Architectural Designs

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Egypt and Mesopotamia both were built on the foundations of Neolithic man but their societies were far more complex and developed. They were significant civilizations that shaped the cultures of future kingdoms through their art, religion, government and other aspects of their society. Although Egypt and Mesopotamia were both river- valley civilizations, they largely differed politically, religiously, economically and socially because of their geographic differences. Both civilizations developed in the Middle East, and relied on their geographic surrounding as well as natural resources. Mesopotamia resided on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers while Egypt resided on the Nile River. Because Egypt was surrounded by various deserts and the Mediterranean and Red Sea, it was more isolated and this gave Egyptians a sense of security because there was less chances of invasion. Mesopotamia on the other hand was not protected and was open to frequent invasions. The great deal of cultural diffusion resulting from this made it much more diverse. Because of the frequent invasions, power and control was constantly changing hands from the Sumerians, to the Akkadians, Babylonians and so on. One of the strongest kings during that time was the Babylonian Hammurabi. He is known for his collection of laws which are known as the Code of Hammurabi. These laws were very strict, often demanding an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Hammurabi’s laws regulated almost everything in life and set common standards designed to hold the Babylonian empire together. Mesopotamia was known as city- states government, in which an independent city governs itself completely. It did not have a consistent capital and was not a theocracy. The Egyptians had a centralized government, compared to the Mesopotamians who also had a centralized government but it changed every 3000 years. Egypt was governed by a Pharaoh and he had control over almost every aspect of the lives of Egyptians. Egypt was divided into 42 smaller provinces and each state was managed by governors appointed by the Pharaoh. Egypt was a theocracy and its capital city was Memphis. The Egyptians were polytheistic, which meant that they believed in many gods and goddesses. They were very religious and believed in an afterlife so they preserved bodies of the dead. Amenhotep IV was the first Egyptian leader in history to question polytheism and considered monotheism. The Mesopotamians were also polytheistic and built Ziggurats which were thought to link the earth to the heavens. Religion was very important to the Sumerians and literature also focused on religion as we can see in the epic of Gilgamesh. The Egyptian language and literature however contained books on poetry, instructions, and religion and it evolved over time. The Mesopotamian writing form was known as cuneiform which resembled wedge shaped marks made by writing on clay tablets while the Egyptians writing form was known as hieroglyphics which included hundreds of picture signs. Both the Egyptian and Mesopotamians had patriarchal society, which meant that it was a male dominated society. Egypt had several social classes, but the largest was the peasant/ farmers. It is believed that the status of women was greater in Egypt than in Mesopotamia which is seen by the only female ruler Hatshepsut who ruled Egypt. Architectural comparisons would be that the Mesopotamians built Ziggurats while the Egyptians built Pyramids, obelisks and the Great Sphinx. Both civilizations had skilled artisans and craftsmen. Egyptians discovered jewelry, cosmetics and also built tombs for the Pharaoh. Mesopotamians calculated time, invented the water clock and the sundial. They also began libraries and the study of medicines. They had an advanced understanding of algebra and astronomy. Both civilizations created formal institutions of government through their city-states, kingdoms, and regional empires. They generated several distinct social classes. They invented writing and both civilizations relied on writing in developing traditions of literature, learning and religion. They built famous architectural monuments that still exist today. They expanded their territories and encouraged the establishment of long- distance trade networks. In conclusion, we see how both of these civilizations deeply influenced people throughout the world. Everything today that comes out of American and European societies came from the Middle East especially Mesopotamia and Egypt.

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1. They were significant civilizations that shaped the cultures of future kingdoms through their art, religion, government and other aspects of their society. They should be THERE WERE