Plan of the Egyptian garden and its description. Gardens of Ancient Egypt, their significance in the history of landscape art

Chapter "Gardens Ancient egypt". "Gardens through the centuries". Randhava M.S. Translated from English: Ardashnikova L. D., publishing house "Knowledge", Moscow, 1981 (Mohindar Singh Randhawa, "Gardens Through the Ages", Macmillan Co. Delhi. India. 1976)

A fundamental agricultural transformation came from Mesopotamia to Egypt around 4600 BC. NS.

Egypt in the era preceding the ancient kingdom was a country with a highly developed civilization. History has preserved us many details that testify to the level of its culture at that time.

There were settlements along the shore of Lake Fayum in the 5th millennium BC. The lake was 180 feet higher than it is now. Inhabitants grew two-grain wheat, barley, flax, from which linen was woven; kept domestic animals: sheep, goats and pigs. They used flint-tipped sickles and stone axes.

The most important component of the Egyptian civilization is its art and especially architecture and sculpture. They are distinguished by splendor, majesty, monumentality. Arch, vault, column became the contribution of Egypt to the architecture of the world. Will Durant in his book "History of Civilization" notes that in the history of sculpture there is nothing more beautiful than the diorite statue of Pharaoh Khafre, brother of the famous Cheops, which is now in the Cairo Museum. The statue has come down to us almost intact; carved from hard-to-cut stone, it vividly testifies to the originality of the creative handwriting of its creator.

Archaeological evidence suggests that horticulture was widespread in ancient Egypt. Fruits, seeds and plant parts have been found at burial sites. Many plants are depicted on gravestones. The drawings show that the Egyptians had two types of gardens: secular and temple gardens.

There is a well-known garden at the temple of Amun-Ra in Karnak, which existed since the reign of Thutmose III, from about 1500 BC. NS. This terraced garden is further proof of the penetration of landscaping from Mesopotamia into Egypt.

Ancient sycamore, juniper, tamarisk and Nile acacia were considered sacred trees in Egypt. Antique sycamore was associated with the name Nut - the goddess of the sky. Some of the monuments depict peasants putting sacrifices at the foot of the sycamore: fruits, vegetables, water in jugs.

The dying and resurrecting Osiris was in the minds of the ancients the god of fertility and the king of the afterlife. In Dendorah, the tree of Osiris was coniferous. The coffin with his body was depicted as if inside a tree. A pine cone, which often appears on monuments, is interpreted as a sacrifice to Osiris. The manuscript, now kept in the Louvre, tells that the cedar arose by the will of the god of fertility.

Sycamore and tamarisk were also considered trees of Osiris: initiations say that the god of fertility rested under these trees. And his mother, the goddess of the sky Nut, was often depicted against the background of sycamore. The burial in Diospolis Narva depicts a tamarisk hanging over the sarcophagus of Osiris. Some of the sculptures in the huge temple at Thebes depict a tamarisk and two people pouring water over it. The ancient sculptors apparently wanted to say by this that Osiris was an admirer of trees. Tradition says that Osiris forbade damaging fruit trees and cutting off water sources, which are so important for irrigating the hot southern lands.

There is evidence that each temple had its own sacred tree and their sacred groves. Records have survived, from which it is clear that rare plants were brought from the conquered countries as valuable prey; plant roots were neatly packed in boxes with earth, and then "trophies" were planted around temples and palaces.

In Egyptian symbolism and jewelry, the image of the lotus is found everywhere. The myth tells that Horus, the rising sun, was born from a lotus flower; the lotus was the symbol of the resurrection. There were always lotus flowers on the altar of sacrifice.

The palaces and homes of wealthy nobles and priests were usually located in gardens or plots, planted with trees and surrounded by walls.

The images in the tomb of the Nembamuns (near Thebes) give a clear picture of the secular garden. Water lilies, cornflowers and poppies grow here; an alley of date palms, alternating with sycamores, is clearly visible.

The Egyptians also grew figs. One of the paintings showed monkeys picking figs. This suggests that the Egyptians, like the Malays, trained monkeys to gather fruit from trees.

Some of the paintings depict pergolas - pavilions entwined with grapes. During the eighteenth dynasty, the Egyptians cultivated black, purple, red, white and pale green grapes, and cultivated pomegranate, which grew wildly in the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Persia and Palestine. The ancient Egyptians were very popular with watermelons, chicory and onions. Crocuses, poppy seeds, water lilies, saffron, white lily were grown mainly as medicinal plants, and sometimes just for beauty.

How was the water supply ensured? The Egyptians created a canal system. The huge gardens of the pharaohs and nobles were irrigated by canals through which water from the Nile flowed. Small gardens were supplied with water from wells similar to those used in India: a balanced bar that acts as a lever to raise the water.

Ramses III (1198-1166 BC) made a major contribution to the introduction of plants and horticulture. During his reign, the practice of planting small trees and shrubs in large decorative clay vases began to be practiced. This practice was later adopted by Rome and the gardeners of the Italian Renaissance.

During the reign of Ramses III, 514 gardens were created. Their main purpose was to provide the temples with oil, wine, wood and aromatic herbs. But along with this, the gardens played an equally important decorative role.

garden park revival

Gardens of Ancient Egypt

Historical reference

Gardens in Ancient Egypt were widespread. Originating, presumably, from the vegetable gardens irrigated by the Nile, with the growth of the prosperity of Egypt, they grew into luxurious complexes with ponds, flowers, statues, shady avenues of fruit trees. Gardens were laid out around temples, palaces and mansions of wealthy Egyptians. In addition, so-called grave gardens were laid out around the tombs.

Extensive gardens were laid out around the temples. The temple of Amun at Karnak had twenty-six vegetable gardens, as well as an ancient botanical garden containing, according to the inscriptions, "all kinds of beautiful flowers and bizarre plants found in the blessed land conquered by His Majesty."

There were two main types of Egyptian gardens: at temples and at residential buildings. The glorification of the unlimited power of the pharaohs was the ideological goal of garden-temple construction. The composition is based on the regularity and straightness of the layout, due to the irrigation system. In the gardening construction of Ancient Egypt, it was used a large number of overseas plants and flowers, which testifies to the high development of agricultural technology.

Peculiarities:

  • 1. The composition of Egyptian gardens was mainly based on the principle of geometric constructions
  • 2.the gardens were laid out on a leveled place and only in rare cases on terraces
  • 3. The gardens were rectangular and symmetrically planned.
  • 4. Characteristic feature Egyptian gardens is a pond, located most often in the middle
  • 5. Near the ponds, pavilions, gazebos and chapels for domestic gods were built

Architect:

  • 1. Imhotep
  • 2. Hemiun
  • 3. Ineni
  • 4. Senmut

Gardens of Amun at Karnak Temple

Gardens of Amun at Karnak Temple, early. 14th century BC

The temple at Karnak with its gates, courtyards and halls, countless columns, sculptures and obelisks is the most significant temple complex in Ancient Egypt. It was called Ipet-Sut and for a long time was the main sanctuary of the country. All pharaohs of the era of the New Kingdom considered it their duty and paramount concern to equip and decorate it, attracting the best architects, sculptors and artists of Egypt. The temple in Karnak is dedicated to the god Amon - during the New Kingdom he was recognized as the hypostasis of the sun god Ra. In honor of Amon-Ra, “the king of all gods,” hymns were composed, and magnificent temples were built in his honor.


Alley of sphinxes with ram heads

On the south side of the temple is the Sacred Lake. There was a pier, to which sacred boats made of cedar moored with statues of the great triad of gods - the sun god Amon-Ra, his wife, the sky goddess Mut (Nut) and their son Khonsu, the god of the moon. From here a solemn procession began, associated with the ritual of meeting and transferring the sacred boat to the sanctuary. This ceremony took place in the temple every year and attracted crowds of pilgrims.

Karnak temple, early. 14th century BC

The temples of the goddess Mut and the god Khonsu adjoin the southern part of the temple ensemble. In ancient times, they were surrounded by vast "sacred gardens". The temple of the goddess Mut began to be laid by Senmut, the architect of Queen Hatshepsut. Khonsu Temple was built during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The alley of sphinxes with ram heads leads from him to another great temple of Egypt - the temple of Amun-Ra in Luxor.

Babylon gardens

Historical reference

Babylomn is an ancient city in Mesopotamia on the banks of the Euphrates River, an important economic, political and cultural center Of the ancient world... The capital of the Babylonian kingdom (Babylonia) (II-I millennium BC). In the VI-IV centuries. BC. - the largest city in the world with a population of about 150 thousand inhabitants. Babylon is sometimes referred to as the first metropolis in human history. The city occupies an important place in Christian eschatology and is also a well-known symbol of modern culture.

Peculiarities:

  • 1. The cult of water. Water was considered a source of goodwill - it is a cult of fertility. Water is like this: a powerful and unkind element, the cause of destruction and misfortune.
  • 2. Babylonian ziggurats served as a monumental crown to the entire surrounding architectural ensemble and landscape
  • (The ziggurat is a tall tower encircled by protruding terraces, giving the impression of several towers shrinking in volume ledge by ledge. A black ledge was followed by another, natural brick color, followed by a whitewashed one.)
  • 3.magic image of the Beast
  • 4.cult of heavenly bodies

Architect:

Nebuchadnezzar, Aradahhesh

Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 6 in toAD

The hanging garden of Semiramimda is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A more correct name for this structure is the Hanging Gardens of Amitis (according to other sources - Amanis): this is the name of the wife of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, for whose sake the gardens were created. ... Presumably located in the ancient state of Babylon, near the modern city of Hill.


Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 6th century BC

The gardens were arranged in the form of a pyramid with four tier platforms supported by 20-meter columns. The lowest tier was in the form of an irregular quadrangle, the length of which was different parts ranged from 30 to 40 meters

From a distance, the pyramid looked like an evergreen and blooming hill, bathing in the coolness of fountains and streams. Pipes were located in the cavities of the columns, and hundreds of slaves were constantly turning a special wheel that supplied water to each of the platforms of the hanging gardens.

The heyday of the gardens of Semiramis lasted about 200 years, after which, during the hegemony of the Persians, the palace fell into disrepair. The kings of Persia only occasionally stayed in it during their rare trips around the empire. In the 4th century, the palace was chosen by Alexander the Great as a residence, becoming his last place on earth. After his death, 172 luxuriously furnished rooms of the palace finally fell into decay - the garden was completely ceased to look after, and severe floods damaged the foundation, and the structure collapsed. This miracle was located 80 kilometers south-west of modern Baghdad, on the territory of Iraq

Gardens Ancient Greece

Historical reference

In ancient Greece, gardening art is associated with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Asian garden art was incorporated into ancient Greek landscaping.

The most common and characteristic exclusively for Ancient Greece types of landscaping were such as herrons, more popular kA divine groves, privately owned gardens and philosophical gardens. Moreover, in most cases, the herrons were exclusively of a memorial nature, they were used in the process of creating various architectural structures, sculptures, as well as forests with springs.

The main principles of urban planning by Aristotle (IV century BC), who believed that the design and settlement, and the park should be viewed not only as a complex of technical issues, but also in terms of artistry: "The city should be built in such a way as to ensure safety for people and at the same time make them happy."

Peculiarities:

  • 1. combination of natural compositions with small architectural forms.
  • 2. Gardens were equipped with straight paths and alleys, decorated with vases, columns, sculptures.
  • 3. Artificial reservoirs, fountains and springs were created in gardens and parks.
  • 4. Balance and symmetry
  • 5.used terracing

Architect:

Lysicrates, Scopas, Phidias

Acropolis of Athens. 2nd century BC

The Athenian Akrompolis is an acropolis in the city of Athens, which is a 156-meter high rocky hill with a gentle summit (approx. 300 m long and 170 m wide).

Already during the archaic times, there were majestic temples, sculptures, various objects of worship here. The Acropolis is also called "Kekrops" - in honor of Cecrops, who according to legend was the first king of Athens and the founder of the Acropolis.


Plan of the Acropolis of Athens

in the Acropolis there was a lot of construction. Under the tyrant, the temple of the goddess Athena was built on the site of the royal palace. during the Greco-Persian wars, the temples of the Acropolis were destroyed by the Persians.

In 447 BC. new construction began on the Acropolis on the initiative; the management of all the works was entrusted to the famous sculptor who, apparently, was the author of the project that formed the basis of the entire complex, its architectural and sculptural appearance.

Afimnian acrompole

After the proclamation of the independence of Greece, during the restoration work (mainly at the end of the 19th century), the ancient appearance of the Acropolis was restored whenever possible: all the late buildings on its territory were liquidated, the temple was re-laid. Reliefs and sculptures of Acropolis temples are in the British Museum (London), the Louvre (Paris) and the Acropolis Museum. The sculptures that remained in the open air have now been replaced with copies.

Gardens Ancient rome

Historical reference

They were created under the influence of ancient Egyptian, Persian and ancient Greek gardening techniques.

Private Roman gardens were usually divided into three sections. The first is an open terrace, which was connected to the house by a portico. The second part was a garden with flowers and trees and was used for walking and contemplation. The third part was an alley.

In ancient Roman gardens, complex hydraulic structures were used - artificial reservoirs and fountains.

Various versions of the arrangement of Roman gardens were used in Roman settlements in Africa, Britain.

The principles of the design of Roman gardens were later applied in the gardening art of the Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism.

Peculiarities:

  • 1. Gardens such as sacred groves, public gardens, villa gardens, hippodrome gardens, orchards-retired are formed here.
  • 2. In the volume of the residential building there were courtyards surrounded by a colonnade. They were decorated with flowers, shrubs, sculptures, and were supplied with water.
  • 3. Most of the gardens were built on terraced slopes, decorated with flowers, sculptures, various architectural structures and fountains.
  • 4. It was in landscape design Pergolas, alleys, topiary art (curly haircut) appeared in ancient Rome.
  • 5. Regular layout

Architect:

Julia Domna, Gnei Pompey

Fruit gardening in Rome

Ancient Rome garden plan

In addition to the ornamental garden, Roman villas, like the Greeks, had fruit trees, vineyards and vegetable garden. But even these plantings Roman gardeners gave decorative view... Straight alleys lined with iris, carnations, gladioli, poppy seeds divided the orchard and vegetable garden into regular sections.

Fruit gardening in Rome was then at such a high level that gardeners made complex grafts of one plant on another.

Walking gardens


Trimming trees in ancient Rome

The promenade garden began from the terrace and its stairs. Straight symmetrical paths and alleys were lined with stone slabs and lined with small trees, groups of bushes (roses, myrtle, oleander, jasmine, pomegranate) and bordered with a hedge of beech, laurel, rosemary.

Villa Hadrian

The largest and richest villa "Tiburtina" belonged to the emperor Hadrian, created already in silver age Rome (121 - 131). She was located 25 kilometers east of Rome, near Tivoli. For this villa, mountains were destroyed, gorges were cut, hills were poured, artificial lakes were created - in a word, the slaves were remaking nature, decorating the gardens with beautiful landscapes according to the developed plan.


Villa Hadrian. Temple of Venus

Along with beautiful copies, Adrian also collected authentic works of Greek art in his villa. It really was a villa museum. The villa, or rather, the whole city of magnificent buildings, occupied an area of ​​about 5 square meters. kilometers and was surrounded by a wall 9 meters high.

The ancient buildings of Hadrian's villa are grandiose and majestic, just as the Colosseum, the temple of Venus and the baths of Caracalla are grandiose in Rome.

Among the ruins of the villa, magnificent corners have been preserved: now a ring reservoir among the building, surrounded by columns, now a mosaic floor, now a high wall - and behind it a narrow alley of dark pointed cypress trees.

In the distance were the pinnias in dark green umbrellas — Italian pines, tall cypresses, flat-topped Lebanese cedars, and groves of silvery olives with their cracked trunks. There are not only flowers, which, probably, were once very many here.

The oldest gardens in the world
It is believed that the first civilization to cultivate the art of creating gardens and parks was Ancient Egypt. Archaeological finds, bas-reliefs, drawings and inscriptions leave no doubt that the Egyptians, from Pharaoh to commoner, had a reverent attitude towards gardens as gifts from heaven. For example, the inscription on the tomb of a prominent dignitary says that he built a house, dug a pool and planted trees. The gardens were set aside
huge spaces both in private estates and in city squares. One of these gardens is depicted on the wall of the Annals Hall in Karnak Temple: Pharaoh Thutmose III is resting among shady trees. The ancient capital of Thebes was famous for its gardens. There were also gardens at large temples, such as the Mentuhotep temples.

Pharaoh Ramses III expanded the gardens and forests. “I made all the trees and plants on earth bear fruit. I made it so that people could sit in their shadow, ”he said. Pharaoh laid out huge gardens in the residence of his
the famous ancestor of Ramses II, arranged luxurious flower beds along the sacred path, planted vineyards so that the god Atum had plenty of wine, and olive groves, which gave "the best oil in Egypt, so that the flame would burn brightly in the sacred palace." More than others, Ramses III revered the temple of Horus: “I made the sacred grove, which is located in its fence, blossom. I made the papyri turn green, as in the Akhbit swamps (where, according to the myth, the Baby Horus lived). And They have been neglected since ancient times. I made the sacred grove of your temple flourish and gave it a place that was a desert. I have appointed gardeners to make everything bear fruit. " The park of Queen Hatshepsut was also famous, and Pharaoh Thutmose IV brought a collection of rare plants from a campaign in Palestine and ordered to make a bas-relief with their image. This is the oldest evidence of a botanical garden.

After each military campaign, the gardens of the Egyptians were replenished with new plants. From Persia, they took out mignonette, poppy, myrtle and castor oil, from the seeds of which they obtained oil for ritual actions. During the reign of Cleopatra (1st century BC) in Egypt, they were fond of growing roses. Their petals thickly covered the floors of the banquet halls of the celebrated queen, and rose wreaths adorned the heads of the feasting, reclining on pillows filled with rose petals. Fragrant roses wrapped around the goblets of wine, the walls and columns of the halls. The noble Romans tried to imitate the beautiful gardens of Cleopatra and her pink feasts. For flowers, which were exported by whole ships, they paid huge sums of money to the Egyptians.
Probably, it was in Ancient Egypt that the first samples of regular garden layouts were created, combining beauty and utility, grace and utility. In the tomb of one of the commanders of Pharaoh Amenophis III in Thebes, an image of the garden has been preserved as if from a bird's eye view: on a square plot of land surrounded by a high wall, avenues of trees and exquisitely shaped pools with water birds are symmetrically located, and a vineyard is laid out in the middle of the garden. There is also a residential building here.

Graceful gazebos for meals were often placed in the shade of trees. Drinks were chilled in jugs under wooden awnings, and abundant food was beautifully placed on tables and stands. The air was filled with the scent of flowers. Most of all they revered the lotus, dedicated to the god of the setting Sun Osiris and the goddess of fertility Isis. In the gardens, as a rule, square or rectangular ponds or pools lined with stone were arranged; water lilies bloomed in them and ducks swam. Sometimes they bred those who were revered as sacred crocodiles, snakes, lizards, etc. Ponds with papyri, water lilies and lotuses laid the foundation for the so-called water gardens. Stone steps led to the pier, where a boat almost always stood for the amusement of the hosts and guests.

Of all the gardening work, watering was the most laborious. Even in the era of the Middle Kingdom, gardeners went to a reservoir with clay jugs - prototypes of a watering can, hung them on a rocker and brought them to the main ditch; the water poured into it spread through other ditches and irrigated the garden. This monotonous and hard work became a thing of the past only with the invention of the shaduf. On the shore of the reservoir, a massive pillar was dug in about two human height, and a long pole was attached to it, rotating in all directions. A stone was tied to the thick end of the pole, and a canvas or earthen vessel was hung on a rope from the thin end. The rope was pulled down and filled the vessel, and then it was lifted up and the water was poured into the gutter. With the help of such a primitive device, they were able to solve the problem of watering gardens. By the way, shadufs exist to this day.

Already in the days of the Ancient, and even more so the Middle Kingdom, the owner of the house both in the city and in the village tried to have his own garden, where he grew fruits and vegetables. The Egyptians loved straight lines, and therefore their gardens were divided into squares and rectangles with even shady avenues of trees and vine trellises with flower beds. The wealthy Egyptian Anena collected in his garden almost all the trees that grew in the Nile Valley: sycamore, date, fig, coconut and other types of palms, jujuba, acacia, tamarisk, pomegranate, peach, yew, as well as trees whose species could not be determined. It is known, however, that there were 18 of them. In the gardens and groves, each type of plant - palm, fig, ebony - was assigned separate symmetrical square areas. The plants were planted in orderly rows in height: the tallest were placed closer to the fence, and the lowest - to the middle of the garden, to the pond.

If you believe Strabo, then at the palace of the famous King Solomon (10th century BC) there was a balsamic garden where valuable spices were grown. One of the royal chambers resembled a pavilion, decorated with trees and plants made of metal, made so delicately and skillfully that they could be mistaken for real ones. According to other sources, at the palace of Solomon existed :: rich gardens with pools and rare fish. The ancient Jews likened the king to a mighty tree growing in paradise in the very center of the earth. With similar ideas in many religions of the peoples of the world, the idea of ​​a king-builder of sanctuaries with a garden where the tree of life grows is associated. The whole world is the garden of the main deity, and the king in it is the gardener.
Hanging Gardens.

Magnificent gardens adorned the cities of Ancient Mesopotamia. It is known that even in the XXII century. BC BC, during the reign of the Sumerian king Gudea, vineyards were created, surrounded by living reed hedges. Assyrian king Tigratpalasar I (about 1100 BC) proudly reported: “Cedars and beeches, as well as such tree species that none of my predecessors bred, I brought from the lands I conquered and planted in the parks of my country ... I also planted expensive garden plantings in the Assyrian parks, which were not previously in my country. " Surprisingly, the warlike and cruel Assyrian kings treated the gardens that surrounded their luxurious palaces with incredible tenderness, praised them in every way and invariably depicted them on bas-reliefs and steles.
But the Babylonian Hanging Gardens, considered one of the wonders of the world and described by the ancient historians Diodorus, Strabo and Herodotus, gained special fame. The whimsical memory of the descendants mistakenly linked them with the name of the Assyrian queen Semiramis. In fact, the greatest gardens of antiquity were dedicated to another woman.

The most famous king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC), under whom the city reached an unprecedented prosperity, loved his young wife, the Median princess. She grew up among the green hills of Media, enjoying the rustle of leaves and the shady coolness of trees, and therefore in the stuffy and dusty Babylon she was panting and yearning. Nebuchadnezzar proved that love can work miracles: in the very center of a hot and sultry desert, he created for his wife the image of her distant homeland. Top mathematicians and the architects were considering the project, best builders brought it to life, and artisans tirelessly molded and burned bricks. Four rectangular tiers were erected
terraces connected by wide staircases. According to the remark of the ancient Greek historian Diodorus, they narrowed upward, "like a theater."
The vaults of the hanging gardens were supported by high 25-meter columns. The terraces, connected by twisted staircases, were laid with stone slabs, covered with a layer of reeds and covered with asphalt. Then they made a gasket of a double row of bricks held together with gypsum, and put lead sheets on top so that the water would not seep down. A thick layer of fertile soil was poured on top.

The creation of the gardens was a very time consuming task. From distant lands, carts pulled by bulls carried seedlings of rare trees, wrapped in wet matting; seeds of outlandish plants and herbs. Day and night, slaves pumped water from the Euphrates, lifting it to the upper terrace, from where murmuring streams ran down. The garden made a stunning impression: it seemed as if a huge green, blooming pyramid, irrigated by fountains, was floating in the air.
The Babylonians took a lot from their predecessors, the Sumerians, for whom gardens were one of the main sources of wealth. An ancient legend tells of a hardworking and experienced gardener named Shukallituda. All his efforts to grow a beautiful garden were in vain: no matter how carefully he tended the plants, they dried up, and fierce winds covered the face of his garden with the "dust of the mountains." Then the gardener turned his gaze to the sky and the stars, studied the heavenly signs and comprehended the laws of the powerful gods. Thanks to this, Sukallituda gained new wisdom ... learned the decisions of God.
In the garden, in five, ten secluded places,
He planted there on a tree, their canopy - protection.
Sarbatu is a tree, with dense foliage, the shadow of its crown is canopy-protection.
His shadow is neither at dawn nor at noon,
Doesn't go anywhere at dusk.
(Cramer's translation)

The contemporaries of Alexander the Great also left enthusiastic descriptions of the hanging gardens. Fascinated by the beauty of Babylon, the great commander even intended to make it the capital of his colossal empire. But the ambitious plans were not destined to come true. In the summer of 323 BC. NS. in stuffy and hot Babylon, Alexander suffered from attacks of an unknown illness. The king's bed was moved from the palace to the gardens. Probably, here he remembered his native Macedonia with its shady oak forests, yearned for the smell of herbs and rustle of foliage. Death overtook him in the hanging gardens.
Following the example of Babylon, hanging gardens were created in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. in the Moscow Kremlin, at the living quarters of the tsar and tsarina, special riding gardens were arranged, teeming with outlandish overseas plants. Under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the hanging garden was located above the colonnade along Nevsky Prospect and the Fontanka River in the Anichkov Palace. A hanging garden was also erected in the Winter Palace under Catherine the Great; it has survived in the Hermitage to this day.

Geographical position. Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations that arose in the northeast of the African continent along the lower course of the Nile River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

Climate. The climate of Ancient Egypt is difficult to live in. Hot and dry, with hot winds, almost no precipitation. The heat was unbearable all the time.

Vegetation. There was no possibility of the existence of trees and shrubs over large areas. Naturally grew: tamariks (French comb, Divine tree, Bisernik), date palms,

And along the banks of the Nile: reeds, papyrus, lotuses.

Historical sketch. Building materials: granite, limestone, sandstone, which are characterized by high strength and durability.

Over the three millennia of the existence of the Egyptian state, along with the development of urban planning, architecture and plant growing, gardening was also formed. The streets of Egyptian cities were straight, with closely spaced houses, on the roofs of which palm trees and other plants were often planted. At the back of the houses were square or rectangular gardens, symmetrically laid out. Gardens were created at temples, palaces and houses of the wealthy part of the population. The temple buildings, consisting of several courtyards, alleys and colonnades, were skillfully combined into one whole. This suggests that already in Egypt there were architecturally arranged gardens. Rows of palm trees were beautifully combined with stone columns. The geometric grid of city plans, the axial construction of temple complexes, the canonized use of the principle of symmetry determined the character of the Egyptian garden, which was formed as a regular one with a clearly defined main axis.

Types of gardens: gardens at temples, gardens at palaces, gardens at residential houses of wealthy owners,

As an example, consider the plan for the structure of an Egyptian garden with an area of ​​1 hectare. (refers to the era of the Middle Kingdom - 21-18 centuries BC) The garden has a square shape, surrounded by a wall (which protected the garden from sandstorms and the flooding of the Nile). The entrance is marked by pylons (towers in the form of a truncated pyramid in front of the house church) and is the beginning of the axis, which is closed by the house located in the depths of the garden. The compositional axis is a covered alley, or the so-called pergola, entwined with grapes and forming a shady vault. Four rectangular pools and two gazebos are located symmetrically to the axial road. Along the perimeter - ordinary landings. More large trees placed closer to the walls of the fence, then - medium in height, and the lowest - in the middle of the garden, around a square (rectangular) pond. In these ponds, papyrus, blue and white water lilies and the sacred lotus were bred. Especially the inhabitants of Egypt revered the lotus flowers, "the bride of the Nile," as they called this plant. It was dedicated to the sun god Osiris and the fertility goddess Isis. The priests of Osiris and noble Egyptians adorned their heads with lotus flowers. Garlands were made from its petals. Lotus leaves were used as vessels and plates. These ponds laid the foundation for what are now called "water gardens".

The considered garden is an example of a regular style direction. Its specific feature is the presence of a fencing and interior walls surrounding separate areas: entrance platform, pergola, reservoirs, landing. The garden gave shade and coolness, provided fruits and flowers, here were also sacred plants - lotus, papyrus, etc.

In the plant assortment, in addition to local species, introduced species were widely used (plants grown in soil outside their natural distribution area) - figs, pomegranates, roses, jasmine. In large gardens, each type of plant was assigned - palm trees, fig trees, ornamental plants- separate, strictly symmetrical square areas. Trees were highly prized for producing fragrant oils. Palm trees, pomegranates, fig trees, lemons, roses filled the gardens. Palm trees, according to the Egyptians, provided joy to the owner; fig trees - wealth and knowledge of the secret; black (ebony) tree - wealth and happiness. These trees were sacred to the Egyptians. Among the herbaceous plants, common were carnations, cornflowers, and poppies. Egyptian gardeners, whose specialty was especially appreciated in those days, bred roses, lilies of the valley and levkoi during all year round... Here grew mignonette, poppy, myrtle, castor oil exported from Persia, from the seeds of which oil was obtained to illuminate temples. Suzinon fragrant oil was made from lilies. Lily for the Egyptians served as a symbol of hope and brevity of life.

Garden functions. The ancient Egyptian garden was characterized by an organic fusion of religious, utilitarian and aesthetic functions.

Stylish features. In general, garden art with clear compositional and planning canons was formed in Ancient Egypt:

Regular plan, including the axial construction of the composition and the use of symmetry;
- the formation of closed compositions;

The center of the ensemble has always been the main building;

The presence of reservoirs as an integral, and often the main part of the garden;
- using rhythm as a compositional technique;
- the use of alley and ordinary plantings;
- the use of exotic plants in the assortment of woody plants.

Ancient Egypt as an independent state was founded in the 4th millennium BC. The development of the state is closely connected with the Nile Valley, which carries its waters from south to north into the Mediterranean Sea. Tamariks and date palms naturally grew in the valley, and reeds, papyri and lotuses grew along the banks of the Nile. The hot and arid climate with hot winds, almost complete absence of precipitation ruled out the possibility of the existence of trees and shrubs on any significant areas. The ancient Egyptians created a developed irrigation system with canals that provide water to the fields, and hydraulic devices that protect cities and settlements from flooding during a river flood. Of the valuable building material, which ancient Egypt was rich in - granite, limestone, sandstone, etc., magnificent palaces, durable temple complexes and pyramids, partially preserved to this day, were erected.

Over the three millennia of the existence of the Egyptian state, along with the development of urban planning, architecture and plant growing, garden art was also formed. Gardens were created at temples, palaces and houses of the wealthy part of the population. Together with sacred groves and green streets, they formed the green decoration of cities, which had a rectilinear grid plan. The streets, oriented towards palaces and temples, played the role of ceremonial paths for processions and had a significant width (up to 40 m), designed for the movement of a large number of people. On both sides were rows of palms. When approaching the temple, the roads were often decorated with figures of sphinxes, sometimes in combination with palm trees. The use of this technique gave a rhythmic alternation of trunks, shaded sections of the road, sculptural images.

On the territory of the temple complex, this road became a longitudinal compositional axis, which is at the same time the axis of symmetry of the architectural composition. Spaces and volumes, as it were, were strung on it, which, as they advanced, successively changed in size in the direction of increase or decrease. In the complex itself, a constant change of impressions was achieved due to the rhythmic alternation of open, sunlit inner palaces with the dark spaces of the interiors of the temple, its columned halls and the sequential change in their size when moving.

The geometric grid of city plans, the axial construction of temple complexes, the canonized use of the principle of symmetry determined the character of the Egyptian garden, which was formed as a regular one with a clearly defined main axis. As an example, a plan of the structure of an Egyptian garden with an area of ​​1 hectare is given. The garden is square and walled. The entrance is marked with pylons and is the beginning of the axis, which is closed by a house located in the back of the garden. The compositional axis is a covered alley, or the so-called pergola, entwined with grapes and forming a shady vault. Four rectangular pools and two gazebos are located symmetrically to the axial road. Along the perimeter - ordinary landings. The considered garden is an example of a regular style direction. Its specific feature is the presence of fencing and internal walls surrounding individual areas: the entrance area, pergola, reservoirs, plantings. The garden gave shade and coolness, provided fruits and flowers, here were also sacred plants - lotus, papyrus, etc. In the plant assortment, in addition to local species, introduced species were widely used - figs, pomegranates, roses, jasmine. Trees were highly prized for producing fragrant oils. Among the herbaceous plants, common were carnations, cornflowers, and poppies.

The ancient Egyptian garden was characterized by an organic fusion of religious, utilitarian and aesthetic functions. In general, garden art with clear compositional and planning canons was formed in Ancient Egypt:

Regular plan, including the axial construction of the composition and the use of symmetry;
- the formation of closed compositions;
- the presence of reservoirs as an integral, and often the main part of the garden;
- using rhythm as a compositional technique;
- the use of alley and ordinary plantings;
- the use of exotic plants in the assortment of woody plants.

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