One of the oldest civilizations of mankind arose at the source of the great African river Nile and was called Egypt. This country has left us a rich culture as a legacy. It is amazing in its diversity and versatility.
Egyptian pyramids are the most famous. These monumental structures served as tombs for the rulers of the ancient kingdom - the pharaohs. They tell us what ancient Egypt was like. The sculpture of this country, engineering, civil and military structures are brick and wooden, stone construction. The use of stone in the ancient kingdom was originally of a ritual nature and was intended for the construction of the tombs of the Egyptian rulers. Even the funerary monuments of noble nobles were built of brick, although internal stone decoration was allowed. It should be noted that the pyramids and all the surrounding buildings were a single complex. By their evolution, one can judge the change of art forms that glorified Ancient Egypt. His sculpture has undergone significant changes throughout the history of this country.
One of the traditions of the art of the Nile state was carving the names of architects on the monuments they created. The sculpture of the ancient kingdom is replete with numerous pyramids, one of which - the famous pyramid of Cheops - has survived to this day. She is one of the wonders of the world. In addition to it, pyramids of different shapes and heights adjoin on the western bank of the Nile. The most interesting are the stepped Djoser, Amenemhet, Senurset. A feature of the pyramid tombs is the abundance of multi-colored wall paintings, as well as relief sculptural compositions. Ancient Egypt, its sculpture is inextricably linked with the Near East and Middle Eastern civilizations.
In the era of the Middle Kingdom, the forms and color palette were significantly enriched, the volumes of created objects changed. The interior decoration of the pyramids copies the life of the country sometimes in great detail. The sculpture of the Ancient Kingdom of Ancient Egypt is unthinkable without court sculptors. The pharaohs of the twelfth dynasty paid great attention to the development of painting, sculpture and architecture, while demanding truthfulness and accuracy of the image from the masters. For example, the statues of Pharaoh Senurset are very similar to the original. The authors did not even try to hide the natural flaws in his appearance.
Ancient Egypt, sculpture, architecture and other elements of material culture are not only pyramids, but also temples, statues of gods and busts of pharaohs, various obelisks. About templeslittle is known of the ancient kingdom, if we do not take into account the memorial structures at the pyramids. The only well-known monument of this era is the temple of King Niuserre near the modern Arab settlement of Abu Ghurab. It was not ordinary, but special, royal, and dedicated to the sun god Ra. The temple is made entirely of stone, partly with a covered entrance, on the walls of which nature is depicted, as well as the ritual manipulations of Egyptian priests. At the back of the courtyard was a huge squat stone obelisk - a symbol of the Sun.
Unfortunately, the art of ancient Egypt, sculpture, painting, architecture almost did not survive to our time in its original form.
