This article is dedicated to brief description Pharaoh's palace in ancient Egypt. Like any other person, the pharaoh had his own house, where he lived with his family. But high position this person was not expected to live in an ordinary house, so palaces were built for the pharaoh and his family members. They were erected either as part of a temple complex, or as an independent structure, but with a temple building on its territory.

The most common building material for building a palace was sun-dried clay bricks. Such houses turned out to be short-lived, unlike temples, for the construction of which stones were used. This is due to the fact that each pharaoh who ascended the throne sought to build his own palace. The building that belonged to his predecessor was abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. It is thanks to this fact that not much information has survived to this day about what the palaces of the pharaohs were like, especially during the era of the Early and Old Kingdoms.

There is an assumption that the appearance of the palace was the same as the royal tombs. This is due to the peculiarities of the religious worldview of the Egyptians, who believed that after death a person continues life path in the underworld. Accordingly, a home for life in the next world should be almost the same as the home used during life.

The pallet of Pharaoh Narmer has survived to this day. On it you can see an image of a palace, which has a quadrangular shape and is surrounded by a fortress wall. You can also judge what the palaces were like from the images painted on the sarcophagus. On each side of the sarcophagus you can see the facades of the building in which the pharaoh and his family lived.

Based on the surviving sources, we can conclude that in the era of the Old Kingdom, such a building as a castle palace was popular among the pharaohs. It had a rectangular shape and was surrounded by a wall, which was a series of tower buildings. As for the internal arrangement, the palace was divided into two zones. One of them was intended for the official royal premises - the throne room, the audience hall, and many others. The second zone included premises intended for ministries.

Such a form as a palace-castle ceased to exist with the beginning of the New Kingdom. This is due to the growing power of Egypt. From that time on, the palace of the pharaoh, who was considered the son of God and the ruler of the whole world, was a temple. The throne room resembled a prayer room in a temple. The building was decorated with columns and pilasters.

You should also pay attention to the palace built by the reformer pharaoh Akhenaten. He moved the capital to Tel el-Amarna, calling it Akhetaten. The residence of the ruler was located there. The palace is also a temple building, which included not only the throne room and the residence of the pharaoh and his family, but also a zoological garden, a harem and courtyards in which flower beds were located. Akhenaten's residence was located on both sides of the temple of the deity Aten.

After the death of Akhenaten, his city was abandoned, the priests and new rulers made every effort to eradicate the reforms of this king.

Years later, the pharaohs began to build their homes near the mortuary temples. Together with all the buildings, the palaces of the pharaohs Ancient Egypt were, to describe briefly, a full-fledged city within a city, including everything necessary. Also, in addition to the official residence located in the capital of Egypt, the ruler had houses located throughout the country. He wore them when he traveled around the state, and they were not as rich and luxurious as the capital's residence. As a rule, the palaces of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt were surrounded by luxurious gardens, where the ruler and his family could enjoy the coolness.

Biography of the leader of the Jewish people. What name did his father give him?

Moshe ben Amram (משה רבנו; 2368-2488 /1392-1272 BC/) - the greatest of the prophets.

On his mother’s side he was the great-grandson, and on his father’s side he was the great-great-grandson of Yaakov (see).

His father Amram (q.v.), son Kehata (q.v.) and grandson Levi (q.v.) ( Shmot 6:16-20), led the wise men of his generation ( Honeycomb 12a; Slave's gear 1:13. 1:19). And the mother is Yochebed, daughter of Levi ( Bemidbar 26:59), was a teacher of Jewish midwives ( Shmot 1:15, Rashi and Ibn Ezra; Honeycomb 11b). Before Moshe, a sister and brother were born in the family - Miriam and Aaron (q.v.).

According to the testimony of the cabalists, Moshe became the new incarnation of the soul of Sheth (see), as well as the forefather Yaakov ( Seder Hadorot).

A few years before his birth, Pharaoh's astrologers predicted that a boy would be born among the Jews who would in the future rescue them from slavery, destroying all of Egypt in the process ( Targum Yonatan, Shemot 1:15; Rashi , Shmot 1:16). And on the night when Moshe was conceived, Pharaoh had a disturbing dream. The interpreters and astrologers he called explained that the future deliverer of Israel was already in his mother’s womb. On the advice of the magician Bilam, Pharaoh ordered all newborn Jewish boys to be thrown into the Nile, because, according to astrological predictions, the savior of the Jews was supposed to suffer precisely from the water ( Shmot 1:22; Honeycomb 12b; Sefer Ayashar, Shemot;Slave's gear 1:18, Etz Yosef; Otsar Ishei HaTanach, Moshe 3). Following the orders of Pharaoh, the Egyptians tracked down Jewish women in labor, took their babies from them and drowned them in the Nile ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot;Slave's gear 1:20; Ramban, Shmot 1:10).

Seventh Adar 2368/1392 BC/, after six months of pregnancy, Yocheved gave birth to another son ( Shmot 6:20; Seder Olam Rabba 10; Megillah 13b; Honeycomb 12b; Rashi, Shmot 2:3; Seder Hadorot). At his birth, the house was filled with a bright glow, indicating the presence Shekinah (Megillah 14a; Honeycomb 13a; Slave's gear 1:20, 1:22; Zohar 1, 120b). Like his great-grandfather Jacob, the boy was born without a foreskin, as if “circumcised” ( Slave's gear 1:20;Shoher tov 9).

Amram named the newborn with the name Haver, derived from the root חבר (to connect) ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166; Seder Hadorot). The prophetic meaning of this name was that the child born would “reunite” the descendants of Jacob with their Heavenly Father ( Vayikra slave 1:3). His mother gave him an additional name - Yekutiel, meaning "My hope is in G-d" ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166; Seder Hadorot). The prophetic meaning of this name was that the born child was destined to instill hope in G-d in the hearts of Jews oppressed by troubles and suffering ( Vayikra slave 1:3).

For three months the baby was hidden at home. But on the sixth Sivan the Egyptians learned about him, and on the same day Yocheved put the baby in a basket and lowered it into the Nile ( Shmot 2:2—3; Honeycomb 12b; Slave's gear 1:24). She hoped that Pharaoh’s astrologers would immediately report to him that the future savior of Israel had already been thrown into the river, and they would no longer be looking for him ( Slave's gear 1:21).

The basket with the baby was picked up by Pharaoh’s daughter Batya, who went out to the Nile for a swim. By the absence of the foreskin, she immediately realized that this was a Jewish child, but the boy was so beautiful that she took pity on him and decided to save him ( Shmot 2:4—6; Honeycomb 12b; Ibn Ezra, Shmot 2:6). Experts in hidden wisdom explain that Batya was the new incarnation of the first woman of Chava - and this is hinted at by her name בתיה (literally daughter of G-d). That is why she took pity on the baby, who was the new incarnation of the soul of her son Sheth ( Seder Hadorot).

The baby began to cry, and Batya handed him over to one of her maids, who had breast milk, but the child refused the Egyptian woman’s breast. Then Miriam, who had been watching her little brother from afar, approached the princess and offered to bring her mother, who became the “nurse” of the found child ( Shmot 2:6—9; Honeycomb 12b; Rashi, Shmot 2:6). And soon, as Yocheved had hoped, the order to exterminate the Jewish boys was canceled ( Honeycomb 12b; Slave's gear 1:24). In commemoration of this, Amram’s father, Kehat, gave his grandson another name - Avigdor, saying: “The Almighty sealed ( gadar) a hole in the family of my forefather ( avi) Jacob" ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot;Seder Hadorot).

The rescued child spent two years in his parents' home ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Seder Hadorot). And then Yocheved, who had been receiving payment from Batya all this time, brought her son to the Pharaoh’s palace, and Batya gave him the name “Moshe”, which meant “pulled out of the water” ( Shmot 2:9-10). And when Moses grew up and became a great prophet, the Almighty called him only by the name that Pharaoh’s daughter gave him. And only the name she gave was immortalized in the Torah - such is the great reward for those who perform mercy ( Slave's gear 1:26; Vayikra slave 1:3).

1. Childhood in the palace of the pharaoh

Pharaoh's daughter raised Moshe like a son - with love and tenderness. One day, when Moses was in his third year, he sat on the lap of Pharaoh, who kissed and hugged him. While playing, the boy took the crown from the pharaoh's head and put it on himself. The Pharaoh’s advisers who were present were alarmed: “Lest he turns out to be the very child we warned you about!” — and the magician Bilam suggested executing the “rebel.” And then one of the advisers named Itro suggested setting up a test for the boy: placing brightly smoldering coals and similar sparkling precious stones on a tray in front of him. If he takes the stones, then he is already acting consciously, and he should be executed for laying claim to the crown of the ruler of Egypt. And although he looks very small, Jewish children are endowed with special intelligence and intelligence. And if he takes the smoldering coals, it means that he is still a foolish child, and you should not pay attention to his pranks. Moshe reached for the precious stones, but high power took his hand to the coals: he grabbed a coal and, pulling it into his mouth, burned his tongue and lips - and from then on he began to stutter ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot;Slave's gear 1:26; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166).

Moshe grew extremely quickly: at the age of five he already looked like an eleven year old. And when he became a youth, they began to honor him as one of the princes, and all the Egyptians were in awe of him ( Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166, 168). Pharaoh made him overseer of his palace ( Kohelet slave 9:12, Otsar Ishei HaTanach, Moshe 4; Rashi , Shmot 2:11).

But one day Moshe was told that he was Jewish by origin, and he wanted to see his fellow tribesmen (Ramban , Shmot 2:11, 2:23). Moses visited the land of Goshen, where the descendants of Jacob lived, engaged in slave labor. His heart bled at the sight of the suffering of exhausted people, and he tried to help everyone, putting his shoulder under their burden ( Shmot 2:11;Slave's gear 1:27; Rashi , Shmot 2:11). In response to Moses' questions, the Jews told him how they had been gradually enslaved. He was also told that even before his birth, Pharaoh ordered, on the advice of the magician Bilam, to kill all newborn Jewish boys. In those same days, Moses learned that when he was a baby and, while playing, took the crown from Pharaoh's head, Balam advised Pharaoh to execute him. Filled with rage, Moshe decided to deal with Bilam, but they managed to warn him, and he fled from Moshe’s anger into the depths African continent, to the country of Kush (Ethiopia) ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 168; Seder Hadorot).

Shocked by the backbreaking labor of the slaves in the land of Goshen, Moses asked Pharaoh to ease their plight by assigning them a day of rest - so that they would work only six days and rest on the seventh. “Otherwise they will die out of exhaustion, and you will have no slaves. And having a day of rest, they will work much better,” Moshe explained. And to his great joy, Pharaoh fulfilled this request: a special decree was issued “in the name of Pharaoh and Moses, son of Batya,” and, by the will of Divine Providence, the day of rest fell on Saturday ( Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Slave's gear 1:28; Daat zkenim, Shemot 5:4; Seder Hadorot).

IN 2386/1374 BC/, during his next visit to the land of Goshen, Moshe, who by that time was already eighteen years old, decided to find his real parents ( Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166; Sefer Ayashar, Shemot; Seder Hadorot). On the way, he saw an Egyptian overseer brutally beating a Jew ( Shmot 2:11). Noticing the noble Egyptian, the beaten man broke free and ran to Moshe, saying: “My lord! This overseer took my wife by force, and now he is trying to get rid of me by beating me to death!” ( Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 166;Sefer Ayashar, Shemot). Moshe stood up for his fellow tribesman and, deciding that the overseer was subject to the death penalty for rape and attempted murder, he killed him and buried his corpse in the sand ( Shmot 2:12; Slave's gear 1:28—29;Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 167).

The next day Moshe saw two Jews fighting ( Shmot 2:13). He recognized one of them: it was the same Datan whom he had saved from the hands of the overseer ( Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 167). Moses tried to separate them, but Datan angrily said to him: “Who made you a leader and a judge over us? Or do you want to kill me like you killed the overseer?! We will go and report what you did to that Egyptian. And you shouldn’t rely on the fact that you are Batya’s son. After all, it is known that you were born into a Jewish family, and you will be asked for the blood of a murdered person!” ( Shmot 2:13—14; Slave's gear 1:30, Etz Yosef; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 167). “Before, I could not understand,” Moshe thought bitterly, “why the Jews are more sinful than all other peoples, that they are oppressed by such hard work. But now I see that they deserve their fate. How can they be delivered from slavery if denunciation and slander flourish among them?!” ( Slave's gear 1:30; Rashi , Shmot 2:14).

And when Datan and his relative Abiram, the same one with whom he fought, reported to Pharaoh about the murder of the overseer, Moses was sentenced to death for high treason: after all, he killed an Egyptian official to save a slave belonging to a people hated by Pharaoh. Moses was captured and brought to the place of execution, but he managed to escape ( Slave's gear 1:31; Tankhuma, Shmot 10; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 167; Rashi , Shmot 2:15, 18:4).

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Clay bricks, which are quite fragile materials. Therefore, they had no chance of surviving for centuries. Yes, and we used them. Usually, each pharaoh, upon ascending the throne, built himself a new one, but the old one was there and quickly destroyed.

Experts suggest that the palaces of the pharaohs appearance They repeated the architecture of the royal tombs, which were considered the houses of the kings in the afterlife and had a corresponding residential layout. The territory was surrounded by a wall with towers.

The palace buildings were decorated with ornaments and bas-reliefs, as can be judged from the few surviving images. On the facade of the palace, for example, the name, title of the pharaoh and the victories he won could be depicted. Interesting images in the form of carved decorations have also been preserved on sarcophagi; on them you can see the facades of the royal palaces.

From the ruins of the palaces of Pharaoh Akhenaten in the capital of Akhetaten, one can recreate their approximate appearance. In front of the entrance to the palace-temple there was a courtyard, and in it there was a sanctuary. There was a swimming pool in the middle of the central courtyard. Servants lived on the southern side of the palace, and there was a menagerie. On the eastern side were the living quarters of the palace, including the pharaoh's apartments, the women's quarters and guest rooms. Living quarters, columned halls and galleries were located around courtyards with verandas located inside the building.

The palace, which represented the palace of the pharaoh, was located in the center of Akhetaton. Living quarters were in its eastern part, official premises were in the western part. The latter included a throne room and columned hall, a courtyard with large statues of the pharaoh, and ceremonial rooms. The palace was also adjacent to shady gardens, buildings of the women's half, various government and administrative institutions.

Typically, palaces were richly decorated with frescoes depicting animals, bas-reliefs with battle scenes where the pharaoh defeated enemies, and bas-reliefs with scenes of the pharaoh being glorified by dancing and jubilant people.

Related article

Egypt is a country with an amazing archaeological heritage; on its territory there are a large number of unique historical buildings that are visited by millions of tourists from all over the world.

Instructions

The most famous buildings in Egypt are the Great Pyramids of Giza. These include three pyramids located next to each other - Mikerin, Khafre and Cheops. They were built in the 26th-23rd centuries BC. There is still no exact answer to the question of how the ancient Egyptians managed to build such colossal structures with such precision. In addition to the Great Pyramids, there are more than 100 smaller pyramids located in Egypt, each of which is interesting in its own way.

The Great Sphinx is another impressive structure built in Ancient Egypt. It is a huge statue of a creature with the body and head of a lion, reaching 72 meters in length and 20 meters in height. The Sphinx was created around the 25th century BC. During its existence, the Sphinx was buried in the sand more than once, only in 1925 it was completely cleared.

In Egypt itself, near the city of Luxor, among the steep cliffs, the temple of Hatshepsut has been preserved. It was built in the 15th century BC. and is an excellent example of how the Egyptians managed to fit their structures into the natural landscape. The temple amazes with its monumentality and unity with the surrounding rocks.

The Alley of Sphinxes leads from it to the temple of Luxor - South Opet. Both Opets were once surrounded by walls of raw brick with many monumental stone entrances with gates made of Lebanese fir, bound in bronze and decorated with gold. In case of danger, the gates were closed. Piankhi says that the city gates closed as he approached. However, in the texts known to us there is no hint of the closing of the gates, and therefore we must assume that in peacetime one could freely enter and exit through them day and night.

Inside the city, almost all the space between the walls and the temple was occupied by residential buildings, shops and warehouses that have now disappeared. Gardens and orchards delighted the eye with their greenery. Amon's herds grazed in pens. One of these gardens is depicted on the wall of the “Hall of Annals” by its creator, Thutmose III; Pharaoh himself appears before us there among plants and trees taken from Syria.

Between the two fences on both sides of the avenue of sphinxes and on the river bank stood a mix of official buildings and palaces. Each pharaoh wanted to have his own palace, but the viziers and high officials were no less vain. Since the city continued to grow throughout the reigns of three dynasties, it is likely that the more modest houses and dwellings of the poor were found among these luxurious palaces, and not in a separate quarter, as in Khut-hetep-Senusret.

Opposite Karnak and Luxor, on the western bank of the Qila, a second city, Djeme, grew, or rather, not a city, but a cluster of individual monuments with adjacent houses and warehouses, surrounded by steppes of raw brick; The area of ​​each such ensemble was three hundred by four hundred meters, if not more. The length of the fence, built under Amenhotep III, exceeded five hundred meters on each side. These huge brick walls are up to fifteen meters wide at the base and more than twenty meters high. They almost completely hid from view what was inside; only the pyramidions of obelisks, the upper part of pylons and colossal statues towered above them. Most of these ensembles were brutally destroyed by time and people. The Colossi of Memnon tower today among the wheat fields, but they were not created to stand alone in this idyllic landscape. Initially, they decorated the facade of a huge temple, surrounded on all sides by houses made of raw brick, where a large population lived, and warehouses with a huge variety of goods. Only the colossi withstood the centuries; the rest all disappeared, leaving behind miserable mounds. And the colossal statues themselves did not escape the common fate. What was discovered during a short excavation campaign is now quickly disappearing under the pressure of advancing fields. Only the monumental building of Ramesses III in Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and, naturally, the stepped temple of Queen Hatshepsut still amaze with their grandeur.

Medinet Habu especially stands out. Here you can clearly imagine what those walled ancient cities were like in their heyday. The carrier's boat carried the pilgrim to the foot of the double staircase. He passed between two watchtowers through a gate in a rather low stone fence with battlements, crossed the patrol road running along the entire perimeter and found himself in front of the gate of an internal high wall made of raw brick. This gate resembled a Syrian bastion. Between the two powerful towers stood a third, six meters wide, with a passage in the middle through which only one chariot could pass. The reliefs on the walls glorified the power of the pharaoh. The consoles propped up the heads of Egypt's eternal enemies - Libyans, Asians, blacks and Nubians. Everyone passing through these gates must have felt a depressing feeling.

In the upper rooms, the subjects of the wall paintings were more cheerful: for example, Ramses, surrounded by his favorites, affectionately holds a charming Egyptian girl by the chin. And yet this entire structure was nothing more than a fortress in case of rebellion. Usually only guards were stationed there. The palace itself and the harem were located a little further, next to the temple.

Behind the fortified gates a vast area opened up, where there was a temple, a palace, a harem, residential buildings and courtyards, and all this was surrounded by a third fence; This third fence was surrounded on three sides by small houses standing close to each other. Here lived the temple priests and artisans who might be needed by the pharaoh when he visited his small city on the left bank of the Nile with his wives and numerous servants.

Such was the fortified palace of Ramses, the ruler of On in the domain of Amun. This was the Ramesseum. And all twenty or thirty royal cities on the left bank of the Nile were similar. Outside was a rather blithe chaos of architectural oddities, gilded palaces and gray hovels. The whole flower of Egypt with its princes and princesses filled these alleys and squares from time to time. Laughter, songs and music resounded throughout the royal chambers. And when the festivities ended, only herds and lines of slaves with burdens on their heads or shoulders, warriors, scribes, masons and artisans passed through the fortified gates into the city and spread out to workshops and warehouses, stables and slaughterhouses. Moreover, schoolchildren and apprentices came here for their daily dose of knowledge and blows with a stick.

The cities of the Delta were in no way inferior to the cities of Upper Egypt - neither in antiquity nor in the splendor of monuments. They were devastated by the Hyksos and neglected by the rulers of the 18th dynasty. Only the Ramessids restored, expanded and decorated these cities. Ramesses II was very fond of the Eastern Delta, the cradle of his family. He appreciated its mild climate, expanses of water, meadows and vineyards, which produced wine sweeter than honey. On the bank of the Tanis branch, in the middle of meadows blown by the winds, stood Khut-uaret (Avaris) - ancient city priests, the center of the cult of the god Seth, as well as the center of a school of artists that arose in ancient times. The Hyksos turned it into their capital. After Ahmose expelled them from Egypt, the city fell into decay. Ramesses settled there immediately after paying his last respects to his father, and immediately began extensive work to restore life and former prosperity to the area, and transform the ancient city into a brilliant royal residence.

Here, as in Thebes, the temple and other buildings were surrounded by a large brick wall with four gates, from which roads and canals extended to each side of the world. From Aswan, regardless of difficulties or distances, stone blocks of unprecedented sizes were delivered for the construction of the temple, the holy of holies, and numerous steles and obelisks, which were carved by skilled craftsmen. On the sides of the alleys, paved with basalt, lions made of black granite with human faces and sphinxes made of pink granite stood opposite each other. The gate was guarded by lying lions. In front of the pylons were lined up groups of two and three statues of gods, standing and sitting, many of which rivaled the colossi of Thebes and surpassed those of Memphis.

The palace sparkled, decorated with gold, lapis lazuli and turquoise. There were flowers everywhere. Carefully cultivated fields were intersected by tree-lined roads. Warehouses were bursting with goods from Syria, from the islands and from the country of Punt. The quarters near the palace were allocated to infantry and archer squads, chariot squadrons, and crews of military ships. Many Egyptians moved here to be closer to the “sun”. “What a great joy it is to be here,” exclaims the scribe Pabasa, “you couldn’t ask for anything better! The small one is like the great one... Everyone here who wants to make a request is equal.”

Estate with ponds and vineyard

As in others big cities, many Libyans and blacks lived among the Egyptians. But especially the Asians, and even after the Exodus. The descendants of the sons of Jacob and other nomads, having received permission to live in Egypt, did not want to leave it anymore, just like the captives from Canaan, Amor and Naharin, whose children probably became free farmers and artisans over time. Soon the royal city found itself in the center of a new, larger city with numerous houses, shops and warehouses. These new neighborhoods had their own temples, surrounded by brick walls like a large central temple. It was necessary to allocate a place for the cemetery, because the Egyptians of the Delta did not have the opportunity to bury their dead nearby, in the desert, as they did in the south - in the Upper Reaches. Therefore, they erected tombs for their relatives and for sacred animals, sometimes outside the walls of the city, and sometimes inside it, a stone's throw from the temple. Since there was not enough space, it was impossible to erect monuments as grandiose as in Memphis. Therefore, the tombs, regardless of the rank of the deceased, were quite small here - either in Tanis or in Athribis.

Ramesses II built so much that his successors had little to do. Thus, Ramses III was mainly concerned with maintaining and expanding gardens and forests. “I made all the trees and plants on earth bear fruit,” he says. I made it so people could sit in their shade.”

At the residence of his illustrious ancestor, he laid out huge gardens, laid walking paths among the fields, planted vineyards and olive groves, and luxurious flower beds along the sacred path. In On, the pharaoh cleansed the sacred ponds of the temple and removed all the impurities that had accumulated in them “since the earth existed.” He replanted trees and plants everywhere. He planted vineyards so that the god Atum would have plenty of wine, as well as olive groves that provided “the best oil in Egypt, so that the flame would burn brightly in the sacred palace.” The Temple of Horus was dearer to him than all other temples: “I made the sacred grove, which is located in its fence, bloom. I made the papyri turn green, like in the Akhbit swamps (where, according to myth, the Child Horus lived). They have been neglected since ancient times. I made the sacred grove of your temple bloom and gave it a place that was desert. I have appointed gardeners so that everything will bear fruit.”

This is called combining business with pleasure. Herodotus noticed that the temple of Bubast, surrounded tall trees, was one of the most attractive in all of Egypt. Undoubtedly, in the 12th century BC. the traveler experienced the same feeling of satisfaction in many Egyptian cities. The harsh severity of the high walls was offset by bright greenery. On the banks of the Nile branches, townspeople enjoyed the freshness in the shade of the trees. Flowers in the temple courtyards enhanced the dignity of the sculptures.

Animals, plants and, of course, people needed a lot of water. It would be extremely inconvenient and even indecent to follow her to a canal located outside the city walls, even in Medinet Habu and Per Ramses, where the canals approached the most monumental gates. Therefore, in most cities surrounded by steppes, there were stone reservoirs. They had steps along which they descended to the water at any time of the year. In addition, wells were dug in cities, at least since the beginning of the New Kingdom. They were found in a number of private properties, as well as in city neighborhoods. At least four wells were counted in the Per-Ramses fence. They are solidly built and lined with stone. The smallest one, located to the west of the temple, has three meters and ten centimeters in diameter. It was approached by a covered staircase with twenty-three steps, and then a spiral staircase with a dozen steps. The largest well, south of the temple, is five meters in diameter. A covered staircase of forty-four steps, consisting of two flights and a rest area, leads to the water. Then they descended into the well along a horseshoe-shaped ladder and scooped up water in jugs even in the driest season. At other times of the year, the Egyptians found it more convenient to lift water from the well using a shaduf into a reservoir, from where it flowed by gravity through a stone chute to another reservoir in the temple itself.

In the eastern part of the city, numerous clay sewer pipes of various types were discovered that ran deep underground. The most common of these systems consisted of bottomless vessels inserted into each other with carefully cemented seams. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to trace these systems along their entire length and finally find out where they began and where they ended. We don’t know when they were laid, and we don’t even know what they were used for - to deliver drinking water or to drain used water. Nevertheless, we talk about these systems in order to emphasize that the pharaonic administration cared about the convenience and health of the citizens.

Royal residences and temples were powerful centers of attraction. IN troubled times everyone who feared for their lives took refuge behind the city walls. They built their homes in parks and orchards, ruining the beautiful vistas planned by the first builders. They even blocked the approaches to the temple, settled right on the walls, and interfered with sacred ceremonies and the service of sentries. A doctor named Ujahorresnet, who treated his patients in the time of Cambyses, notes with bitterness that foreigners have settled even in the very temple of Neit, the mistress of Sais. Since he had access to the great king, he persuaded him to expel all these strangers from the temple, demolishing their hovels with all their belongings, so that the festive ceremonies and processions could be performed, as was done before. Around the same time, a sorcerer-healer named Djedhor, who lived in Athribis, says that some commoners built their adobe houses right above the tombs of the sacred falcons. He did not have the same connections as the Sais doctor, but he was able to persuade unauthorized developers to leave the tombs and move to another quite convenient place, which he himself indicated to them. There used to be a swamp there, but it was filled with the rubble of the houses that were destroyed. Thus, the inhabitants of Athribis received a well-located, comfortable and clean site, although a little damp during the period of the highest rise of waters in the Nile. In Tanis we found traces of the invasion of the “new settlers” both on the palaces and on the temple walls.

A certain Panemeritus, apparently a significant person, built himself a house in the first courtyard of the temple close to the pylon, apparently so that his statues would be present at sacred ceremonies.

Panemeritus lived much later than the doctor from Sais and the sorcerer-healer from Athribis, but Egypt is a country of traditions. We will provide a lot of evidence of this. Therefore, these facts, established on the basis of later documents, show that similar phenomena were observed in Egypt at all times. Taking advantage of the inattention or weakness of the city authorities, residents left their less convenient neighborhoods and voluntarily moved under high walls, perhaps even in the hope of some kind of profit. When the authorities came to their senses, they swept away these clusters of hovels, and the temple and royal city regained their splendor until everything began again. During the times of Seti I, the great Sesostris and Ramesses III, no one would have thought of settling on the sacred land, but this could well have happened between the reigns of Merenptah and Sethnakht, and under the last Ramesses, city affairs generally went from bad to worse.

II. Palaces

Contemporaries were immensely admired by the royal palace in Per-Ramses. Unfortunately, their descriptions are not confirmed by anything. Even the exact location of the palace is unknown. Excavations did not bring any positive results in this regard.

Other royal residences are also known in the Delta. The remains of the palace were discovered in Kantira, a village under the shade of two palm trees, twenty-five kilometers south of Per Ramses. When the pharaoh was expecting his bride, the daughter of the Hittite king, who, in pursuit of her betrothed, crossed all of Asia Minor and Syria in the middle of winter, out of gallant motives, he built a fortified palace in the desert between Egypt and Phenicia, where he was going to meet her. Despite the remoteness, this palace had everything the soul could desire.

In his city west of Thebes, Ramesses III had a palace, which he called the “house of joy.” Its remains were excavated and studied by archaeologists at the Chicago Oriental Institute. The facade of the palace overlooked the first courtyard of the temple. The reliefs that decorated it eloquently testified to the power of the pharaoh. On them, Ramses beat his enemies with a mace,, accompanied by a brilliant escort, visited his stables, on a chariot, in battle armor, prepared to lead troops into battle, and, finally, together with his entire court, watched the struggle and exercises of his best warriors. In the middle of the façade, a richly decorated balcony was built for the king’s appearances before the people; under the balcony, four graceful columns in the shape of papyrus stems carried a three-part relief: in the lower register a winged solar disk was depicted, in the middle - palm trees, and in the upper register - uraea with solar disks on their heads . The pharaoh appeared here when the people were allowed into the temple courtyard in honor of the festival of Amun. From here he distributed awards. This balcony communicated with the royal chambers. They were a suite of many halls with columns (including the throne room, the pharaoh's personal chamber and the bathroom). They were separated from the queen's chambers by a vestibule. The queen's chambers also consisted of many rooms. Long straight corridors made it easier to move from one apartment of the palace to another, as well as observation and security, because Ramesses III, taught by his bitter experience, was suspicious and cautious.

The throne room, judging by the glazed slabs found here more than thirty years ago and the relief fragments discovered relatively recently by an American expedition, looked rather severe. The pharaoh is represented throughout as a standing sphinx, as well as his royal cartouches. Egypt's enemies are depicted bound at his feet. They are dressed in rich robes, embroidered with barbaric patterns, while the artist tried to convey their faces, hairstyles and jewelry as accurately as possible. On the Libyans we see tattoos, on the blacks - large earrings, on the Syrians - medallions on their necks, on the Shasu nomads - long hair pinned back with combs. However, one must think that the personal chambers of the pharaoh and queen were decorated with paintings and reliefs on more pleasant themes.

The royal dwellings did not occupy a particularly large area. It was a square structure with a side of less than forty meters. Undoubtedly, the pharaoh did not stay here for long, because he had a palace on the other side. There are plenty of palaces built in the Delta, just take your pick! Memphis, He, Per-Ramesses always rejoiced at the arrival of the pharaoh. But he started another construction between On and Bubast, at the place which the Arabs call Tell el-Yahudiah; here glazed tiles of the same type as in Medinet Habu were found.

Time has treated the palaces of the pharaohs Seti and Ramesses so mercilessly that, in order to get a clearer idea of ​​​​the palaces of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, we have to turn to the royal residence of Akhenaten, which is very close in time to these pharaohs.

Floor painting in Akhenaten's palace in Akhetaten

The floor of the columned halls is decorated with a mosaic - a pond with fish and water lilies, surrounded by thickets of reeds and papyrus, with waterfowl flying above it; wild ducks take off from the water. The columns are entwined with vines and bindweed. The capitals and cornices are beautifully inlaid. Scenes from life are depicted on the walls royal family: the king and queen are sitting opposite each other: Akhenaten is in a chair, Nefertiti is on a pillow. On her lap is a baby; the eldest of the princesses hugs the youngest; the other two are playing nearby on the floor. Many scholars claim that they have never seen a more charming scene in Egyptian art, but this is perhaps an exaggeration. In fact, ponds, papyrus, birds, animals - all these are classic characters in reliefs. And in Medinet Habu we see the pharaoh surrounded by charming concubines. It is safe to say that the palaces of the pharaohs of the 19th and 20th dynasties were decorated with the same luxury. As in the time of Akhenaten, the walls, ceilings, mosaic floors, columns and cornices delighted the eyes and soul with the freshness of colors and images. Rich furniture, luxurious jewelry and clothing created an exceptionally sophisticated ensemble.

III. Residential buildings

Wealthy Egyptians tried to imitate the luxury and comfort of the royal palaces. Their residences in the city or in the village sometimes occupied more than a hectare and were surrounded, just like the possessions of a king or god, by thick and high walls with stone gates through which one could get to the owner’s house. Additional doors, simple passages in the wall, led to utility services and gardens. Such was the house in Bubasta, where the insidious Tabubui lured her lover. But Ipui's house looked like a small temple. In front of the façade stood a row of columns in the shape of papyrus stalks. The architrave supported a cornice decorated with palm trees. The house in which Pharaoh Aye received and rewarded Neferhotep's wife had a terrace with a colonnade. The latter supported a light canopy; it protruded beyond the terrace on all sides and rested with its edges on tall thin columns forming a peristyle around the house. We have an idea of ​​these houses thanks to the fact that Ipui and Neferhotep ordered them to be depicted on the walls of their tombs.

Two-story house and barns

To imagine internal organization home, just visit the excavations at Tell el-Amarna. Through the entrance portico we enter the vestibule, and beyond it into the reception halls with columns supporting the roof. Adjacent to these passage halls are a kind of dressing rooms, where brick chests for linen and clothes were found, as well as storerooms in which provisions and soft drinks were stored. The rest of the house was occupied by the owners' chambers and bathrooms. The walls of these bathrooms are lined with stone. In one of the corners of such a bathroom there was a partition made of stone; behind it, servants could pour water over the bather. After a pressure bath, the owner sat down in a chair standing at a distance for a massage. The closet behind the bathroom was whitewashed; it contained a toilet seat made of limestone: a slab with a hole placed on brick boxes with sand. The entire house with its minimal amenities was surrounded by numerous courtyards. One of them had barns in the shape of beehives. The kennel and stables were located on the north side. On the east there were usually kitchens, bakeries and brick servants' houses. Thus, the servants had to run quite far with the dishes to the master's table. However, the service entrance allowed them to go directly to the reception halls.

The servants' houses usually consisted of four rooms: an entrance hall, a central room with a column that supported the roof, a kitchen and a living room. The whole family crammed into these rooms, sometimes sharing them with pets. However, one could climb up the stairs to the roof terrace. The managers' houses, located behind the servants' hovels, were spacious and comfortable. Drinking water was usually taken from stone wells.

Garden with pond

The gardens were divided into squares and rectangles by straight lines, intersecting at right angles by shady alleys of trees and grape trellises with flower beds. The Egyptians highly valued trees and flowers. Anena collected almost all the trees that grew in the Nile Valley: fig palm, doom palm, coconut palm, called the “cuckoo palm,” sycamore, date palm, jujube (jujube), acacia, willow, tamarisk, pomegranate, peach, yew and other trees that could not be identified, total number eighteen. Rekhmira also grew in his garden, surrounded by thick walls, all types of trees and plants known in his time. Often an elegant gazebo was placed under the trees, where in the summer the owners held daytime meals. Everywhere there were wooden canopies, under which drinks were cooled in large jugs covered with leaves, and nearby there were tables and stands with dishes of Egyptian cuisine skillfully placed on them.

It is impossible to imagine a garden without a pond or swimming pool. As a rule, they were square or rectangular and lined with stone. They were covered with water lilies, between which ducks swam. Stone knocks descended to the pier, where a boat was almost always moored for the pleasure of the owners and their guests.

Middle-class houses usually had several floors. Sometimes small granaries were built on the roofs. The façade was being decorated. The door, framed on the sides and top with stone blocks, was located closer to the corner of the house, and light penetrated into the lower floor only through it. The windows on the upper floors, numbering from two to eight on each, were small, square, with shutters to protect from heat and dust.

We found at Tanis a stone window frame with sides no longer than a cubit. The slab with openwork carvings apparently played the role of a shutter or curtain. In the same Tanis we found two openwork cartouches of Pharaoh Merenptah, inscribed in a square window. Some Theban paintings show horizontal stripes, as if they were made of logs or planks. We found an explanation for these stripes in Tanis, where we were able to establish that the masons applied lime mortar horizontally to the walls, and the vertical mortars were made of silt. Thus, after finishing the work, white horizontal stripes remained on the walls.

The lower floor was usually occupied by artisans. This happened, for example, in Thebes, in the house of a certain Dzhutinefer. Women were spinning, men were standing at looms, and in the next room they were grinding grain and baking bread. The owners lived on the second floor in rather spacious rooms with small, high-positioned windows; the ceiling was supported by small columns in the form of lotus stems. The door was obviously decorated with glazed tiles or carved wooden jambs. Nothing can be discerned on the walls, but one should remember the Egyptian custom of covering all accessible surfaces with paintings. In Tanis, in a rather late-era house with plastered walls, I managed to find tiles depicting dancers and boats. Without a doubt, this fashion was traditional, and we have every reason to believe that the rooms of residential buildings were very similar to the rooms in the Theban tombs, where vines are depicted on the ceilings, and on the walls there are scenes of hunting, pilgrimages to the holy city of Osiris, and the like .

On the third floor you could reach the ceilings with your hand without even standing on tiptoes. In one of the rooms on this floor the owner was busy with his toilet. Here he is sitting in a chair, the servants bring him a bowl on a tray, a fan and a fly swatter. The scribes bow before him, awaiting new orders. Other servants run along the stairs and corridors with some kind of burdens on their heads and jugs of water on rockers over their shoulders.

In the house of a certain Mehu, the floors were distributed according to the same principle: jugs were stored on the first floor, the dining room was on the second, shields, weapons and various utensils were filled with the third. Since Mehu was the chief of police, it can be assumed that he spent the night here: in case of an alarm at night, he could immediately arm himself and rush in pursuit of the intruders. (For boss this consideration is hardly relevant to the police - HF}

The roofs of the houses were usually flat. They were climbed up the stairs. Some, such as Jhutihotep, installed large jars on the roof to store grain. Others erected fences along the edges to prevent children from accidentally falling from the roof or simply to shield themselves from the indiscreet glances of neighbors when the owners spent the night under open air. But Nebamon and Nakht installed extensions on their roofs in the form of equilateral triangles; these were apparently ventilators. But in Egypt there were also houses with pointed roofs. In one of the tombs at Abu Rosh, near Cairo, from the time of Pharaoh Den, who reigned almost two thousand years before the Ramesses, I found two ivory playing pieces in the shape of houses with sloping roofs. Such a rational and complex roof is amazing for such a distant era. It is typical only for a country where it rains often and where there is no shortage of wood.

In Egypt, rain falls only near the coast, where today all houses have flat roof terraces. Therefore, it is quite possible that the figurines from Abu Roash reproduced the appearance of a dwelling atypical for Egypt. But we have no information that such houses were built in the era of the Ramesses.

Even in Thebes, where dwellings were very crowded and every piece of land was precious, there was still room for flowers and trees, either in a small courtyard or in front of the facade. Nebamon has two palm trees that seem to grow straight from the roof, but nevertheless they are strewn with dates. At Nakht, a palm tree and a sycamore tree shade the front door from the sun. Theban tomb 23 shows an unusual house - its height is greater than the area of ​​its base - surrounded by two rows of trees. Another house, from tomb No. 254, is decorated on the facade with three pomegranate trees planted in brick boxes with multi-colored ornaments, and two doom palms.

The Egyptians, even the poor, did everything they could to make their homes comfortable and pleasant. And at the same time, they had to protect themselves from all sorts of domestic disturbances, of which there are many in Egypt - from insects, rats, lizards, snakes and birds. The Ebers Medical Papyrus has preserved several useful recipes for us. How to get rid of insects in the house? You need to wash everything with sodium solution or sprinkle it with crushed coal powder mixed with bebit(What this is is not clear). If you sprinkle sodium, or crushed dried fish, Nile tilapia, or even onion seeds before entering a snake hole, the snake will not come out of this hole. Oriole fat is an excellent remedy for flies, and dried fish or frog caviar is an excellent remedy for fleas. If you put cat lard on sacks of grain, rats will never go near them. You can also repel rodents by burning gazelle droppings in the barn or spraying the walls and floor with a solution of this droppings.

Two-storey house

But here is the surest way to scare away kites. You need to stick an acacia branch into the ground and dig: “The kite stole both in the city and in the countryside... Fly (after him), fry him and eat him!” If you say these words while placing a piece of pie on an acacia branch, the kite will never come to steal chickens. Fumigation can freshen the air in the room and give a pleasant smell to clothes. But such fumigation was not available to everyone, because for this it was necessary to mix incense with turpentine resin and various spices of Egyptian and foreign origin. This recipe, like all others, testifies to the desire of the Egyptians to keep their home clean and tidy. This such a natural desire prompted city authorities to take measures to drain contaminated water and destroy garbage and kitchen waste. However, due to the lack of documentary evidence, we cannot say anything more about this.

IV. Furniture

In the reception halls of palaces and in the houses of the rich, the furniture was represented mainly by various armchairs, for example, very simple ones like a square box with a spin-cock only a palm high. On the sides, such a chair was decorated with a pattern in the form of scales, framed by an Egyptian baguette or half-roll. Only the value of the material and the perfection of the work compensated for such simplicity. More elegant and comfortable openwork chairs had four legs in the shape of lion paws, a high back and armrests. But this was not enough for the pharaoh or queen. The backs of their chairs, as well as the armrests inside and out, were decorated with scenes from the classical repertoire, made using different techniques (wood carving, leather stamping, chasing in gold, silver or copper with inlays of precious stones). On these mini-reliefs, the pharaoh appears in the form of a griffin or sphinx, crowned with a uraeus, or in the form of a kite or falcon, tearing apart some Asian or black man with its claws. Absurd creatures, which were brought for a lot of money from the country of Punt or from Upper Egypt, dance to the accompaniment of tambourines. The pharaoh receives from the hands of his wife a flower that awakens his love. The queen places a necklace around the pharaoh's neck. The heads of lions, falcons or women adorn the armrests. Between the legs of the chair, symbolic plants of the South and North rise up and intertwine around a large hieroglyph representing unification.

The Egyptians used two types of stools. The simplest ones had vertical legs, the more luxurious ones crossed in the shape of the letter X and ended with duck heads.

The floor was covered with mats, and there were many pillows everywhere: they were placed under the backs and feet of those who sat in the chairs. When there were more guests than there were chairs in the house, latecomers and those who were younger sat on pillows or directly on mats on the floor.

The dining room, if it was separated from the reception hall, was furnished with armchairs and small tables, as well as stands for baskets of fruit, dishes with meat and vegetables, jugs and vases. It never occurred to the Egyptians to make large tables where all the numerous guests could sit at once. They sat alone or in pairs.

In ancient times, the Egyptians used two types of dishes: everyday - made of clay and ceremonial - made of stone. The latter was made mainly from black or blue slate, alabaster, and much less often - speckled marble, granite - for large, capacious vases and rock crystal - for small goblets. Glasses, bowls, plates, jugs, jugs, bowls and basins were also made from these various materials. More skilled artisans decorated their dishes with relief nets or gave them the shape of a boat or an animal.

At all times, excellent stone vases were made in Egypt. Numerous examples have been found in New Kingdom tombs. Nevertheless, the Egyptians were more willing to use gold or silver utensils. Gold or silver were jugs for ritual purposes and many other utensils for everyday needs. Hot drinks were prepared in vessels reminiscent of our teapots, with internal strainers in front of the spout. If desired, one could pour the hot drink through a strainer or colander, which was held over the guest's bowl. The famous pot with a roe deer painted on it from Pubast's treasury was most likely intended for milk. To pour liquids, they used a wide variety of vessels: cups with a spout and a rounded bottom, round mugs with a handle and spout, cylindrical mugs with a long handle like the ones our milkmaids use to pour milk. Bowls with curved letter edges were suitable for cream and sweet pies. Ramses III never went on a campaign without his golden goblet with ears, which held up to three liters, and his golden decanter, which were carried by his orderly. Those who could not afford such luxurious dishes were satisfied with earthenware. Since ancient times, potters have made beautiful clay vessels, decorated either with geometric or floral designs, or with lively scenes, similar to those engraved on metal dishes, where birds pecked fish or animals raced.

From the beginning of the New Kingdom, Egypt received from abroad, from Syria, Nubia and the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, purely decorative items made of metal and precious stones - bowls, amphorae and tables; they depicted all kinds of plants and animals, real and imaginary. Most of these precious items went to the temples, but the pharaoh selected the best examples for himself. The fashion for these exotic items spread among the population, and Egyptian jewelers began making them themselves. Prince Kenamon, who held one of the highest positions in the state, was supposed, among other things, to bring gifts to the pharaoh for the New Year. In his tomb, he ordered to depict a complete set of such gifts, made in the royal workshops. Among them, furniture stands out, on which a whole grove of doom palms and small Syrian palms appears to be growing, interspersed with water lilies and daisies. Monkeys climb the trunks to get to the fruits. The rest of the items are in a more traditional style. Ebony statues inlaid with gold depict the pharaoh and his wife with all sorts of attributes of royal power; sphinxes with human heads and falcon heads are carved on the cabinet and cabinet; gazelles and goats decorate the table and caskets. All these objects were obviously intended for the royal palaces, and many stood in the reception halls.

In the bedroom, the central place was occupied by the bed. The beds were very simple: a wooden frame with a lattice supported by four legs. These legs often ended in bull hooves or lion paws. Three luxurious beds depicting animals were preserved in the tomb of Tutankhamun: a cow, a panther and a hippopotamus. In addition, the room had wooden cabinets with inlay for linen and clothes. Toiletries, mirrors, combs, hairpins and wigs were stored in chests and caskets of all sizes, cosmetics, ointments and perfumes were kept in small vessels made of obsidian and ivory. In the rooms intended for family members, children and girls, there were musical instruments and boxes of toys.

In the workrooms there were special cabinets where manuscripts, parchment or papyrus scrolls, as well as all writing materials were stored. The written papyrus was rolled into a scroll, tied and sealed. The scrolls were tied into bundles, these bundles were placed in leather bags and hidden in closets.

Scribes did not need desks. They unfolded the papyrus on their knees; if necessary, they could write while standing, holding the papyrus in their left hand and without folding it. When they had to leave the house, they put all their writing utensils in a kind of satchel with a flat bottom.

The kitchen furnishings consisted of tables on four legs and thick clay vessels of various shapes and sizes. The hearths were made of refractory clay. Metal braziers on long legs, where geese were roasted, were used, in my opinion, only in churches and would not have tempted any self-respecting cook.

In the poorest houses, furniture was reduced to mats, and kitchen utensils to earthenware vessels. In such houses, even a few stands or chests were already considered signs of prosperity.

Notes:

The fellahs still use "sebah" - "age-old dust" from the ruins of dead cities - as fertilizer.

Under Tutankhamun, the capital was moved to Memphis rather than Thebes, indicating a compromise solution to the conflict within the ruling class.

They usually write about the famous Lebanese cedar. However, back in 1916, V. Lore argued that the term “ash” meant noble Cilician fir. This point of view is adhered to by his student P. Monte, and at present it is the most popular.

Shaduf is a well, a “crane”, invented in Egypt during the New Kingdom.

P. Monte believes that ancient authors called Ramesses II by the name of Sesostris. However, this is a collective image that included the features of several great kings (in particular, in addition to Ramses II - Senusret III), and in later ancient writings, apparently, Alexander the Great.

Maspero. Essais sur l "art égyptien. P., 1912, pp. 189-216; Edgar. The Treasure of Tell Basla. – Musée égypéien. T. II, p. 93, 108; Vernier.

Cat. Caire, Bijoux el orfèvreries, c. 104, 106.

Medinet-Habu, 38, 55. Davies.

Ken-Amun, c. 13, 20. Montet.