Enclosure wall (ancient egypt)

In ancient Egyptian architecture, an enclosure wall is a wall that could surround a pyramid , a temple district or a city.

In the case of temple districts, enclosing walls served on the one hand to delimit the surrounding settlement or open areas, but also to protect the temple from civil unrest or invasions . They were built from simple mud bricks that were built over a framework of wooden beams and reed mats . At the time of the New Kingdom , such outer walls were very common and were increasingly being built around cities. To prevent their destruction, many were built ten meters or more thick and provided with rounded battlements. Bulwarks or sturdy archways were occasionally added for fortification .

In the brick construction of the outer walls, concave and convex sections often alternated. The resulting undulating pattern probably served to prevent cracks from forming in the walls. A symbolic meaning as water of the mythical primeval ocean is also possible.

literature

Richard H. Wilkinson : The world of temples in ancient Egypt . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2005, ISBN 3-534-18652-4 , pp. 56-57 .