Gardening in ancient Egypt
Africa is not only famous to be the cradle of humanity, it is also one of the places where the gardening was born, in Egypt there is more 5 000 years.
Gardening in Egyptian civilization
In this country of black cotton soil bordered of deserts the trees are rare (some acacias and sycamores) and all the fertile ground, thanks to a network of dams and channels constantly maintained is occupied by the cereal cultures. Because the countryside misses trees and flowers the garden will be an orchard where the flowers will be cultivated with more the great attention. It is centered on a planted pond of lotus and papyrus, heraldic plants of the High and the Low-Egypt.
The Pharaon S are probably the first to order the realization of gardens. They bring back also exotic plants their campaigns, which they then cultivate in the gardens of their temples and palate. The queen Hatchepsout made come 31 seedlings from trees to incense to decorate her garden in terraces. The rare plants become a fashion. Whole forwardings are organized to bring species of remote origin. Thoutmôsis III left us on the walls of the temple of the Festivals with Karnak the image of the many plants which it had made report of Asia. The Pharaons create enormous walks decorated with Plante S, Herbe S and fruit trees of all the areas bordering.
For the gardens of private individuals, the landscapes inspiratifs are the Oasis and the river with its lotuses and its floating islands of papyrus. Thus, the first individual gardens are undoubtedly enclosed constructions, artificial oases. Later, the gardens surrounded by a fence often contained a Terrasse and a completely artificial pond square or rectangular, where watery plants push. This is always done in the spirit of the oases. One finds there also regularly statues and columns. The plantations evolve/move and are aligned, in order to facilitate the Irrigation, which is ensured by channels. The plants are cut and positioned more and more skilfully, to offer shade, to facilitate the gathering of the fruits, and the productivity of the fruits which they carry. By the murals we know which plants were cultivated in these gardens: Vigne S which papers pergolas, sycamores, perséas, Palmier S date palms and doum, fig trees, pomegranates and tamaris.
The fruits, the flowers, the aromatic herbs and medicinal are used like offering and components of potions with medicinal goals or offering.
The Egyptian, symmetrical and rigid gardens, are with the image of Egyptian civilization, completely specific and without influence external even of close Mésopotamie and of its paradeisos; they are the almost total antipode Asian gardens.
See too
Bonds and sources
- Ancient Egyptian agriculture and the origins off horticulture
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