The great Unfinished Obelisk of Aswan is considered the largest Obelisk to be built by a man in the world. It was intended to be a 36m tall obelisk that weighs more than 1000 tons. The marvelous story of its building didn’t finish as during its construction and while removing the block of stone from its mother bedrock, a huge crack appeared that made the stone unusable and from this point another story has begun in Aswan called “The Unfinished Obelisk”. Through our article, you will explore all info about the unfinished obelisk of Aswan and here are the guidelines:
- 1. Location of the Unfinished Obelisk
- 2. History of the Unfinished Obelisk
- 3. Purpose of Building Obelisks in Ancient Egypt
- 4. Facts about the Unfinished Obelisk
The Location of the Unfinished Obelisk
The Unfinished Obelisk lays now in Sheyakhah Oula, Qism Aswan in the Governorate on Aswan along the banks of the channelized LA River at the Bowtie Project.
The History of the Unfinished Obelisk
Queen Hatshepsut was the one who ordered her men to start in establishing such a great Obelisk and she intended to build it in Karnak and she intended to make it the largest Obelisk to be built by a man during her reign.
This obelisk is actually one third larger than any obelisk in Ancient Egypt. Just imagine that if it was finished, it would have measured around 42 m and would have weighed more than 1,090 metric tons that are approximately a weight equal to about 200 African elephants.
The creators of such an obelisk started in carving it out of the bedrock but the project was abandoned when a crack appeared in its granite. This Unfinished Obelisk is great evidence for the techniques which the Ancients used in their construction procedures as there are still some marks of the tools used by the creators on the Obelisk and they are so clear.
The Purpose of Building Obelisks in Ancient Egypt
Obelisks have been used by the Ancient Egyptians at the entrances of their temples. Surprisingly, they were topped with gold in order to catch the first rays of the morning light and only twenty-eight Egyptian obelisks remain standing, though only six of them are in Egypt.
The rest of the Obelisks are scattered across the globe, either gift from the Egyptian government or plunder by foreign invaders.
The best way to discover the obelisks in Upper Egypt is by booking our 4 Day Nile Cruise Itinerary From Aswan, which enables you to see the beauty of Egypt while relaxing on board. This specialized journey, along with our comprehensive 7 nights nile cruise itinerary, offers unforgettable trips to the enchanting temples and the massive Unfinished Obelisk of Aswan.
Interesting Facts about the Unfinished Obelisk
- The rock which was used in the construction of the Unfinished Obelisk was taken from the southern part of Egypt in Aswan, which was the main area to get rocks from in order to build the Egyptian Obelisks.
- Queen Hatshepsut intended to build it in the location of another obelisk that is called today as “The Lateran Obelisk”.
- It was probably achieved by chiseling holes into the rock according to the marks on it.
- A deep trench at least 2.5 m deep was discovered by the Aswan Office of the Supreme Council of Antiquities as they were preparing the site for tourists.
- There had been also a canal connecting the quarry to the Nile.
- The base of the obelisk is still attached to the bedrock of this granite quarry in Aswan.
- The ancient Egyptians utilized small balls of a mineral, harder than granite, known as dolerite.
Finish What Queen Hatshepsut Started with “Trips in Egypt”
With “Trips in Egypt“, you’ll be able to visit the Unfinished Obelisk with other magnificent attractions in Aswan. After exploring the secrets of this granite quarry, many of our guests choose to head further south on a Day Trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel to see the final majestic result of ancient Egyptian engineering. Don’t miss the chance and book one of our great Egypt tour packages to achieve your dream and enjoy an extraordinary journey in the land of Pharaohs.
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