A solid copy of this rare and important reference on Egyptian architecture. This book has been considered a definitive authority on the subject of architecture during the era of the Middle Kingdom, and the eras immediately before and after. The author wrote another book on the Empire Period that was published in 1968. This tall book has 5 lovely color full-page illustrations as well as 20 black and white plates, and 110 drawings and plans. Published more than 40 years ago, this book is now long out of print and it is rare and highly sought-after. There are only two other copies of this 1966 book listed for sale on the internet, worldwide, a former library book priced $225 and another copy priced $250. Another copy of this book is not likely to come up for sale on ebay.

NOTE: There are more pictures at the bottom of this listing. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

This book was once in the library of Ambassador College, a well-known University in Texas that was closed down about 10 years ago. It had an amazing collection of scarce books on exploration and ancient history, and I have been listing many more books from that collection on ebay.

From the Preface:  "This study of the architecture of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and its flanking Intermediate Periods has been prepared as the first step toward the fulfillment of the long-felt need for a definitive work on Egyptian architecture.  The method aims at presenting all relevant material about the major monuments in clear drawings, further interpreted by original perspectives and appropriate descriptions.  both general trends of the living architecture and individual aspects of the monuments are discussed.  the genesis of the classic character of a style which provided the prototypes of many items of the later Greek architecture is traced back to the new order developed by the pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty and a people who agreed upon democratization but still leaned heavily on the cultural heritage from the Old Kingdom.  Thus, besides its intrinsic qualities reflecting a high civic sense and an astounding knowledge of structures, the architecture of this period, in a synthesis of its own, expresses the sincerity of contemporary sculpture, the rhythmic order of murals, and the aesthetic symbolism of jewelry...It is to be hoped that my subsequent volume dealing with Egyptian Architecture during the Empire Period will appear without undue delay."

Contents include:  The Historical Background: Social conditions, Religious conditions, The architecture; Domestic Architecture: houses, granaries, town planning, achievement of domestic architecture; Religious Architecture: Evidence and texts, cult temples; Funerary Architecture: Royal tombs, private tombs, achievement of funerary architecture; Military Architecture: evidence from texts, graphical evidence, military architecture in Nubia, characteristic features of an Egyptian Fortress in Nubia, descriptions  of Fortified Structions of the Middle Kingdom; Architectural Statuary: Distribution and Types of Statues; Garden Architecture; The Achievement of Architecture in the Middle Kingdom: The program, the style, construction; Notes; A Selection of Architectural Terms; Hieroglyphic Lexicographical Evidence: Architectural terms of the Middle Kingdom, Architectural hieroglyphs from the Middle Kingdom; General Bibliography; Indexes: Authors, Historical Items, Places, Subjects; etc.

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Tall quarto - sized hardcover book; 272 pages of text, 110+ figures, 20 black and white plates, and 5 full-page color plates. Good+ condition book: withdrawn from a library, with institutional markings on the rear pastedown, and small stamps on the title page and page edges; no other writing or markings in text; no torn or missing pages. Original publisher's hardcover binding with green lettering on spine; with a section removed from tail of spine; otherwise only light wear. A solid copy of this rare book.

Please look through my other auction listings- I have listed many scarce and unusual books this week on ebay. Please bid on more than one book, because I will be happy to reduce shipping costs for multiple purchases. International bids welcomed, international airmail postage $18; Canadian airmail postage $10.