horizon-theory-Section-2

Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

ARCHITECTONICS

From Cosmic Theories to Urban Development

Dr. Hossam Aboulfotouh

(||)||||||(||)

||||||||||

(]||||||||||[)

The Horizon Theory, Part-I: Original Concept Plan Of The Pyramids Plateau

Hossam M. K. Aboulfotouh, PhD*

*Assistant Professor, Architectonic Cosmic Theories and Development, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Minia University, and Director, WPAHR-V, International Union of Architects-UIA. fotouh@mail.com

Section-2: Defining The Core Issue

The pyramids of Egypt were the subjects of scientific researches for many centuries. Many scientists and archaeologists focused on the three pyramids in Giza plateau. They were, and still are, trying to find answers for many questions, such as: (i) Why and how the Egyptian Kings built the pyramids? (ii) Why the designers used this geometrical form? (iv) What their measurement unit was? (v) Has it any relation to basic sciences like mathematics, physics and astronomy? (vi) What is the basic design concept behind the alignments of the three Giza pyramids? During the last two decades, few researchers investigated the supposition that the designer of these pyramids and its site could have been scientists, who create designs based only on sound scientific theories and not based on false imaginations. They were, however, not able to find logical scientific answers within the frontier of science that, until then, were discovered by man. Thus, some have argued that they might were aliens and accordingly the design theory of the pyramids still not found.

In fact, it is difficult to use today's sciences to trace the design principles of architectural artifacts that were designed with the aid of undocumented sciences. As time goes on, the frontier of sciences gains newly discovered scientific theories and thus it expands. However, few of the new theories were effective when applied, for decades, in different circumstances. Besides, the people always think that the new theories might achieve their welfare-dreams in more effective ways. Thus, some might think wrongly that old theories should then be abolished. During the short lifetime of a person, in comparison to the lifetime of the humanity, one can hardly observe, in such a field, the consequences of a complete shift-in-application from one theory to another. For example, suppose that the universities of the world had stop teaching the design theories of the skeleton structures for a thousand years and taught instead other new theories, which are completely different and all the documents of old theories were lost. Most likely, the civil engineers of the future generations will not be able to understand how the still-standing skeleton structures are structurally working, unless they find out how to retrieve the design theories that were used in their designs and implementations. A similar example is arising today, the civil engineers that were graduated, during the last three decades, at the universities of many countries of the world know very little about the theories of masonry or bearing-walls' structures. It was due to the shift from teaching the old theories of bearing-walls structures into teaching the nowadays theories of skeleton structures. Thus, in the coming decades many countries will face the problem of lacking the local expertise for restoring the structures of the masonry architectural heritage. In fact, one could argue that similar shifts were occurred in other fields of sciences too.

The above may answer the question: why today's engineers can hardly find the lifting techniques that were used to construct the ancient megalithic structures? The scientific papyruses that describe these techniques were not found in Egypt or elsewhere. The historians5did mention few general stories on this subject. Thus, today's scientists are trying to discover these ancient techniques; some believed that the ancient architects were using some sort of anti-gravity systems in order to lift the large stones. Besides, as mentioned earlier, many endeavors have been made towards understanding the basic concept of the pyramids design. The world-wide-web includes hundreds of researches and articles on these subjects and that many of them are related to Egyptian pyramids; however, until now nobody did find a solid scientific6 conclusion for any of the two architectural issues in hand, namely: the pyramids' construction techniques and the pyramids' design principles.

Today, in the industrial field, the term "reverse-engineering" means retrieving the knowledge behind the design concept and the production process of such machine of a known function and that was produced by others. Similarly, the architects have used to retrieve the design principles of such ancient building of a known function. In both cases, the researchers do succeed in these processes because they know the functional objective of the machine or the building under consideration. Concerning the pyramids, the problem is completely different; the keen researchers cannot easily decide about what was their functional objective. In this case, therefore, the retrieval process should primarily focus on the educational environment of the ancient Egyptian architects (priests) in order to discover the knowledge behind the designing pyramids and its complex-site. The Arabian historians7, during the medieval eras said that, "the pyramids designs were based on excellent cosmic knowledge." However, none of the nowadays architects have tested this postulation, i.e., is it correct that they have used the astronomical knowledge as architectural design principles, and transformed it into an architectural language. Accordingly, the core issue of the retrieval process is to find out, how the architects of the pyramids' plateau had learned the basic astronomical knowledge and interpreted it into architectural designs.

Notes:

5- Herodotus (484-425 BC) mentioned in his book that ancient Egyptians were using a lifting device called krosay to lift the large stones of the pyramids (Herodotus, Arabic edition, 2001, p.190).

6- The term scientific has a wide meaning that, today, may cover philosophical fields. It means in this work only what is based on an eternal mathematical formula that its result will be correct regardless the change in place and time. The eternal formulas are the bases of cosmic structure, which never include local or empirical constants. The ancient scientists have discovered quite some of them. For example, in geometry, what is called the trigonometric law of Pythagoras that defines the relation between the sides of the plane triangle of a right angle is an eternal formula.

7- See for example: (Al-Masoudie, 1987, Vol. I, p. 361), (Al-Maqrizie, Bulaque edition, 1845, Vol. I, p. 216)

References:

- A. Weigert & H. Zimmermann, Encyclopedia of Astronomy, Arabic edition, Abdelkawy Aiad translator, The Egyptian General Organization for Book, Cairo, 1990.

- Al-Maqrizie, Al Mawaes Wal A'atebar Bezeker Al-khetat Wal Asar (Sermons and Lessons With the Discourse on Alleys and Monuments), Vol-I, Dar Al-Tahrier, Bulaque Edition, Cairo, 1849.

- Al-Masoudy, Mrog Al-Zahab Wa Ma'aten Al-Gawher (Golden Lava and Metals of E), Asria Library pre, Saida, 1987.

- Carlo Nallino, Arabian Astronomy: its History During the MedievTimes, Oriental papers for publications, second edition in Arabic, Beirut, 1993. (first edition, 1911)

Ernst Neufert, Ar' Data, English edition, Crosby Lockwood Staples, London, 1975.

- Gorg Serton, History of Science, Arabic edition, Ibrahim Biomy translator, Dar Al-Maaref, Cairo, 1957.

- Herodotus, History of Herodotus, Arabic edition, Abdel Elah Al-Malah translator, Al-Magma Al-Saquafie, UAE, 200, p.190.

- Jahon Whttow, Dictionary of Physical Geography, 1994.

- John McLeish, Number from Ancient Civilizations to the Computer, London, 1992.

- Mark Lehner, Some Observations on the Layout of Khufu and Khafre Pyramids, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Volume XX, Egypt, 1983.

- Olaf Pedersen, Early Physics and Astronomy, a Historical Introduction, Cambridge University press, New York, 1993.

- Petrie, W.M.F., The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh, London, 1883.

- Webster, Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C. Merriam Company, publishers, USA, 1965.

Section-1: Introduction

Section-2: Defining the core issue

Section-3: The scenario of assumptions: the sun as a source of astronomical knowledge

Section-4: Original concept plan of the pyramids plateau

| Home | Top |

(||)||||||(||)

||||||||||

(]||||||||||[)