Features of Ancient Egyptian Houses: Rooms, Gardens, Decorations | Middle East And North Africa

Home | Category: Life (Homes, Food and Sex)

PARTS OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HOUSES

False door from an ancient Egyptian tomb

Egyptian homes tended to have small windows. They were basically high. square holes in the mud brick walls that were covered by woven reed mats that kept heat, sunlight and dust out. Some houses had two stories. Others had courtyards and gardens.

Because mosquitos were such a nuisance, many Egyptian beds had canopies with curtains or mosquito netting. Describing the netting, Herodotus: "In the marshy country, where there are no towers, each man possess a net. By day it serves to catch fish, while at night he spreads it over the bed, and creeping in, goes to sleep underneath. The mosquitos, which, if her rolls himself up in his dress or in a piece of muslim, are sure to bite through the covering, do not so much as attempt to pass the net."

We see by the numerous representations of doors in the Memphite tombs. A door, similar to the door of an ancient house, was chiselled within the tomb on the west wall, and this is always very much like those seen on the above coffin. Its form is sometimes simple, sometimes rather ornamental, but it is always painted in bright colors.

Some houses had massive granaries capable of storing enough grain to last a family for years. By 1500 B.C. some homes of Egyptian aristocrats were outfit with copper pipes that carried hot and cold water. Termites are believed to have been a problem in homes with wood.

Decorations of Ancient Egyptian Houses

Some houses belonging to members of the elite appear to have been brightly colored. There are indications that each lath (thin flat strip of wood forming a foundation for the plaster of a wall), each board, was either painted or gaily figured. The broader piers were, however, hung with carpets, each with its own pattern and its own color. " Such a building would appear most strange under our grey sky, but in the Egyptian sunlight the pretty systematic arrangement of the woodwork and the richness of the color must have been most effective. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

All the houses of the rich however were not so highly decorated. The accompanying illustration represents a coffin of an unknown man, and gives us an example of a model of a house of much simpler construction. The smooth undivided walls are evidently of brick, the recess containing the door alone shows distinct wooden construction. The disposition of the rooms in this house must also have been very different from the above-mentioned luxurious wooden building; this one has only two doors altogether, the walls of the back of the house and of the two short sides being pierced alone by windows.

In order to obtain a right idea of an Egyptian interior, we must add carpets and curtains. A tomb of the 5th dynasty shows us how the walls were covered with colored matting; in other tombs of the same period we see screens about the height of a man, formed of perhaps sixty pieces of different patterns; they stand near where the master sat. Thick rugs for covering the floor are found at all periods. The chair of the master is placed on one; and when the ladies sit on the floor at the feasts, beautiful rugs are spread for them.

Rain Gutters on Ancient Egyptian Houses

ancient Egyptian window

It didn’t rain all that frequently in ancient Egypt, but when it did, says Sapienza University of Rome archaeologist Aneta Skalec, it could come down quite violently, Even so there are few known examples of rainwater drainage systems even though they are mentioned in legal code and there are examples of people complaining about water pouring from their neighbors’ gutters onto their property. Jason Urbanus wrote in Archaeology magazine: Very few excavated ancient Egyptian houses retain their upper stories or roofs — they rarely survive because they would have been constructed from wood, branches, and leaves. “Initially, I was unable to find any archaeological evidence confirming the existence of similar rainspouts in Egypt,” Skalec says. “This motivated me to delve deeper into the topic. ” [Source: Jason Urbanus, Archaeology magazine, January/February 2024]

Skalec noticed that some Egyptian temples, such as the Temple of Edfu in southern Egypt and the Temple of Hathor at Dendera in the center of the country, have waterspouts, often shaped like lion’s heads, designed to channel rainwater from their roofs. While these elements are not quite analogous to the spouts described in the legal code, they do suggest that ancient Egyptians were acquainted with the sort of issues that could arise from heavy rainfall.

The best evidence for the type of gutter system that may have caused the legal imbroglio mentioned in the Hermopolis West papyrus can be found in small models of Egyptian houses that were deposited in tombs. Examples of these models were discovered in the tomb of Meketre, a Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1640 B.C.) royal administrator who was buried in Thebes around 1980 B.C. In his tomb, archaeologists discovered 24 wooden models depicting scenes of everyday life. Among them is a model of a house, presumably Meketre’s. The model’s colonnaded facade has a flat roof with three clearly protruding U-shaped rainspouts that appear similar to the offending features described in the code.

Rooms and Kitchens in Ancient Egyptian Houses

Based on images from tombs we can say the following parts belong to the complete house of an 18th dynasty noble person: 1) a great vestibule with an ante-room for the porter; 2) behind that the large dining-hall, the principal room in the whole house; 3) beyond, a small court, to the right of which was the sleeping apartment of the master; 4) to the left, the kitchen and store-room. 5) Then beyond still further follows the house for the women and the garden. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

In the kitchen of Ymery, superintendent of the domain of King Shepseskaf, the hearth is replaced by a metal brasier with pretty open-work sides. In the same kitchen we see how the meat is cut up on low tables and cooked; the smaller pots have been placed on a brasier, the large ones stand on two supports over the open fire. It is only when we come to the time of the New Kingdom that we find, in representations of the kitchen of Ramses III., a great metal kettle with feet standing on the fire; the kitchen boy is stirring the contents with an immense two-pronged fork. The floor of the whole of the back part of the kitchen is composed of mud and little stones, and is raised about a foot in order to form the fireplace, above which, under the ceiling, extends a bar on which is hung the stock of meat.

Egyptian palaces featured master bedrooms, with draped four-post beds surrounded by narrow "apartments" for wives and children, each with smaller beds. The best-made palaces had thick walls, which were cooler in hot weather, and raised platforms for the beds.

Toilets and Bathrooms in Ancient Egyptian Houses

According to Minnesota State University, Mankato: “Proper sanitation is an important factor in any city in order to address the problems of health and sanitation. These issues were also important in the ancient world. The ancient Egyptians practiced sanitation, but in the widest sense of the word as modern technologies were not available to them. The degree of sanitation available to certain individuals varied according to their social status. [Source: Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com +]

“Where did ancient Egyptians relieve themselves? If they had the means, bathrooms were built right in their homes. There is evidence that in the New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.) the gentry had small bathrooms in their homes. In the larger homes next to the master bedroom there was a bathroom that consisted of a shallow stone tub that the person stood in and had water poured over him. There is no evidence that the common people had bathrooms in their homes. +\

Rooms in the Palace of a High Ancient Egyptian Priest

funerary garden model

The following is based on images from tombs of Meryre (also Meryra or Merire), an Egyptian noble and the only certain High Priest of the Aten who lived in the 18th Dynasty . Passing through the kiosk of his nice house we enter the most important room in the Egyptian house, the great dining hall supported by pillars. The large dining table stands in the middle covered with dishes, bowls of fruit, and loaves of bread; roast meat and other articles of food are placed upon smaller tables; there are also flowers and gay necklets, the requisites for an Egyptian dinner-party. In the back part of the hall a row of immense wine jars are built into the wall. On either side of the table stand one or two arm-chairs, and close to one of them is a basin with a jug of water; evidently the present Oriental custom of pouring water over the hands after eating is no modern innovation. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

Behind the dining hall, but separated from it by a small court, are the storerooms and a sleeping apartment. The room on the right side of the latter is not entered directly from the court but through a small ante-chamber; a large bed piled high with pillows and bolsters stands in the middle. To the left is the bakery, consisting of an ante-room and two other rooms; here a workman is busy pounding corn in a great mortar. Two large rooms filled with jars serve as kitchens; in each room there is a low hearth. Two doors lead to these rooms behind; the larger door is in the middle of the dining-hall, and is evidently destined for the company and for the servants when waiting at meals. The servants usually however passed through the vestibule to the left into the left side of the hall, which was left unfurnished, and thence through a little door into the court at the back. There was no direct way from the storerooms into the street, the servants had always to pass through the great hall; a fault in the plan which seems strange enough.

Another curious fact about Meryre's house is that there were no women's apartments. This puzzle is easily explained by the inscriptions in his tomb: in no place is his wife mentioned. Meryre' therefore was an old bachelor. This is also the reason that in one of his dining-halls we sec but one chair; the great lord ate his dinner alone. The accompanying plate gives a restoration of this interesting building. The artist has succeeded very well in giving to the surroundings the general character of an ancient Egyptian town.

Rooms in a Family House in Amarna

'Ay lived with his family at Tell el Amarna. " The shape of the house plan was again rectangular, with the short side parallel to the street; it was therefore impossible to have the usual arrangement of courts and buildings. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

The stately enclosed court with its three doors and the three vestibules beyond are not to be found here; if we enter from the street we find ourselves in front of three small buildings, and of these the one on the left alone (the room of the servant on duty) has rather a dignified appearance, the other two being merely additional storerooms for wine and oil. Were it not for the fan-bearers standing in front of the door, no one would guess that this insignificant house was the residence of the mighty favorite of Pharaoh. To the right of these buildings we pass through a small door into a narrow court, where the servants are busy with their brooms and water-pots. The stately building beyond is the dining-hall, which is arranged in the usual manner.

A door leads from the back of the dining-hall into a court, through which we reach the kitchen and the master's bedroom. In the middle of the latter is an immense fourpost bedstead, near which stand three small beds, which may be intended for 'Ey's children. A second smaller dining-room adjoins the bedroom; it contains as usual two arm-chairs with footstools, a large dining table, and jars of wine; the jug and wash-basin have also not been forgotten. Apparently 'Ay and his wife Tcy only used their great dininghall on festive occasions.

This court and the long win": which stretches to the left of it is the scene of the daily life of the household. Servants are grouped together in the corners, gossiping busily over the news of the day; sitting on low stones before the entrance to the master's rooms are the porters, who join, though from a distance, in the interesting conversation.

If we leave the court on the left and go round the kitchen we find ourselves in front of a handsome building which is nothing less than the harem belonging to 'Ay — the dwelling of his wife, of her attendants, and of his children. He possessed two similar houses turned back to back, and separated by a small garden containing trees and tanks of water. Each house is divided into two rooms supported by pillars, behind each of which are two other rooms for the musical instruments and the toilet requisites. No work was ever done here. Behind the two houses for the women, at the further end of the piece of ground, are two other kitchens, apparently intended for the servants, several of whom are squatting round this building, busily intent on eating their dinner from small tables.

Part of the plan of a house and its offices, found in a tomb at Tell-el-Amarna

Decorated Palace in Ancient Egypt

The dimensions of some of Ancient Egyptian palaces were very considerable, thus 'Amt'en, the great man of the south, with whom we have had so much to do, built a house for himself "two hundred ells long and two hundred broad," a square building therefore, with each side measuring over a hundred yards. Unfortunately we know very little of the arrangement of the furniture of these buildings. Once only, in the tomb of Ymery, a superintendent of the royal property," part of the inside of a house is given.Ymery has caused himself to be represented there seated in a pillared hall receiving the funerary offerings. Four rows of light wooden pillars nearly 20 feet high, with capitals in the form of flowers, support the flat roof. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

A gaily colored carpet is hung between the pillars at the back; screened in this way from the sight of the servants, Ymery sits here on a high backed seat under which crouches his greyhound 'Eken'e. The room is filled with tables of food and jugs of liquid, and from a bar, which runs the whole length of the room below the ceiling, hang pieces of roast meat. This is evidently the great dining-hall, which then, as well as a century later, constituted the chief room of an Egj-ptian palace.

Rugs, like those which adorn Ymery's chair, evidently play a great part in the decoration of the room, and we shall scarcely make a mistake in thinking that the inner sides of the walls were hung with carpets like the outer. The lower part of the wall remained uncovered: with real artistic sense they preferred a dado of a heavier style, and therefore allowed the timber-work to be seen. This was the more decorative as they understood how to make the woodwork in alternate pieces cut cross and lengthwise. "' The round trunks of the palms which formed the roof were also often left uncovered that they might be seen. In some cases they were splendidly decorated like those beautiful roofs in the tombs, which we admire so much. The Egyptians preferred to have the doors and windows small and high; there was a wooden roller at the top of each which served to roll up the mat which hung over the opening.

Love of Flowers and Plants in Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt table decoration was a fine art. Large lotus flowers were used for the dining tables; and under the New Kingdom the jars of wine and beer were always adorned with covers of embroidered work; ' “wreaths of flowers for the wine-jars “were indispensable, and when the court traveled through a town it was just as necessary that the servants should procure the 100 wreaths as the 29,200 loaves or the 200 bushels of coal. ' In the same way as the tables were decked with flowers, the guests at the banquet were adorned with sweet-smelling flowers and buds; they wore lotus buds in their hair, and held them out to each other to smell, just as the guests amongst other nations pass glasses of wine to each other at the present day. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

The love of flowers and green plants which is so characteristic of the Egyptian people. Everywhere on the monuments we meet with flowers; bouquets of flowers are presented to the gods; the coffins are covered with wreaths of flowers; flowers form the decoration of the houses, and all the capitals of the pillars are painted in imitation of their colored petals. The Egyptian also loved shady trees. He not only prayed that the “Nile should bestow every flowering plant in their season “upon his departed soul, but also that his soul might sit “on the boughs of the trees that he had planted, and enjoy the cool air in the shade of his sycamore. " '

The arable fields, the shadeless woods of palms, the bare mud soil, scarcely provided the scenery which he most admired, he therefore tried to supply the want by landscape gardening. In the oldest periods there were parks and gardens; '' and the gentleman of ancient Egypt talked with pride of his shady trees, his sweet-smelling plants, and his cool tanks. All the sentiment with which we regard the woods and meadows of nature, the Egyptian felt towards his well-kept garden; to him it was the dwelling place of love, and his trees were the confidantes of lovers.

Gardens in a Noblemen’s House in Ancient Egypt

Remarkable pictures from Theban tombs of the time of the New Kingdom give us details as to the arrangement of the gardens and country houses of the upper classes; in each we see that the proprietor loved the quiet of the country. A high wall shut out the outside world; the house was invisible at the further end of the garden under the shade of old trees, and only approached by narrow garden paths. The gentleman who owned the large piece of ground seen in the above plan;' concealed his house in the furthest corner of the garden; no sound from the stirring life on the canal could penetrate his seclusion, no profane eye could see his house over the walls or over the tops of the trees. [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

A high castellated wall surrounds the piece of ground, which is almost square; there is no entrance except in front, where a broad flight of steps leads down from the large porter's lodge to two small doors which open upon the canal. Through the chief entrance, adorned with the name of the reigning king, we pass out of a small door directly into the vineyard, which is seen in the center of the plan. The luxuriant vines with their large purple grapes are trained on trellis-work built up with stone; through these vine-walks the path leads straight up to the house.

If we pass, however, through either of the side doors we come to a part of the garden resembling a small park; here there is a fish-pond surrounded with palms and shrubs. Part of this garden is separated off by a wall, inside which are trees of a light green color; this may be a nursery plantation, or it may contain rare trees. Two doors lead out of this garden; one into the palm-garden which occupies a narrow strip on either side of the piece of ground, the other door leads into the hinder portion of the garden. Whether we enter the right or left side we now come again to a “cool tank," and to rest here was the delight of the Egyptian. A pretty little arbour stands at the head of the pond; here the master would sit in the evening and watch the water-birds at their play in the water amongst the lotus and papyrus plants.

Pond in a garden; Fragment of a fresco from the Tomb of Nebamun

Finally at the back, surrounded by a double row of palms and high trees, lies the house itself, apparently an irregular one-storied building. The principal part is built against the back wall of the vineyard and has three rooms opening into the garden. On the left side a wing is built out which seems to be higher than the central portion; it has two doors in front and two windows at the side. The whole house is strikingly bare, and the monotony of the timber walls is only somewhat relieved by the pillars and frames of the windows and by the gaily colored hollow below the roof There is no reason why this building should be more richly decorated. It is quite hidden amongst the trees, and passers-by would be sufficiently impressed by seeing the stately lodge in front.

Partying in Royal Gardens in Ancient Egypt

The form of the garden here given seems to have been that usual in the older periods. In the beautiful park laid out by the oft-named 'Amt'en, chief hunter to King Snefru, he had “dug a great tank and planted figtrees and vines. " “In the middle of the garden “(exactly as in our plan) “he made a vineyard, which yielded him much wine. " [Source: Adolph Erman, “Life in Ancient Egypt”, 1894]

On the “festival day of the garden," that is, on the day when the garden was in full bloom, the wild fig-tree calls to the maiden to come into the shade of the fig leaves as a trysting-place:'' The little Sycamore Which she planted with her hand. She begins to speak. And her (words are as) drops of honey. She is charming, her bower is green, Greener than (the papyrus). She is laden with fruit, Redder than the ruby. The color of her leaves is as glass, Her stem is as the color of the opal . . . It is cool in her shadow. She sends her letter by a little maiden, The daughter of her chief gardener She makes her haste to her beloved: Come and linger in the (garden) . . . The servants who belong to thee Come with the dinner things; They are bringing beer of every (kind). With all manner of bread. Flowers of yesterday and of to-day. And all kinds of refreshing fruit. Come, spend this festival day And to-morrow and the day after to-morrow . . Sitting in my shadow. Thy companion sits at thy right hand, Thou dost make him drink, And then thou dost follow what he says . . . I am of a silent nature And I do not tell what I see I do not chatter. " i

The Pharaoh shared this love for trees and flowers, and tried to turn his city into a garden. Ramses III. e. g. , planted trees and papyrus plants in Thebes," and in the new town which he founded in the Delta he made “great vineyards; walks shaded by all kinds of sweet fruit trees laden with their fruit; a sacred way, splendid with flowers from all countries, with lotus and papyrus, countless as the sand. " It is not a mere saying that flowers from all countries were planted there; for the enjoyment of gardening and of raising flowers had really led to the importation of exotic plants. Three hundred years previously it had been the pride of Queen Chnemtamun that she had caused “thirty-one growing incense trees “to be brought from the incense countries of the Red Sea: Ramses III. repeated this difficult experiment and had the court of Amun planted with these rare shrubs.

Funerary Garden in Ancient Egypt

Jarrett A. Lobell wrote in Archaeology magazine: “The Tale of Sinuhe, a work of ancient Egyptian literature dating to the 12th Dynasty, around 1900 B.C. , reads, “. . . and there was made for me a sepulchral garden, in which were fields, in front of my abode, even as is done for a chief companion. ” The existence of funerary gardens is also known from representations in tombs from as early as the 6th Dynasty (2323–2150 B.C.). [Source: Jarrett A. Lobell, Archaeology magazine, April/May 2018]

But no archaeological evidence had been found until last year, when, in front of the rock-cut tomb of a high-ranking 12th Dynasty official of the Theban court, archaeologist José Manuel Galán of the Spanish National Research Council uncovered a well-preserved garden buried under more than 15 feet of debris. The 10-by-6. 5-foot rectangle was raised off the ground and divided into square beds.

re-creation of an Egyptian garden at Hamilton Gardens

According to Galán, the Egyptians would have grown vegetables, fruits, and flowers intended as fresh offerings for the deceased, as well as small trees and shrubs. Galán’s team found one of these shrubs, a tamarisk complete with roots and trunk, in the corner of the garden next to a bowl of dates and other fruits, perhaps meant as offerings. In the next field season, he plans to retrieve seeds and pollen to learn what plants were available in ancient Thebes and which were chosen for religious and funerary purposes.

Furniture in an Ancient Egyptian Houses

According to Minnesota State University, Mankato: “The typical Egyptian house had sparse furnishings by modern standards. Wood was quite scarce, so large furniture items were not common. By far the most common pieces of furniture were small 3 and 4 leg stools and fly catchers. Stools have been found in common houses as well as in Pharaohs’ tombs. Other items of utilitarian furniture include clay ovens, jars, pots, plates, beds, oil lamps, and small boxes or chests for storing things. [Source: Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com +]

“The ever present stool was made from wood, and had a padded leather or woven rush seat. The stools’ 3 or 4 legs were very often carved to look like animal legs. Wealthy people had their stools and all furniture in general was richly decorated with gold or silver leaf. The more common people would have things painted to look more expensive than they were. +\

“The Egyptian bed was a rectangular wooden frame with a mat of woven cords. Instead of using pillows, the Egyptians used a crescent-shaped headrest at one end of the bed. Cylindrical clay ovens were found in almost every kitchen, and the food was stored in large wheel-made clay pots and jars. For common people, food was eaten from clay plates, while the rich could afford bronze, silver, or gold plates. The ruling class also commonly had a throne chair with a square back inlaid with ebony and ivory. Almost everyone also had a chest for storing clothing and a small box for jewelry and cosmetics. Walls were painted, and leather wall hangings were also used. Floors were usually decorated with clay tiles.” +\

ancient Egyptian furniture and mats at the Louvre

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, escholarship.org ; Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Egypt sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Tour Egypt, Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com; Mark Millmore, discoveringegypt.com discoveringegypt.com; Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Discover magazine, Times of London, Natural History magazine, Archaeology magazine, The New Yorker, BBC, Encyclopædia Britannica, Time, Newsweek, Wikipedia, Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “History of Warfare” by John Keegan (Vintage Books); “History of Art” by H.W. Janson Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last updated August 2024