Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, Egyptian ) was a wizard, and the first architect and physician known by name in written history. As one of the officials of the Pharaoh Djosèr he designed the Pyramid of Djzosèr (Step Pyramid) at Saqqara in Egypt around 2630-2611 BC, during the 3rd Dynasty. He may also have been responsible for the first known use of columns in architecture. His name means the one who comes in peace.

Imhotep also served as chancellor to the pharaoh and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. He was said to be a son of Ptah, his mother being a mortal named Khredu-ankh. He was revered as a genius and showered with titles. The full list of titles is: Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Sculptor and Maker of Vases in Chief. Imhotep is credited as the founder of Egyptian medicine, and as author of the Edwin Smith papyrus, detailing cures, ailments and anatomical observations. The Edwin Smith Papyrus was probably written around 1700 BC but may perhaps go back to texts written around 1000 years earlier.

Two thousand years after his death, his status was raised to that of a god. Imhotep became the god of medicine and healing. He was linked to Asclepius by the Greeks. As the son of Ptah, his mother was sometimes said to be Sekhmet, who was often said to be married to Ptah, since she was the patron of Upper Egypt. As he was thought of as the inventor of healing, he was also sometimes said to be the one who held Nut (deification of the sky) up, as the separation of Nuit and Geb (deification of the earth) was said to be what held chaos back. Due to the position this would have placed him in, he was also sometimes said to be Nuit's son. In artwork he is also linked with Hathor, who was the wife of Ra, Maat, which was the concept of truth and justice, and Amenhotep son of Hapu, who was another deified architect.

More on [ Imhotep ]

BusinessWeek Online -- Architecture

Inside Beijing's National Swimming Center
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:56:00 -0400
A multidisciplinary design team employed an innovative digital process to produce a surprising, highly integrated envelope-and-structure combination
Battersea Power Station's Sustainable Makeover
Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:26:00 -0400
Rafael Viñoly, the architect behind a plan to build a 1,000-foot chimney on the site of the south London icon, defends the controversial proposal
Going Green Is Good for Your Wallet
Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:34:00 -0400
Two recent studies show that green building standards not only are effective, but also escalate property values

MIT News: Architecture

MIT architect Sass puts up a prefab at MoMA
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Larry Sass, assistant professor of computation in the MIT Department of Architecture, is one of five architects featured in a major show this summer at the Museum of Modern Art titled "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling."
Making a splash in Zaragoza
Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500
An MIT-designed building featuring water walls that can be programmed to display patterns and images is being unveiled this week at the opening of the Zaragoza World Expo in Spain.
Interview with the dean: Adele Santos
Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500
An interview with Dean Adele Santos, dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, in which Santos discusses the school's goals and challenges and the role it can play in the future of sustainable cities across the world.

Subscribe to Architecture RSS feed