A column or pillar is a structural part in architecture and structural engineering that transmits the weight of the structure above to other structural components below through compression. In other words, a compression member is a column. A “column” is large circular support (the column shaft) with a capital and a base or pedestal made of stone or that appears to be made of stone. Piers are non-round supports with a rectangular or another non-round component, whereas posts are little wooden or metal supports.

For the purposes of wind or earthquake engineering, columns can be built to resist lateral forces. Other compression members are frequently referred to as “columns” due to similar stress conditions. Support beams or arches that support the upper sections of walls or ceilings are usually supported by columns. A structural element having proportional and aesthetic features is referred to as a “column” in architecture. A column can also be a decorative element that isn’t required for structural reasons; many columns are engaged or part of a wall. An entablature connects a long series of columns to form a colonnade.

As early as 2600 BC, Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian architect, utilized stone columns engraved to resemble the organic shape of bundled reeds like papyrus, lotus, and palm.

Later, Egyptian architecture featured a lot of faceted cylinders. Their design is claimed to be influenced by ancient reed sanctuaries. Hieroglyphics, inscriptions, ceremonial iconography, and natural themes were carved and painted onto the stone columns. The Egyptian columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak (about 1224 BC) are remarkable for their sixteen-row arrangement, with some reaching heights of 24 meters.

One of the most prevalent forms of columns is papyriform. The roots of these columns may be traced back to the Fifth Dynasty. They’re fashioned of lotus (papyrus) stems braided into a bundle with bands: the capital swells out and then narrows down like a flower in bloom, rather than spreading out into the shape of a bellflower. Stipules are a repeating pattern on the base that tapers to a half-sphere form, similar to a lotus stem.

Persian columns were among the most elaborate in the ancient world, notably the massive stone columns built-in Persepolis. Their capitals were built in the shape of two bulls. Persepolis’ Hall of Hundred Columns, which measures 70 by 70 meters, was built by the Achaemenid emperor Darius I (524″486 BC). Many of the antique Persian columns are still standing, with some towering over 30 meters. Tall columns with bull’s head crowns supported the hypostyle halls’ porticoes and roofing, which were influenced by ancient Egyptian precedent. Because they carried wood beams rather than stone, the columns could be taller, thinner, and more widely spaced than Egyptian columns.

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