The definitive reference on the diverse monuments built by the ancient Egyptians across three millennia, this generously illustrated volume surveys the ancient world’s most remarkable architecture.
Dieter Arnold—a leading expert on Egyptian building and design—includes more than 300 illustrations and 600 alphabetically arranged entries spanning every type of building and every aspect of construction and design. He provides separate entries for each of the major Egyptian sites, from Abu Simbel in the south to Cleopatra’s palaces in Alexandria. These document ordinary towns and houses as well as monuments as varied as the Step Pyramid of Djoser (the world’s first significant stone building), the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, and the great temples that line the Upper Nile. Other entries cover materials (from reed and mud-brick to sandstone and granite) and construction techniques (including pyramid building and the erection of obelisks). The accessible text also addresses the symbolic meanings of various types of building, the importance of building orientation, and myriad architectural features, such as columns and false doors.
Destined to be the standard reference for years to come, this comprehensive encyclopedia offers a welcome overview of the magnificent structures that continue to lure pilgrims and tourists, impress architects, and inspire awe. It will be enjoyed by serious devotees of architecture and archaeology as well as by armchair travelers and all who have wondered how the great pyramids were built.
"One of the foremost authorities in the field, Arnold uses a very broad definition of architecture in this critical new source. . . . [T]his work is currently the only English-language encyclopedia of Egyptian architecture. Egyptophiles will keep it handy at their desks."—Library Journal
"An excellent reference source for both individuals and librarians."—Choice
"A most useful volume. The editors are to be congratulated for bringing this work before the English-reading public."—Aidan Dodson, Egyptian Archaeology
"Numerous dictionaries of architecture are available, but there is no
question that Dr. Arnold's is the premier in its field. . . . A splendidly
produced and illustrated edition in English . . . [Arnold] distills that
practical knowledge of a lifetime into an easily accessible and immensely well illustrated book."—Peter A. Clayton, Minerva
"An extremely valuable resource for anyone interested in Egyptology or the study of ancient architecture."—Susan Tower Hollis, American Reference Books Annual
"This first English edition of Dieter Arnold's Encyclopedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture is very much to be welcomed. One of the great advantages of Arnold's work is that it is written by a single specialist, well-acquainted with the monuments, experienced in field-work, and a very good communicator. The greatest value lies in the extended entries on particular types of building, on specifically Egyptian stylistic characteristics, and on the employment in ancient Egypt of certain materials and technical methods. The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture will indeed fill a very obvious gap in the range of Egyptological reference works."—T.G.H. James, Formerly Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities, The British Museum
"Unquestionably, Arnold's Encyclopedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture is a most significant addition to the field of Egyptology and to the study of ancient architecture in general, while also serving student and lay needs for a comprehensive reference work. Its significance lies largely in the amount of information provided on an extraordinarily wide range of topics; it moves from temples, tombs, and other monumental structures to the arenas of the living, such as palaces, houses, and towns. This refreshingly catholic interpretation of architecture is especially valuable in a reference work that treats all of its topics with seriousness and care. Arnold's judgement, vast experience, and sensitivity to the data and the relevant Egyptian cultural context are also at work throughout the Encyclopedia. These contribute in an unobtrusive but powerful way to the great value of the book."—David O'Connor, Lila Acheson Wallace Professor in Ancient Egyptian Art, Institute of Fine arts, New York University, and Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania
"Providing students and the larger public with an accessible, up-to-date, and comprehensive reference work on ancient Egyptian architecture, this book is unquestionably a significant addition to the fields of Egyptology and ancient architecture. Dieter Arnold's judgment, vast experience, and sensitivity to the data and the relevant Egyptian cultural context are at work throughout the Encyclopedia. With no significant competitor in English, this book stands alone."—David O'Connor, Institute of Fine Arts, New York
"It seems possible that the Egyptologist Dieter Arnold knows more about ancient Egyptian architecture than the Egyptians did themselves, and Ancient Egyptian Architecture adopts an encyclopedic format to present his knowledge of building techniques, architectural styles, and individual sites and monuments. . . . [It] is clearly and engagingly written, and supported by 350 well-chosen plans, drawings, and photographs."—Christina Riggs, Times Higher Education Supplement
