Columns made from corn stalks coated with dry mud in rural settlement, near Asyut, Egypt

"Due to a shared cultural background, common social and economic conditions and inherited building materials and techniques, slight variations distinguish the character of the majority of villages in the various regions of Egypt (Nubian villages in the south are an exception). The main vernacular types of building found in rural areas are houses of prayer, cemeteries and dwellings. The dwelling -a cluster of which forms the community- generally does not exceed two storeys. It serves as a home, a store and a stable. Building materials available in the area are processed on-site. Stones are used in hilly areas, while adobe bricks are used in the valley. Adobe bricks or 'green bricks' are made of mud soil and the alluvium deposited by the Nile river. Agricultural residues such as rice straw are added as bonding materials. Bearing walls and flat roofs are the dominant building system." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. North Africa and Maghreb. Cambridge University Press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.