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All Turkey Istanbul Obelisk of Theodosius

Obelisk of Theodosius

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Istanbul, Turkey

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kirbyf
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Obelisk of Theodosius   Brian Jeffery Beggerly on Flickr
Obelisk of Theodosius   Brian Jeffery Beggerly on Flickr
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Obelisk of Theodosius   Julia Manzerova on Flickr
the obelisk at night, with the Hagia Sophia behind it.   AAlcazar / Atlas Obscura User
obelisk of Theodosius   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Originally built at the Temple of Karnak, the Obelisk of Theodosius traveled all over the ancient world before ending up in its current Turkish home. 

The hieroglyphics-covered spire that now sits in a square in Istanbul was originally carved between 1500-1400 BCE in Egypt. The red granite spire sat unmolested near the Temple of Karnak for hundreds of years, and it wasn't until the mid-300's CE that a Roman emperor had the obelisk transported down the river Nile to Alexandria. The huge artifact remained there for only a scant few decades before it was once again moved. This time the stone tower was moved to what was at the time Constantinople where it resides today.

As the famous song says, Constantinople is now Istanbul which is where the Obelisk of Theodosius still sits. The spire is remarkably well maintained for being thousands of years old and the columns of hieroglyphics on each of the four sides are still sharp and clear. The pictograms describe the obelisk's creator's (Tutmoses III) victory during a battle on the Euphrates.

Now the obelisk rests on bronze blocks in a public square which is regularly crowded with musicians, artists, street performers, and tourists who are blissfully unaware of the stone tower's journey.   

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Monuments Egyptian Revival

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Added By

kirbyf

Edited By

TravelTourist, hrnick, aribrown, Jaszmina Szendrey...

  • TravelTourist
  • hrnick
  • aribrown
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • EricGrundhauser
  • AAlcazar
  • seanjobst
  • Luis Morato
  • Collector of Experiences
  • katielou106
  • Taterchips

Published

May 26, 2014

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obelisk_of_Theodosius
  • http://english.istanbul.gov.tr/Default.aspx?pid=301
Obelisk of Theodosius
Sultan Ahmet Park
Istanbul, 34122
Turkey
41.005887, 28.975423
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