List of Egyptian obelisks

Last updated

Bonomi's Table of Obelisks.jpg
Bonomi (1843) [1]
Lists of obelisks published during the 19th century

Obelisks had a prominent role in the architecture and religion of ancient Egypt. [3] This list contains all known remaining ancient Egyptian obelisks. [1] [2] The list does not include modern or pre-modern pseudo-Egyptian obelisks, such as the numerous Egyptian-style obelisks commissioned by Roman Emperors. The list also excludes approximately 40 known obelisk fragments, catalogued by Hiroyuki Nagase and Shoji Okamoto. [4]

Contents

Number

The location of the extant ancient Egyptian obelisks

Only about 30 such obelisks are still in existence worldwide; figures vary between sources with different definitions of extant Egyptian obelisks. [5] For example, David Allen states there are 29 such obelisks, with more in Italy than in Egypt. [5] Only two known obelisks date prior to the New Kingdom, both of which were dedicated to the Middle Kingdom Pharaoh Senusret I. At least 22 of the known obelisks date to the New Kingdom, four date to the Late Period and one to the Ptolemaic period.

The international transportation of Egyptian obelisks dates to the Roman conquest of Egypt following the death of Cleopatra, and in modern times as Egyptian "gifts" to other major cities such as the Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, and the Cleopatra's Needles on the Victoria Embankment and in Central Park in London and New York City respectively. [5] Only five obelisks still stand at the ruins of Ancient Egyptian temples. [4]

The largest known obelisk, the unfinished obelisk, was never erected and was discovered in its original quarry. It is nearly one-third larger than the largest ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected (the Lateran Obelisk in Rome); if finished it would have measured around 41.75 metres (137.0 ft) [6] and would have weighed nearly 1,090 tonnes (1,200 short tons), a weight equal to about 200 African elephants. [7]

The most recent ancient obelisk to be re-erected is the 17-metre-tall Ramses II obelisk in Tahrir Square, the main city square of Cairo, having been reassembled from eight blocks discovered at Tanis in the late 19th century. [8] Dr Khaled El-Anany, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said, "When we go to European capitals like Rome or Paris or London, and also Washington [ sic ], we see that they use Egyptian obelisks in decorating their major tourist squares, so why do we not do the same?" [9]

List

NameImageHeight (with base)PharaohOriginal locationCurrent locationRef
NameReignPlace (since)CitySovereign state
Unfinished obelisk Assuan 07.jpg 41.75 m Hatshepsut 1479 – 1458 BC Aswan (in situ)Stone Quarries, Aswan Aswan Egypt [7]
Lateran Obelisk Lateran Obelisk HD.jpg 32.18 m (45.70 m with base) Thutmose III / Thutmose IV 1479  1425 BC / 1401 – 1391 BC Karnak Lateran Palace Rome Italy [1]
Karnak obelisks of Hatshepsut Karnak Tempel Obelisk Hatschepsut 02.JPG 29.56 m Hatshepsut 1479 – 1458 BC Karnak (in situ) Karnak Temple Luxor Egypt [1]
Vatican obelisk
(a.k.a. St Peter's Square obelisk or Caligula's obelisk)
Vatican Piazza San Pietro Obelisk slim.jpg 25.5 m (41 m with base)UnknownUnknown Alexandria St. Peter's Square Vatican City Vatican City [1]
Luxor obelisks
(Luxor and Paris obelisks)
Pylons and obelisk Luxor temple.JPG 25.03 m and 22.83 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Luxor Temple Luxor Temple (in situ) Luxor Egypt [1]
Obelisque de la Concorde, Paris 12 June 2014.jpg Place de la Concorde (1833)ParisFrance [1]
Flaminio Obelisk
(a.k.a. Popolo obelisk)
Obelisk-popolo.jpg 24 m (36.5 m with base) Seti I / Ramesses II 1294–1279 BC / 1279–1213 BC Heliopolis Piazza del Popolo Rome Italy [1]
Obelisk of Montecitorio
(a.k.a. Solare obelisk)
SolareObelisk cropped.jpg 21.79 m (33.97 m with base) Psamtik II 595–589 BC Heliopolis Piazza di Montecitorio Rome Italy [1]
Karnak obelisk of Thutmosis I Egypte 123a.jpg 21.20 m Thutmose I 1506–1493 BC Karnak (in situ) Karnak Luxor Egypt [1]
Cleopatra's Needles
(London and New York obelisks)
Western Side of Cleopatra's Needle in London.jpg 21.00 m Thutmose III 1479 – 1425 BC Heliopolis (via Alexandria) Victoria Embankment (1878)LondonUnited Kingdom [2]
Central Park New York May 2017 004.jpg Central Park (1881)New York CityUnited States [1]
Al-Masalla obelisk
(a.k.a. Al Mataraiyyah obelisk)
Heliopolis200501.JPG 20.40 m Senusret I 1971–1926 BC Heliopolis (in situ)Al-Masalla area of Al-Matariyyah district in Heliopolis Cairo Egypt [1]
Obelisk of Theodosius
(a.k.a. Istanbul obelisk)
Hippodrome Constantinople 2007 007.jpg 18.54 m (25.6 m with base) Thutmose III 1479 – 1425 BC Karnak Sultanahmet Square Istanbul Turkey [1]
Tahrir obelisk TahrirSQ-2020(1).jpg 17 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Tanis Tahrir Square (2020) Cairo Egypt [10] [8]
Cairo Airport obelisk Obelisk of Ramses II. @ Cairo Int. Airport.jpg 16.97 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Tanis Cairo International Airport (1984) Cairo Egypt [11]
Pantheon obelisk
(a.k.a. Macuteo or Rotonda obelisk)
Obelisk in piazza della rotonda rome arp.jpg 14.52 m (26.34 m with base) Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Heliopolis Piazza della Rotonda Rome Italy [1]
Gezira obelisk Tanis obelisk in Cairo, on Gezira Island.jpg 13.5 m (20.4 m with base) Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Tanis Gezira Island, Cairo Cairo Egypt [12]
Abgig obelisk
(a.k.a.Crocodilopolis obelisk)
MadinatFayyumAbgigObelisk.jpg 12.70 m Senusret I 1971–1926 BC Faiyum (local area, found fallen)Abgig Faiyum Egypt [13]
Philae obelisk Kingston Lacy- Egyptian obelisk and House (geograph 1789450).jpg 6.70 m Ptolemy IX 116–107 BC Philae (Temple of Isis) Kingston Lacy (1815) Dorset United Kingdom [1]
Boboli Obelisk Boboli Gardens Obelisk.jpg 6.34 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Heliopolis (via Rome) Boboli Gardens (1790) Florence Italy [2]
Elephant and Obelisk
(a.k.a. Minerveo obelisk)
Roma Elephant Obelisk 2007-05-19 13-51-58 BW.jpg 5.47 m (12.69 m with base) Apries 589–570 BC Sais Piazza della Minerva (Roman period, rediscovered 1665) Rome Italy [1]
Abu Simbel obelisks Nubia Museum 1160D.jpg 3.13 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Abu Simbel (Great Temple) Nubian Museum Aswan Egypt [14]
Urbino obelisk
(a.k.a. Albani obelisk)
Urbino 01 007.JPG 3.00 m Apries 589–570 BC Sais (via Rome) Ducal Palace Urbino Italy [2]
Poznań obelisk Poznan 20180718 143127 (ubt).jpg 3.00 m Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Athribis (via Berlin, 1895)Poznań Archaeological Museum (2002) Poznań Poland [15] [16] [17]
Matteiano obelisk
(a.k.a. Celimontana obelisk)
Villa Celimontana Obelisk.JPG 2.68 m (12.23 m with base) Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Heliopolis Villa Celimontana Rome Italy [1]
Durham obelisk
(a.k.a. Alnwick or Algernon obelisk)
Amenhotep II obelisk in Durham.jpg 2.15 m Amenhotep II 1427–1401 BCunknown (within the Thebaid)Oriental Museum, University of Durham (1838) Durham United Kingdom [1] [18]
Dogali obelisk
(a.k.a. Casanatese obelisk)
Dogali-obelisk.jpg 2 m (6.34 m with base) Ramesses II 1279–1213 BC Heliopolis Baths of Diocletian Rome Italy [19] [20]
Abishemu obelisk National Museum of Beirut - Resheph obelisk.jpg 1.25 m (1.45 m with base)Abishemu (King of Byblos)1800s BC Temple of the Obelisks Beirut National Museum Beirut Lebanon [21]
Karnak obelisk of Seti II Obelisque Sethi II.jpg 0.95 m Seti II 1203–1197 BC Karnak (in situ) Karnak Luxor Egypt [22]
Luxor obelisk Luxor Museum Inschrift Ramses III. 01.jpg 0.95 m (original est. 3 m) Ramesses III 1186–1155 BC Karnak Luxor Museum (1923) Luxor Egypt [23]
Obelisks of Nectanebo II Nectanebo II Obelisk (1).JPG 0.95 m (original est. 5.5 m) Nectanebo II 360–342 BC Hermopolis British Museum LondonUnited Kingdom [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Joseph Bonomi the Younger (1843). Notes on Obelisks. pp. 40 v via Hathi Trust.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gorringe, Henry Honychurch (1885). Egyptian Obelisks. Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO): Photography: The World through the Lens. John C. Nimmo via Google Books.
  3. Mark, Joshua J. (November 6, 2016). "Egyptian Obelisk". World History Encyclopedia. World History Publishing.
  4. 1 2 Hiroyuki Nagase and Shoji Okamoto, 2017, Obelisks of the World: "Although about 30 ancient obelisks are currently well maintained and stand at the public places (plaza, square, park, etc.), but only 5 remain at the ruins of Ancient Temple in Egypt. And two more obelisks stand at the public space in Egypt. So 7 obelisks in total in Egypt."
  5. 1 2 3 Allen, D. (2013). How Mechanics Shaped the Modern World. Springer International Publishing. ISBN   978-3-319-01701-3 . Retrieved 2022-01-23. By the way, there are 29 extant Egyptian obelisks in the world today. Nine are in Egypt, and eleven in Italy (eight of which are in Rome, having been pilfered by the Romans after Augustus defeated Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BCE, thereby conquering Egypt). Others are scattered across the world.
  6. Reginald Engelbach, 1922, The Aswân Obelisk, with some remarks on ancient engineering
  7. 1 2 Bard, Kathryn (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 587. ISBN   978-0-415-18589-9.
  8. 1 2 Nevine El-Aref, Sep 2019, An obelisk in Tahrir "After centuries of being scattered in eight large blocks on the sands at San Al-Haggar archaeological site in Zagazig, a 17 m-tall obelisk of King Ramses II will be restored, re-assembled and re-erected to decorate the historic Tahrir Square"
  9. Machemer, Theresa (May 11, 2020). "Egypt Defies Archaeologists' Protests by Relocating Four Ancient Sphinxes". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution.
  10. Mira Maged, Feb 2020, Ramses II obelisk to be fully reassembled in Cairo's Tahrir Square "...with Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities having transported eight blocks of the statue unearthed in August 2019 at Zagazig, a city in Lower Egypt"
  11. Flinders Petrie, Tanis, I, plate VIII (48, North Obelisk)
  12. Flinders Petrie, Tanis, I, plate IX (51, North Obelisk)
  13. 1809: Description de l'Égypte , IV, plate 71, Text II, ch. XVII, 43–45
  14. Charles Kuentz (1932) Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N°1308–1315 et 17001-17036 Obélisques, 45–50, plate XIII (Cairo Museum JE 42955 C, CG 17023 & 17024)
  15. Obelisk of Ramesses II in the Museum's courtyard
  16. Königliche Museen Berlin, Ägyptische und Vorderasiatische Altertümer II (1897), pl.116
  17. Ausführliches Verzeichnis der Ägyptischen Altertümer (1899), pp.124–125, fig.26.
  18. Cooper & Chabas 1877.
  19. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions, II, 483, § 183 C
  20. Orazio Marucchi, 1898, Gli obelischi egiziani di Roma, page 96
  21. Maurice Dunand, Fouilles de Byblos, volume 2, p. 878, no. 16980; and plate XXXII number 2
  22. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions, IV, 250:12–16
  23. Maurice Pillet, Rapport sur les travaux de Karnak. X, "Un petit obélisque de Ramsès III." Annales Du Service Des Antiquités de L'Egypte 24 (1924): 82–3

Bibliography