Physical Planning

Lecture 2

2014-15

Benjamin Mathews John M.URP M.Arch UD (CEPT)

What is urbanization?

Urbanisation is a complex socio economic process intimately connected with the scientific technological revolution and that it exercises a growing influence on all aspects of society’s life affecting the nature of economic development as well as the demographic, ethnic and other social processes. A gradual shift from the primary agriculture based communities to non agricultural, trade based settlements.

EARLY TOWNS Civilizations

Mesopotamian Egyptian Greek Roman Indus Chinese

Ur Babylon

Thebes

Olynthus

Priene Delos

Pompei

Ostia

Mohenjodaro Lothal

Sirkap

OVER ALL TIMELINE

First early Civilizations:

1. Southern Mesopotamia

2. Egypt

3. Indus valley

4. Yellow river in china

5. Aztec and Mayan

6. Inca

LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY

The word 'Mesopotamia' is in origin a

Greek name (mesos `middle' and

'potamos' - 'river' so `land between

the rivers'). Mesopotamia, located in

south west Asia (present Iraq),

encompasses the land between

rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Its length

is almost 300 miles and width 150

miles .

The climate is exceedingly hot, but

also very humid .

The city of Ur is located near the

outlet of river Euphrates. In ancient

times, due to its geographic location,

availability of fertile soil, irrigation and

cattle grazing area, this region

started showing the early signs of

settlement by nomadic people.

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

City of UR

•The alluvial plains in Mesopotamia are

perfectly suitable for high food production.

•The economy was based on agriculture.

The geography of Mesopotamia is such that

agriculture is possible only with irrigation

and good drainage and hence this need for

irrigation led the Sumerians to build their

cities along the Tigris and Euphrates and

the branches of these rivers.

•Through a system of dikes, dams and

canals the precipitation in the mountainous

region in the north is used in the south.

•Although the rivers sustained life, they also

destroyed it by frequent floods.

ECONOMICS & MOBILITY

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

TEMENOS or RELIGIOUS PRECINCT

ROYAL PALACES

RESIDENTIAL AREA

WATER

DIVERTED WATER

FOR MAKING

MOATS WATER

CHANNEL

DOCKS

RESIDENCES

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

SPATIAL STRUCTURE

Three basic parts: 1. The old walled city 2. The temenos or religious precinct 3. The outer town

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

INSTITUTIONS

Temple complex consisted of all the social

public and civic institutions.

Most important was the ziggurat which

occupied the western part of Temenos and

attached with granaries, warehouses

government offices etc. After the expansion,

other temples, mausoleums and tombs got

incorporated within the Temenos

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

INSTITUTIONS

RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGY

Residential areas mainly occupy south east

part of the city.

•Organic pattern of growth with irregular

narrow and pedestrian streets with dead

ends

•Almost thirteen to fourteen rooms

surrounded the central paved court

•Generally residential units shared a

common wall in irregular rows or group of

houses and formed one combinative block.

•Rectangular buildings with square

courtyards

•Roofs sloping inside the courtyard

•Two storied houses built with burnt brick

below and rising in mud brick above with

plaster and whitewash to hide the change in

material

•First floor contained habitable rooms for the

owners and ground floor had cooking space

and guest room.

COURTYARD HOUSES

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - UR

BABYLONIA 18th century BC to 6th century BC

LOCATION:

Located in Western Asia, in Iraq’s

political boundary. it is at the closer

most approach of rivers Tigris and

Euphrates.

Located on Euphrates banks.

Babylonia is an ancient country of

Mesopotamia which came after Sumer

and Akkad. It lasted about 1200 years

and made a great impact on both the

ancient world as well as present day

civilisation

The Babylonian civilization was highly

urbanized and was based mainly on

agriculture rather than industry. The

country consisted of a dozen or so

cities, surrounded by small villages.

Economy of the settlement:

Due to fertile land in the banks of river Euphrates, and the artificial irrigation system,

agriculture was a major occupation in Mesopotemia.

Due to lack of resources like stone, timber metal ores the trade was of crucial importance.

Society

Babylonian society consisted of three classes : awilu, a free person of the upper

class;

the mushkenu, a free person of low estate; and

the wardu, or slave

Legal System and Writing

Law and justice were key concepts in the Babylonian way of life. Justice was

administered by the courts

There were 24 streets in Babylon, running either

parallel to the river or at a right angle to it.

These streets were narrow, irregular, ranging from

about four to twenty feet in width with high

windowless walls on each side.

The streets were not paved, with the exception of

the Processional Way, but instead created with raw

earth.

Streets provided access to houses, temples, and

public buildings. They also carried the burden of

becoming the dumping grounds for the city.

The citizens of Babylon threw their garbage and

filth into the streets. Then, they covered it up with

layers of clay.

As a result, the streets of Babylon began to rise,

and eventually, houses needed to be built on

higher ground.

City of Babylon :

Area of the city of Babylon amounted to more than 10sq.km with a perimeter of 18 kms.

surrounded the city with two walls, the outer one actually consisting of three walls.

The first one was built of clay and had a thickness of seven meters

The second was built of bricks and had a thickness of seven meters

The third was also built of bricks and had a thickness of three meters.

Defensive towers were built all along the outer wall which itself was surrounded by a moat filled

with water.

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

LOCATION and GEOGRAPHY

Egypt is located in far north-east Africa.

The general landscape of Egypt is bare like a desert.

The Nile runs through Egypt and is 6741 km long. It was the life

line of the civilization.

The site of Thebes includes areas on both the eastern bank of

the Nile, where the temples of Karnak and Luxor stand, and the

western bank, where are the large private and royal cemeteries

and funerary complexes.

Karnak Temple

Luxor temple

Necropolis

RESIDENCES

CULTIVATION LAND

PALACES and ADMIN BLDGS.

SPATIAL STRUCTURE

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

River as a means of trading route Exports: Papyrus,linen, grains Imports: wine, silver, wood, tin

Neighboring Oasis Imports: salt, dates and reeds

THEBES On the banks of Nile

Nubian Gold mine Source of gold for the cities

Nearest trading route to the city

Copper mine

ECONOMICS and MOBILITY

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

PHAROH Supreme military commander

VIZIER Second administrative head

ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

NOMARCH (for each region) Third administrative head accountable to the vizier

The temples formed the backbone of the economy.

Not only were they houses of worship, but were also responsible for collecting and

storing the nation's wealth in a system of granaries and treasuries administered by

overseers, who redistributed grain and goods

RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGY

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

•Residential areas mainly on the eastern

edge of the river.

•Modest residential streets lined with row

houses.

•Characters of a row house include:

a court, broad hall as living space, rear

end had kitchen and staircase which

lead to upper floors or a terrace.

•Richer families had basement for weaving

looms and terrace as storage also.

•Facades were brightly painted

•Balusters of palm fronds

•Houses were street shy

•Towards the edges or countryside villas with

gardens can be seen

VILLAS ROW HOUSES

COUNTRYSIDE VILLAS

SECTION THROUGH A HOUSE STREET VIEW

RELIGION as a strongest stimulus – most monuments still extant are religious or funerary in function.

•Best location, largest scales, durable materials were selected for construction of monuments

•Worshipped sun, earth, crocodile, local gods like – Amun of thebes,

•Temple seen as house of the god. Hence elaborate rituals performed by the king and priest.

•Cities of the dead towards the westerns side of the citadel (sunset symbolic for death)

•Belief in eternal after life of happiness, hence tombs as underground abode where mummies could

dwell.

•A ritualistic superstructure for offerings by the priest.

•Pharaoh represented god.

•Takes care of welfare and truth in the society.

SOCIAL and RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

•Only free, land owning, native-born men could be citizens entitled to the full protection of the law in a

city-state.

•Social prominence did not allow special rights.

•Sometimes families controlled public religious functions, but this ordinarily did not give any extra power

in the government.

•The population was divided into four social classes based on wealth. People could change classes if

they made more money.

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

TEMPLES – EAST BANK

KARNAK TEMPLE

Conglomeration of temples, chapels, pylons, and other

buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun.

Built by Ramses II, it was the main place of Worship

The primary axis of the complex connected the temple

with the necropilis of the other side of the river by a

ceremonial road across the river.

The complex also contains a sacred lake for ritualistic

purposes.

Aerial view of temple

Hypostyle hall

KARNAK TEMPLE

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

TEMPLES - EAST BANK

LUXOR TEMPLE

Temple for the Theban triad – Amun, Mut and Chons.

This temple complex is to the south of Karnak which

was the main temple of Thebes city.

The two temples were connected by a ritualistic

ceremonial pathway along which annual procession of

the Mut god (the god of fertility) happened.

Temple in its initial stages Temple complex in its advanced stages

LUXOR TEMPLE

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

TOMBS – WEST BANK

VALLEY OF KINGS

kings of the 18th dynasty, instead of the traditional

building of pyramids as burial chambers, chose to

be buried in rock-cut tombs.

About 63 rock cut tombs are found which are

lavishly decorated.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from

Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs

and funerary rituals of the period.

VALLEY OF QUEENS

Wives of Pharaohs were buried in this part of the

valley

More than 70 rock cut tombs are excavated here

Prayers and rituals performed every day to these

structures by priests.

VALLEY OF KINGS VALLEY OF QUEENS

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - THEBES

COMPARATIVE STUDY -EGYPT & MESOPOTAMIA

EVOLUTION OF BUILT FORM

TOWNS TEMPLES HOUSES TOMBS

FIRST MILLENIUM BC. SECOND MILLENIUM BC. THIRD MILLENIUM BC.

The Indus Valley Civilization-

Mohenjodaro

HISTORY - (2500BC to 1700BC)

EVOLUTION - Stages of growth

•Originated as a trade town along the Indus river

•The city comprising of two parts-

1. Citadel/ west higher part.

2. Lower town/ east lower (80 hectares).

•One of the earliest civilization with irrigation

system.

•Used burnt bricks for construction of

embankments around the mound, raised above

the flood plain.

12m High mound-

Citadel

The lower town

Social Structure-Economic Base

•Political governance which monitors the city planning and

maintenance

•Natural resources, livelihood, occupation controlled the growth of

the town

•The city structure was governed by the dominant social

stratification

1. Lower town- low caste people, labourer

2. Upper town- leader, administrator, religious heads

Street layout & connectivity

•citadel surrounded by wall

•grid pattern of streets are not rigidly followed - 9ft-34ft to

accommodate cart traffic

•major streets along N-S axis responding to wind direction

Underlying typology

•Onto a central courtyard. Presence of wells

•Courtyard–introvert

1. light to rooms,

2. heat absorber in summer and radiator in winter

3. private open space

2 1 3 4

5

EVOLUTION OF URBANITY : EARLY TOWNS

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE- NATURE

AND POSITION OF SOCIAL

INSTITUTIONS

1. Stupa/ Religious

centre

4. Wear house/

Granary

2. College

5. Pillared hall

3. Great bath

The high mound having the ‘ warehouse, the

‘religious centre’, and the ‘priest bath’

IMPLIED WORLD VIEW

Place of wealth- reflected in the town

planning and architecture.

The aim of the Civilization was to make

life comfortable and luxurious

•domestic quarters and industrial areas

were isolated from each other.

Residential

Commercial

Institution

Religious

Source: Singh, Vijayalaxmi, The Saga of the first urbanism in India- Harappancilvilization, Delhi, 2006

•Underground drainage system – covered

drains run along the streets-baths along the street

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

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