What is basalt? Geology and Grindstones
A Roman road paved in basalt (This is from Trajan's Market in Rome) Basalt and volcanoes Basalt (bu-SALT) is a volcanic stone - it forms from the lava that volcanoes [...]
24
05, 2017
24
05, 2017
What is an arch? History of Architecture
Arches of the Medieval Baptistry at Pisa How do you hold up the roof? People building houses or any other kind of people have always had this one big problem, [...]
24
05, 2017
What is an apse? – History of Architecture
Hagia Irene in Istanbul (ancient Constantinople) What is an apse? An apse is a rounded end of a building. You most often find an apse in a basilica or a [...]
24
05, 2017
What is an Aisle? – History of Architecture
Side aisle of the Abbaye aux Dames (Caen, 1050 AD) What is an aisle? An aisle (you pronounce it EYE-yull) is the part of a Roman basilica or a medieval [...]
18
05, 2017
Medieval African Architecture – Mosques and Churches
Medieval African architecture: Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo (Egypt, 900s AD) Africa gets richer The Middle Ages saw a tremendous explosion of architecture all over Africa as Africans became richer than they had ever [...]
18
05, 2017
Iron Age Architecture in Africa
Iron Age architecture in Africa: Palace at Meroe, ca. 900 BC (thanks to Royal Ontario Museum) Rich enough to build in stone During the Bronze Age, only Egypt was rich enough to build [...]
18
05, 2017
Egyptian Architecture
Egyptian architecture: the pyramids at Giza, in Egypt, about 2500 BC People tend to think that Egyptian building styles stayed the same for the whole period of Ancient Egypt, from [...]
18
05, 2017
African Buildings in Antiquity
African buildings: Hathor temple at Naqa (modern Sudan), ca. 10 AD African buildings in stone In the first centuries AD, African architects kept building more stone buildings, as trade continued to increase, [...]
18
05, 2017
African Architecture
African architecture: the pyramids at Giza, in Egypt, about 2500 BC First African buildings Africa was probably the place where people first built any kind of building, because people lived [...]
