ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

There are three ancient civilizations of the Middle East that are very significant. These three civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia. Each of them bring different advancements and design techniques to the world, and are very innovative in their own ways.

MESOPOTAMIA

In Mesopotamian culture, the main materials they used for homes were mud, timber, and reeds. This culture was Assyrian, and highlighted royalty above all other things in their architecture. To differentiate the royal areas of their architecture, they used mud brick and, rarely, stone and wood. Here is an example of these materials in use:

Mesopotamian structures were also very well thought out, with each part of the architecture being made with purpose. For example, urban centers of cities were the main focus areas of the city, and were protected and distinguished with entry ways and walls, but also with nature like rivers and moats.

Reliefs

Another very important part of Mesopotamian royal design were reliefs. These reliefs are horizontal drawings or paintings that were highlighted in palaces and other buildings. They were used to represent strength and superiority in a kingdom, and to intimidate other civilizations.

Furniture

One very important and pivotal piece of furniture that was made during this period of time was the chair. In Mesopotamian culture, they used wood for the most part, with highlights of sliver and gold etc. to create these chairs. They also included animal heads/hooves on these pieces of furniture to include elements of nature.

EGYPT

Egypt's area lies right around the Nile River, and also had plenty of access to stone at the time. Because of this, their architecture differed greatly from Mesopotamia's. One very significant structure of Egypt is obviously, the Pyramids of Giza. In Egyptian culture, they focused a lot on the afterlife and entombing people. The Giza Pyramids were used specifically for this purpose. They preserved many pieces of furniture and items from the life of whoever was entombed, and were very sacred spaces.

NUBIA

Nubia is an African Egypt influenced culture. The Nubian's primarily used metal as their material. Although there hasn't been much research done on Nubian culture, we do know that it was influenced mainly by Egyptian culture. Some of this influence includes entombing royalty with furniture and other items, but they also had some of their own impact on design. They were very consistent and traditional in their patterns on pottery and pieces of furniture, being very organic and simple, taking inspiration from natural elements.

CURRENT APPLICATIONS

There are many aspects of these ancient civilizations that are used in today's day and age. These include pieces of furnitures including chairs, beds, and even pyramids and Egyptian culture in general.

ONE STEP FURTHER

Jane Miller is an architect and interior designer known for her minimalist approach to modern living spaces. She earned her degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and later specialized in interior design at the Rhode Island School of Design. Jane's work blends clean lines with natural materials, creating functional and elegant environments. Her portfolio includes residential homes, office spaces, and boutique hotels. Her work is inspirational and in very similar taste to mine.