Egyptian Arts & Music

Traditional Arts of Egypt

The arts of Egypt have evolved over thousands of years, changing to meet the tastes and cultures of its rulers. The Ancient Egyptians emphasized the importance of continuity and respect for the dead. They built massive stone monuments and tombs, adorned with sculptures, reliefs, and paintings. Their artistic style remained consistent, with only minor variations in form and function. Like other aspects of Egyptian society, the majority of its art was state-sponsored. Artists worked at the direction of the royal family or powerful temples, rather than pursuing individual expression.

By the end of the native Egyptian dynasties, the Ptolemaic era, new styles began to infiltrate the arts of Egypt. Greek and later Roman influences emerged alongside existing Egyptian motifs. These works were for the most part produced on behalf of the new Greek ruling class. These trends continued as Egypt became a Roman province, ruled by governors rather than kings and queens. When the Roman Empire split in two toward the end of the 4th century, Egypt remained under control of the Byzantine Empire, continuing the Greek influence on its arts. Sculptures, mosaics, architecture, and less durable paintings were their main areas of focus.

This artistic melding of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman arts lasted for about 1,000 years. By the early 7th century, Egypt had been wrestled out of Byzantine and Persian hands through the rapid Muslim conquests of North Africa and the Middle East. This pivotal event laid the groundwork for its arts up to the present day. Rather than the Greek-favored depictions of human forms, Islamic art tends to prefer geometry, natural imagery, and calligraphy. Egypt’s rulers sponsored grand mosques, fine manuscripts, rich textiles, and ornate decorative items. In the modern era, Egyptian artists have again branched into schools of painting, sculpture, and digital arts as well.

Sculpture and Architecture in Egypt

The most enduring art of Egypt is its stonework, exemplified by its standing monuments, statues, and reliefs. The Ancient Egyptians made extensive use of quarries, excavating blocks of limestone, granite, sandstone, marble, and more. Some of these blocks were carved into statues, while others formed the structures of large temples, palaces, and monuments. Ancient Egyptian sculpture favored depicting humans, gods, and animals in ceremonial, forward-facing poses. Metal sculptures were typically cast in copper or bronze using the lost-wax method. Reliefs, meanwhile, showed their subjects in profile. Some of these works could be displayed in public, but others were intended only for the inner sanctums of temples or the burial chambers of deceased royalty.

Architecture has always been a focal point of Egyptian culture. Early monuments like pyramids, sphinxes, obelisks, and wall carvings gave way to Greek- and Roman-style architecture. Later, they transitioned to Islamic palaces and mosques, which tend to display ornate tilework and geometric patterns.

Egyptian Literature

Egypt is notable for its invention of one of the earliest forms of writing. Hieroglyphs, or symbols that convey a standard meaning, are the most famous writing system of Ancient Egypt, but not its only one. Hieroglyphic pictographs were mainly used in architecture, carved onto the walls of temples and tombs. Another system, known as hieratic writing, is commonly described as a ‘cursive’ form of Egyptian text. It was more practical for scribes, for whom efficiency mattered more than presentation. In time, hieratic writing lost favor versus an even more streamlined text, or demotic writing.

These early advances in writing allowed Ancient Egyptians to preserve their literature to the present day. Besides tales of the gods and histories of the pharaohs, the literati also consumed stories, poems, love songs, dialogues, and parables, among others. When Alexandria rose to prominence, its library became a famous center of knowledge and learning. Its scholars collected, preserved, and translated literature from across the known world. Many of these texts, however, were lost with the library’s destruction in the 1st century BCE.

Islamic Arts of Egypt

In addition to the mosques that dot its cities and landscapes, Egypt is home to a long tradition of Islamic arts. These include the schools of calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, and ornamental geometry common to many nations of the Arab League. One shared element of Islamic art is a reluctance to depict human figures. This is done out of religious respect, as artists seek to avoid mimicking the divine creative powers of Allah. Secular artwork, such as portraits commissioned by a ruler, are more likely to show humans and animals.

Textiles, an industry passed down from the time of the pharaohs, has been one of Egypt’s most lucrative artistic fields. Farmers grew linen and later cotton for bulk export, but they also fashioned beautiful carpets, tapestries, and clothing. The scholars of Islamic Egypt became part of the religion’s larger literature, adopting the Arabic script and its associated arts of handwriting. Elite members of states like the Mamluks patronized the arts as part of a rapid urbanization movement. As they commissioned new mosques and the communities surrounding them, wealthy patrons also invested in the arts needed to adorn them.

Music and Dance in Egypt

Music played a central role in Ancient Egyptian societies. From laborers singing in the fields to trained professionals performing at rich banquets, it appears that music was a part of daily life for nearly everyone. Love songs were especially popular. Musicians, often women, performed on instruments like clappers, lyres, harps, pipes, clarinets, cymbals, tambourines, and lutes. Dances featured acrobatic displays and, again, were typically performed by trained women.

Under Muslim dynasties, music and dance in Egypt developed along different lines. Music is regarded with some suspicion by Islam, though the extent to which it is practiced varies by region and culture. Arabic music in Egypt mixed with native and Greek styles. Female performers lost visibility but were still respected, playing mainly for wealthy families and their harems. The Ottoman Empire expanded musical exposure and education in Egypt, especially access to European forms and notation. Modern Egypt is home to an active music industry, including pop artists, folk musicians, street performers, and electronic composers.

Modern Egyptian Arts

Today, Egypt’s art scene reflects on both its rich heritage and modern events. European influence in the 19th and 20th century saw many young artists travel abroad to study in foreign art schools. Recent political turmoil within the country has inspired a new wave of artists, who express themselves through music, film, street art, sculpture, writing, and other media. This in turn prompted a response from the government of Egypt, which has been accused of censorship in visual arts, musical performance, and journalism.

References

Asante, Molefi Kete. Culture and Customs of Egypt. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2002.

Brier, Bob and A. Hoyt Hobbs. Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2008.

“Egypt's Artists Push on Inspite of Oppressive Censorship.” EgyptToday, EgyptToday, 15 July 2017, www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/11843/Egypt-s-artists-push-on-inspite-of-oppressive-censorship.

Grabar, Oleg. Islamic Art and Beyond. Ashgate Publishing. 2006.

Honour, Hugh. A World History of Art. Laurence King Publishing. 2005.

Nicholson. Paul T. and Ian Shaw. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. Cambridge University Press. 2000.

Ruiz, Ana. The Spirit of Ancient Egypt. Algora Publishing. 2001.

Thompson, Jason. A History of Egypt: From Earliest Times to the Present. Knopf Doubleday. 2011.

Vermeulen, Urbain. Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras. Peeters Publishers. 2001.

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