From symbols to written landscapes. The role of astronomy in ancient Egyptian architecture

Autori

  • Giulio Magli

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13130/2240-9599/9460

Abstract

Architecture of ancient Egypt is criss-crossed by a series of giant projects whose aim was to celebrate the divine nature of the Pharaohs and their rights to eternal afterlife. In many of such projects a complex interplay between idealization of symbols in hieroglyph writings and shaping of built objects and cultural landscapes can be seen. Since the afterlife destination of the Pharaohs was in the sky, astronomy plays a relevant role in understanding this interplay, as it occurs, in particular, in the Khufu project at Giza and in the planning of Akhenaten’s capital at Amarna.

Riferimenti bibliografici

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Pubblicato

2018-01-08

Fascicolo

Sezione

Focus - Assessing Well-Being: Aesthetic and Political Atmospheres