Ancient city planning

Lecture 4
 Ancient cities

They were found on fertile lands along the

banks of the rivers

Nile valley - Egypt

Indus valley - India
Euphrates & Tigris river valleys -
Mesopotamia
 ANCIENT MEDIEVAL MODERN

3500 BC 500 AD 500AD-1500AD 1500AD - PRESENT

 Ancient cities
Physical forms of the cities shaped by the economic,
political and social forces in the society.
Basic form
Walled city
Open city
Cities began as small settlements where men settled
voluntarily according to the availability of resources.
Growth of the cities were irregular in form, sensitive to
the habits of the people and dynamic in character.
Some of the cities assumed regular geometric patterns
and some not.
The people were the slaves of ruling class.
 Egyptian cities
Along the valley of Nile river
 Egyptian cities
Settlements were located along the river banks.
Transportation within the settlements were on foot
and between the settlements by river.
Cells or the compartments were made out of huge
sundried bricks and the compartments were found
around the courtyard.
Narrow lanes served as open drainage sewer as well
as passageways to dwellings.
Wall surrounded the town for protection from
seasonal flood.
 Egyptian cities

Memphis Tel al Amarna

Thebis Kahun
Nubia
 Egyptian cities
City of Akhetaten,Tel El-
Amarna - 3000 BC
(Al Minya)
The capital city of Akanaten.
Dedicated to the new religion
of worship of Aten (Sun).
Located in the eastern bank
of the river Nile.
 Egyptian cities
The city had series of official boundary ringing the
periphery of the city stelae (14 no.)
Conditions for the establishment of the city and the
events, was encrypted on these stelae.
The city was built along 8km long road
the royal road.
Western bank land for crops
City was divided into 3 parts
North city
Central city
Southern suburbs
Egyptian cities
 Egyptian cities
Workers village
 Egyptian cities
Kahun 3000 BC
Founded by Sensuret II
Workers village to house the workers engaged in
the construction of pyramid Sensuret.
 Egyptian cities
There was no specific
quarters allotted for different
class of people.
There were 2 two story houses
also within workers quarters.