Looking from south (southwest) to north (northeast).
This obelisk doesn't stand accurately vertical.
Photograph:
© 1996 Richard Deurer, used with permission.
Looking from south (southwest) to north (northeast). This obelisk doesn't stand accurately vertical.
Photograph: |
Tuthmosis I Obelisk
| Location: | Karnak Great Temple of Amun [Amon], Luxor, Egypt [Between 3rd and 4th Pylons.] |
| Pharaoh: | Tuthmosis I (The 18th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1493-c.1481)(other sources say B.C. 1504-1492, B.C. 1525-c.1512) |
| Height: |
19.5 meters (other sources say 20 meters, 21.7 meters, 21.8 metres) / 64 feet(other sources say 66 feet, 71 feet) 23 meters / 75 feet including the pedestal |
| Pedestal: | 1.8 meters square/ 6 feet square |
| Weight: | Estimated 143 tons (Other source say 128 tons, 130 tons) |
| Stone: | Red granite |
Story: Tuthmosis I was one of the great warrior-kings of ancient Egypt, extending his domains south into Nubia and north into Syria. In thanksgiving, he contributed many monuments in the capital town Thebes (now called Luxor). Among them, he raised a pair of obelisks here, though only one remains standing today. This obelisk id the one. There is a tomb of Aneni, one of the pharaoh's officials, in the Theban necropolis. Its inscription relates the obelisks, "I saw to the erection of two [great] obelisks, ... having built an august boat 120 cubits in length and 40 cubits in width in order to transport these obelisks." [60 meters in length and 20 meters in width] "They arrived safe and sound, and landed at Karnak."
Inscription: Each face of the obelisk has three vertical lines of inscription.
Originally, on each face the inscription was in a single line. Typical of the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the obelisk are those of the west face, which relate that Tuthmosis I "made it as a monument for his father Amun-Re, foremost of the Two Lands, erecting for him two large obelisks at the double gate of the temple, the pyramidions being of [electrum]...." But the electrum is all gone today.
About 340 years after the obelisks were raised, Ramses IV added his own inscriptions on either side of the inscriptions of Tuthmosis I. Furthermore, Ramses VI had his own name reset over the name of Ramses IV.
Present State: This obelisk is still standing stably, although it now leans a little. The pedestal of the other obelisk still remains, and the parts of the obelisk can be seen lying on the ground around the pedestal. It is known this lost obelisk was still standing as late as 18th century because Richard Pococke, English traveler, recorded it. Later, perhaps it has been used for the parts of another architecture.
Photograph: © 1996 Richard Deurer. Copied from http://members.aol.com/egypttour/obelisk.html
Back to the list for all the obelisks.
The series of these pages were produced by
Shoji Okamoto (Mr.)
Japan
E-mail: Sokamoto31@aol.com