Architecture Reality and Perception: The Multicultural Nature of Egyptian Domestic Architecture in the Roman Period

Abstract

Domestic architecture is an essential archaeological component for understanding past societies. As such, recent studies on house and households in Egypt have focused on analyzing vernacular architecture practices from the perspective of the long durée or in broader geographical perspective. In this study we investigate Roman period domestic structures to understand the changing social meanings of local and global cultures within the built environment. Drawing on building archaeology and space syntax analysis, we discuss the application, strengths, and limitations of our approach as well as the results of the study to shed light on the relationship between people, architecture and domestic spaces in Egypt during the Roman period.