The ancient Egyptians lived in houses were made of mud brick as hardly any wood was available to construct houses. Papyrus reeds were also used to build houses. The homes were made using those materials which were easily accessible.

Egyptian Shelters

Early houses were constructed by mixing mud and straw which was later on molded into bricks and was then kept under the sun for drying. The structure of the house depended upon the capacity of its maker. Some people used stone as the building material to construct their homes. Houses made from stone proved to be long-lasting as compared to the mud-bricks.

The basic purpose of the house was common to all. Every house had a minimum of three to four rooms. The ancient Egyptian houses had flat roofs. However, the houses during this period showcased the capacity of its owner to spend money.

The rich or the nobles lived in villas. The villas were big houses consisting of at least 25-30 rooms and were generally two-story high. These villas were even used for carrying out business activities. The rooms in the houses had a definite usage like there was a family room, guest room, store room, bathrooms, gardens, public room, kitchen bedrooms, servant quarters, etc in each of the villas.

The rooms that visited by the guests were more elaborately decorated than the other rooms. The houses had a front and a back door about four feet off the ground. The homes of the wealthy had tiled floors and the walls were painted. The villas of the ancient Egyptians also had a courtyard.

The house of the peasants and poor people was smaller than the villas of the wealthy persons. However, even the poor people had at least three to four rooms. The interior of the house was very simple and whitewash was applied on the walls. The poor people had to share a room with their entire family. These houses lacked the indoor bathroom or toilet facilities which were the wealthy people could afford.

All the ancient Egyptian houses had windows which were constructed at a height so that sunlight does not enter through them. The windows were normally small and were rectangular in shape. Windows did not have glass panels but were covered with linen.

 Windows were usually built at a height to prevent the sun rays from entering the house. The houses were coated with a whitewash. This helped reduce the temperature of the house. The houses of both rich and the poorly had hearth in which food was prepared.

The ancient Egyptians lived a simple life and as such, did not have objects to decorate their homes. Lamps were used as a source of lighting. These lamps were made from pottery or stone bowls consisting of palm-nut oil were normally used. The wick was made of flax or even papyrus.

The length of the wick was regarded as an important element in determining the time. The Egyptians used highly decorated lampstands. These stands were shaped like columns and were available in different lengths.

The wealthy houses had a bathroom. The bathroom comprises of a stone slab, which was used by a person to stand. Then, water was poured upon the person by his domestic help. During the ancient Egyptian period, the toilets consisted of a wooden seat which was placed over bricks. Under these bricks, a pot filled with sand was kept.

Furniture did not form a part of the house as it does today. The common furniture is seen in the houses where the three-legged stools and the chest. The rich people had beds and mattresses, while the poor used straw mattresses or rug to sleep on. The Egyptian people used reed baskets to store their things.