Columns have always both a decorative feature as well as structural aspect of many buildings. In the ancient world, columns were many times very unique to the particular location that they originated in. The architectural design for a column originates in one central region and from there it spreads around the Mediterranean Sea. There are not only economic and political factors that are involved in the making of these columns, but also dealing culture and nature of the land the column was made. The use of columns can be found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan, Greece, and Rome.
The Egyptians were the first civilization to have columns. They looked like a bundled reeds. Later on the cylinders in Egypt became more and more cylinder-like, yet always …show more content…
Mesopotamia did not have the wood or stone resources easily at hand, unlike Egypt or Greece. Their columns would have been imported in from other countries and would have only been for the elite people in the society who could afford them. During the Protoliterate Period, there is a temple in Uruk called Stiftmosaik Temple, which had four simple columns in a row holding up a portico. The columns were made from mud-bricks and were coated with lime plaster to give it a column-like structure, which were inspired by the trunk of a date-palm. This example of a column structure illustrates the use of columns were used in spaces of great importance, such as temples. Other temples and palaces, such as Kish and Mari, also depict the use of columns for important buildings. Within Mari, during the Early Dynastic III, there was a ziggurat Esplanade and Ninhursag Temple had two main columns in the courtyard, which were circular stones and the bases were wooden. Many of these temples had intricate designs and writings all over the shaft of the column. Another significant palace was Khorsabad under the reign of Sargon II. This palace had a courtyard which was colonnaded on one side. One of the reoccurring themes with columns, especially in temples or palaces was the use of columns in courtyards. This allowed for more space to be outside, yet would allow for shade. The use of columns in courtyards is passed through almost every culture around the Mediterranean
The Egyptians were the first civilization to have columns. They looked like a bundled reeds. Later on the cylinders in Egypt became more and more cylinder-like, yet always …show more content…
Mesopotamia did not have the wood or stone resources easily at hand, unlike Egypt or Greece. Their columns would have been imported in from other countries and would have only been for the elite people in the society who could afford them. During the Protoliterate Period, there is a temple in Uruk called Stiftmosaik Temple, which had four simple columns in a row holding up a portico. The columns were made from mud-bricks and were coated with lime plaster to give it a column-like structure, which were inspired by the trunk of a date-palm. This example of a column structure illustrates the use of columns were used in spaces of great importance, such as temples. Other temples and palaces, such as Kish and Mari, also depict the use of columns for important buildings. Within Mari, during the Early Dynastic III, there was a ziggurat Esplanade and Ninhursag Temple had two main columns in the courtyard, which were circular stones and the bases were wooden. Many of these temples had intricate designs and writings all over the shaft of the column. Another significant palace was Khorsabad under the reign of Sargon II. This palace had a courtyard which was colonnaded on one side. One of the reoccurring themes with columns, especially in temples or palaces was the use of columns in courtyards. This allowed for more space to be outside, yet would allow for shade. The use of columns in courtyards is passed through almost every culture around the Mediterranean