehistoric Architecture kind of written explanation of
culture and civilization. This
discussion covers architecture
during the period we call the
Late New Stone Age.

Earliest Human Settlements of the Stone Age

•Started 2.5 million years ago.

Primitive Architecture
1. Old stone age (Paleolithic 500000) B. C).
2. Middle stone age (Mesolithic 15000B.C).
3. New stone age(Neolithic 8000 B.C).
1- Old stone Age (Paleolithic) :

• The Stone Age is the longest age between the other

ages.
• Human Environment:
Man was a hunter and a food gatherer, that’s why he
was unsettled (Nomadic) , moving from place to other
in search of food, water and good weather, Usually
move about in small bands of less than 15 persons,
their life style made them barely able to survive.

• Making primitive hunting tools as a weapon to

protect against life conditions – made of stones ,
wood and bones .

• The discover of Fire, it been used for protection,

Hunting and cooking .
Architecture Character :

There is no trace of human intervention in any kind of civilization , because ,

they didn’t need to a permanent shelter or settlements
• This shelter for protection , and there was an architectural treatment such as
smoke exit vents .
Lascaux Cave

•A good example is the cave at Lascaux in France

discovered in 1940.
The cave is home to some of the earliest prehistoric
drawings created by humans, dating back to the Upper
Paleolithic period around 17,000 B.C.E. to 15,000 B.C.E
Evidence of human occupancy
of caves comes from the
painting that were made with
only fire-light as illumination.
The intention of the paintings
were not for decoration but
rather to provide images that
might grant mystical power
over haunted animals.

The Cave Art Paintings of the Lascaux Cave

 Shanidar Cave

The Shanidar Cave is not only home to Neanderthal skeletons, but also to over
30 other “proto-Neolithic” skeletons that have been dated to roughly 10,000
years BC.
location: Bradost Mountain, within the Zagros Mountains in the Erbil Governorate of
Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq.
2.The middle stone age (Mesolithic):

•This age is shorter than the first one .

Human Environment:
•In this age the first attempts to Settlement was near
the sources of freshwater, also he began to raise
animals, and tried to produce the food, Still also
gathering food.

Architecture Character:
•This age also recoded as the beginning of architecture,
by Construct a temporary shelters from perishable
materials such as tree trunk sand leaves.

•Used simple, easily available materials, Usually of

plants and animal materials such as wooden poles,
grasses, and animal skins.

•Construction system was also simple, Usually involves

digging holes, putting wooden poles in holes and
burying them. The poles are tied together to create the
shell of the building. The shell is covered with grasses,
leaves or animal skins.
Temporary Structures( First shelter ):
1-The HUTS :

A:Bambuti Hut : huts show evidence of use of

leaves to cover hut.

B:The Tongues Hut : show evidence of use of

grass to make huts.

The huts protected the old man from:

Inclement elements of weather such as sun, wind
and rain.
The huts gave him security from wild animals.
2. The Lapp tent :
• The Lapp tent shows the use of animal skins .
3. Igloo House (Eskimo ):
• The snow house or the Igloo of the Inuit
people is a circular construction built from
blocks of snow.

• The blocks are laid up in concentric circle of

diminishing size to form a dome.

• An entrance tunnel of snow blocks is angled

to prevent penetration by prevailing winds,
and it includes a space to accommodate dogs.

• Within the house, skins are used to line the

house, leaving an airspace that helps to
insulate the interior while preventing the
heat from melting the snow dome.

• Raised platforms lift the interior floor level

and also act as a substitute form of furniture
• The domed exterior form is strongly resistant
to high winds in winter.
4.Mongolian yurt :

•The yurt is a structure with an

enclosing wall of lattice strips (grid)
supporting a roof structure of poles.
The exteriors are covered with skins
or mats. Inside, boxes to hold
possessions rugs and stools create
spaces with considerable aesthetic
character.
3.The New stone age (Neolithic):

Human Environment:
•Discovery of agriculture and food production.
•Multiple professions like (hunter, farmer and craftsman,…etc.), and that’s the basis for
the city emergence.
•Stability concept more developed next to the sources of freshwater, and the
formation of primitive society and tribes. Mobility was in groups controlled by the head
of the tribe.
Architecture Character:
•Established permanent dwellings ,
Construction techniques developed to use
Mud , Brick and stone .
•This age also recode the emergence of
urban communities and housing units and
the emergence of the concept of residential
communities (Villages) protected by high
walls.

•Monumental construction . Agriculture in Prehistoric times

Neolithic Architecture Monuments

•Monumental construction by Neolithic man particularly in Europe.

•Neolithic construction involves setting up large stones.

•Blocks alone or leaning against each other.

•The constriction method were unknown ,Very similar to the Egyptian

pyramids, Stones dragged from far away to this site.

 Neolithic Architecture are of two types:

Tombs /Dolmen Non funereal structures

A–Single stones –Menhirs B–Stones composed in

groups –Stonehenge
Monuments
1. (Dolmens )Tombs:

• The arrangement of a large stone

placed on top of two or three upright
stones ,so many dolmens created the
inner chamber of a tomb

• After the burial chamber was

completed ,the whole structure was
buried under an artificial hill, Dolmens
are more often liked to burial rites.

• Cueva de Menga in Spain is the

largest dolmen in Europe, built using
32 megaliths, the largest of which
weighs 180 tons, it was discovered
and opened in the 19th century, the
skeletons of several hundred people
were found inside.
Domlens
2. Non funereal structures:

Menhirs: A single, large upright monolith that

serves a religious purpose, its shape is like an
irregular obelisk, with a semi-circular section.
(Menhirs means tall stone)
Stonehenge:

This arrangements of stones called

Alignments, Huge stones where
carefully placed to create interior
spaces with strong aesthetic impact,
whether they were originally open to
the sky (as it is now) or roofed with
materials that have since
disappeared. The purpose seems to
have been connected with rituals
relating to the movements of the
sun, moon and stars. The circular
form is characteristic of many
ancient human constructions.
The plan of Stonehenge is arranged in the
form of concentric circles , At the center
is an Alter , Around it five trilithons.
We can only draw inferences as best as possible. They may have been used
for agriculture or to define boundaries in the natural landscape. We only know
that they did not naturally appear in this manner and required human
intervention. They still exist on farmland and are now protected.