OBELISK AT PIAZZA DEL DUOMO

Although the elephant is not an Italian fashion, but it is supposed to be a symbol of Catania. It is because .... in ancient times pygmy elephants lived in this place, that protected the city's inhabitants by chasing away fierce animals, or perhaps the Islamic people who has a territory around here (Mediterranean Region) know African elephant, and probably thought to be a bearer of good luck against Mt. Etna's eruptions. This statue of elephant is made of volcanic stone (lava), and is supposed have sculpted during the Roman Era. On the other hand, the obelisk was from the Aswan quarries, like other obelisks. But it's unknown where in Egypt this was built and where is the location of this one's twin. The obelisk bears hieroglyphs identifying the goddess Isis. This is supposed to have brought to Catania in the Roman Era, but the details after that is unknown. When the Piazza was redesigned in 18th Century, an architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini assembled the obelisk and the elephant in 1736 on the model of Bernini's Minerva Elephant in Rome. Piazza del Duomo is Catania's main square, and surrounded by the fine Baroque architectures; Municipal Office (Palazzo del Municipio) is in North and Duomo is in East.

Stats:

Location: Piazza del Duomo, Catania, Sicilia, Italy
Pharaoh: Unknown
Height: Not sureStone:
Red granite

OBELISK AT BOBOLI GARDENS

According to the scholar's research, it turns out this obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is currently at the site of the Terme di Diocleziano, Rome. This obelisk was discovered underground at the site of current "Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva" sometime before 1600. The site was the important temple in the Roman Empire Era, Iseum (the Temple of Isis) had been there. Therefore, this obelisk would probably used for Iseum. According to the inscription, this was erected at Heliopolis by Ramses II. In 19th century (1883), another pair of this obelisk was found at the same site. That is now at the site of "Terme di Diocleziano (Diocletian's Baths), where is near to the Roma's "Stazione di Termini" (Termine Station). Although there is no record when this was transported from Heliopolis, but it would probably be in 1st century. Excavated obelisk was once erected in the garden of the "Villa Medici" (Medici House) in Rome. Then it was moved again to the current location, Boboli Gardens in Florence when the Medici needed garden ornaments their in 1790. A copy that they commissioned now stands in the Villa Medici garden. The obelisk is placed at the center of Greek-style "Amfiteatro" (Amphitheatre), just behind the "Palazzo Pitti" (Pitti Palace). The site is the best location in the Garden, but little people pay attention to this obelisk.

Stats:

Location: Boboli Gardens [Giardini di Boboli], Florence [Firenze], Italy
Pharaoh: Ramses II (The 19th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1304-1237)
Height: 4.87 meters
Weight: ?? tones
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DEL RINASCIMENTO

Urbino is a small hilltown with fortress in Marche Region, Central Italy. The town experienced an astonishing culture flowering, and remains little change from the days when Duke Federico of Montefelto set up his glittering court here in the 15th Century. This fortress town was recently registered as UNESCO's World Heritage in 1998. Little people know there is an Egyptian obelisk at Piazza del Rinascimento, the center of the town.

Urbino is a birthplace of Raffaello (Raphael), and his childhood home remains. A famous wall "Studiolo of Duke Federico of Montefelto" with minute wooden mosaic is in the "Palazzo Ducale" (Ducal Palace) in this town.

Originally this obelisk was erected as a pair at Sais by Pharaoh Apries in about B.C. 580. (The companion to this obelisk is now in Piazza della Minerva, Rome.) This obelisk was transported from Sais to Rome in A.D. 90, and it was used for Iseum. Then it toppled and broken in three pieces. In 18th century, they were given to Cardinal Alessandro Albani (Roberto Piperno says in his website at http://members.tripod.com/romeartlover/Urbino.html, Cardinal Annibale, Another source says, Cardinal Alberti, but it is not confirmed.) . Then, he donated them to the town of Urbino. The obelisk was transported to this town in 1737. The remarkable difference from others is an octagon shape, with cutting off the four corners.

Many tourists come to Italy every year, but few tourists visit to this town due to out of the main tourist route. Little people visit this town for looking up this obelisk. If this obelisk was in Rome, it might become more popular. However, it's honor that this obelisk is at the center of this town.

Stats:

Location: Piazza del Rinascimento, Urbino, Italy
Pharaoh: Apries (The 4th King of the 26th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 589-570)
Height: ?? meters
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DELLA MINERVA

Originally this obelisk was erected as a pair at Sais by Pharaoh Apries. The companion to this obelisk is now in Urbino a small town in Italy. Nobody knows when and how this obelisk was carried to Rome, but I guess this was transported probably in the 1st century. Anyway, this was used for Iseum, and toppled at unknown date, and buried underground. In 1665, Dominican monks discovered it, and then Pope Alexander VII [Alessandro VII, reigned 1655-1667] decided to re-erect it in front of Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The obelisk was put on the sculpture of elephant, and official completion ceremony was held on July 11th, 1667. But the Pope could not attend the ceremony because he passed away 2 months before, May 22nd, 1667 The sculpture of elephant is called "Il Pulcino Della Minerva", which means "Minerva's Chicken". There is a long story behind the reason why it is called "chicken" despite of "elephant". Mr. Andrea Pollett has a detailed story in his website. It is made by marble, designed by Giovanni (Gian) Lorenzo Bernini [1598-1680]. This obelisk is small, but I think this is probably the loveliest obelisk. There is a single column of inscription on each side of the obelisk, each beginning with the name of the king and the followed by epithets naming Atum of the Land of Life, the cemetery of Sais. And Neit, she of the Bee Temple in Mehnet, foremost of the Land of Life. On the postament, the Latin inscriptions are carved referring to the date of its erection, the pope responsible, and "He who sees the carved images of the wisdom of Egypt on the obelisk carried by the elephant, the strongest of animals, will realize that it is indeed a robust mind which sustains a solid wisdom."

Stats:

Location: Piazza della Minerva, Rome, Italy [In front of Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.] Pharaoh: Apries (The 4th King of the 26th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 589-570)
Height: 5.47 meters [obelisk itself. 12.69 meters including the top decoration, elephant, the pedestal and the 4-step basement.]
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK AT VILLA CELIMONTANA

This obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in Piazza Rotonda, which was originally erected in front of the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis, a northeastern suburb of current Cairo.

The pair obelisks were carried to Iseum, the Temple of Isis in the ancient Rome and erected there. But it is unknown what happened after that, since the people lost the interetst in the obelisk.

In 14th century, this obelisk stood at the east of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline hill (Monte Capitolino). And this has been standing there for about 100 years, but seemed to have toppled and moved out somewhere. Then, Duke called Ciriaco Mattei obtained this obelisk from the Senators of Rome as a present in late 16th century, and erected it in his Villa at Celimontana. But the Villa was devastated and the obelisk seemed to have toppled again in the 18th century. Then, the Spanish statesman Manuel de Godoy (1767-1851) temporarily stayed in this Villa, and restored the ruin. The obelisk was re-erected in 1820 (Other source says 1817) by him at the place where stands here at present.

Stats

Location: Villa Celimontana, Rome, Italy [South of Colosseo]
Pharaoh: Ramses II (The 19th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1304-1237)
Height: 2.68 meters
Weight: ?? tons

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DELLA ROTONDA

This obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in Celimontana, which was originally erected in front of the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis, a northeastern suburb of current Cairo.

The pair obelisks were carried to Iseum, the Temple of Isis in the ancient Rome and erected there. But it is unknown what happened after that, since the people lost the interest in the obelisk. In 14th century, this obelisk stood at the east of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline hill (Monte Capitolino).

In the era of Pope Clemens XI [reigned 1700-1721], it was decided to move to Piazza della Rotonda, in front of Pantheon. Then the fountain of dolphin was created and the obelisk was put on the fountain in 1711, and the star and the Christian Cross were put on the apex. The fountain was designed by Giacomo della Porta.

Stats:

Location: Piazza della Rotonda, Rome, Italy [In front of Pantheon.]
Pharaoh: Ramses II (The 19th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1304-1237)
Height: 6.34 meters
Weight: ?? tons

OBELISK AT TERME DI DIOCLEZIANO

According to the scholar's research, it turns out this obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in the Boboli Gardens in Florence.

This obelisk was discovered underground at the site of current "Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva" by Roman archaeologist, Rodolfo Lanciani and his team in 1883. The site was the important temple in the Roman Empire Era, Iseum (the Temple of Isis) had been there. Therefore, this obelisk would probably used for Iseum. According to the inscription, this was erected at Heliopolis by Ramses II. Also, it turns out later that the another pair was already (in 1790) transported to Boboli Gardens in Florence. Although there is no record when this was transported from Heliopolis, but it would probably be in 1st century.

Inscriptions: The Egyptologist Labib Habachi says "On the pyramidion of the obelisk is a winged scarab with a sun disk and the two cartouches of Ramesses (Ramses) II. On each side of the shaft is a column of inscription listing the name of the king and epithets styling him as beloved of one or another of the solar gods and mentioning his giving offerings in Heliopolis." (Source: "The Obelisk of Egypt" by Labib Habachi, 1977 Charles Scribner's Sons)

Excavated obelisk was left as it was. 4 years later, it was happened in January 1887 that all 548 soldiers of Italian squad were killed by the Ethiopian troop at the Battle of Dogali. For a memorial of Italian victim, and in order to ease the Italian people's sorrowfulness, it was decided that this obelisk was erected. The location was selected in front of "Stazione di Termini" (Termine Station) in Rome. The names of the Italian soldiers who were killed at the Battle of Dogali were inscribed on the pedestrial. Therefore, this obelisk is also called Dogali Obelisk. In connection with the number of dead soldiers, the square in front of the Station was then named "Piazza del Cinquecento" (500 People Square). The dedication ceremony of the obelisk took place on June 5, 1887.

In 1924, "Piazza del Cinquecento" was remodeled. The obelisk was moved in the next year to a small park, a little north of the Piazza where is a little south of "Piazza della Repubblica". The site is a part of "Terme di Diocleziano (Diocletian's Baths). Therefore, this obelisk is also called Terme Obelisk.Terme means baths.

Stats:

Location: Small Park South of Piazza della Repubblica, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Ramses II (The 19th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1304-1237)
Height: 6.34 meters

OBELISK AT MONTE PINCIO

Nobody knows when and how this obelisk was carried to Rome. It was supposedly made by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 2nd century. If so, this obelisk is a replica by Romans. Then, in the 3rd century, this was carried to Circus Varianus (where was out of Porta Maggiore) in order to decorate the "spina" (central reservation), but toppled at unknown date. After being moved various places, Pope Pius VII [reigned 1800-1823] ordered to re-erect it at the present site, "Monte Pincio" (Pincio Hill's Garderns), in September 1822.


Stats:

Location: Pincio Hill's Garderns (Monte Pincio), Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Unknown. It's said the Roman Emperor Hadrianus (Hadrian) made it in 2nd entury.
Height: 9.75 meters

OBELISK AT TRINITA DEI MONTE

The provenance of this obelisk is not clarified, although many sightseers look at it everyday. Unknown ancient Roman Emperor in the 1st or 2nd century is supposed to have made this obelisk, but the details are unknown. The inscription is same as the one in the Piazza del Popolo. Therefore, this is supposed to be a replica by the Roman Emperor.

This was found from the underground of the site of the Sallustian Gardens. Therefore, this obelisk is also called "Sallustian Obelisk". This was supposed to have been here.

In 1734, the era of Pope Clemens XII [reigned 1730-1740], this was transported to the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano [North of the Basillica di San Giovanni in Laterano], and then remained laying down for 55 years.

In 1789 (1788?), then Pope Pius VI [reigned 1775-1799] erected it in front of the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti, where is the current site.

It's said that many Romans were afraid that the obelisk is unstable and may topple when the obelisk is erected here, and other Romans also didn't agree with setting up here because the obelisk would harm the beautiful environment. However, these were unnecessary concern. At present, the Spanish Steps is one of the most popular sites in Rome for sightseers. The view from the obelisk site is splendid.

Stats:

Location: The top of the Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Unknown. Probably the Roman Emperor made it in the 1st or 2nd Century.
Height: 13.92 meters

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DEL QUIRINALE

This obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in Piazza dell'Esquilino. The heights of the both obelisks in Piazza del Quirinale and in Piazza dell'Esquilino are almost same. The obelisk in Piazza dell'Esquilino is higher only 11 cm (4 inches).

The historians assume that probably in the late 1st century, the pair of obelisk was transported from Egypt, in order to decorate the town of Rome. (Source: "The Obelisk of Egypt" by Labib Habachi, 1977 Charles Scribner's Sons) At some unknown date and by some unknown cause, the obelisk fell. In 1519 and in 1781, two obelisks were discovered underground the entrance of the Great Tomb of Emperor Augustus [Mausoleo di Augusto]. The former one was re-erected in Piazza dell'Esquilino, and the latter one was re-erected here.

It was found in three pieces. Pope Pius VI decided to erect this obelisk between the "horse tamers" in the Piazza del Quirinale. The project took about 4 years and completed in 1786. 32 years later, the large water bowl was placed. The combination of these monuments is very unique.

There is no inscription on these obelisks and the one in Vatican City as well. Therefore, I suppose this obelisk is a replica by Romans.

Note: Both Piazza del Quirinale Obelisk and Piazza dell'Esquilino Obelisk can be seen if you are at the crossing of Four Fountains (Quattro Fontane). In addition, Sallustian Obelisk (Trinita dei Monti Obelisk) also can be seen from here. Namely, three obelisks can be seen from this point.

Stats:

Location: Piazza del Quirinale, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Probably a replica by Romans
Height: 14.64 meters

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DELL'ESQUILINO

This obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in Piazza del Quirinale. The heights of the both obelisks in Piazza dell'Esquilino and in Piazza del Quirinale are almost same. The obelisk in Piazza dell'Esquilino is higher only 11 cm (4 inches).

Probably in the late 1st century, the pair of obelisk was transported from Egypt, in order to decorate the town of Rome. At some unknown date and by some unknown cause, the obelisk fell. In 1519 and in 1781, two obelisks were discovered underground the entrance of the Great Tomb of Emperor Augustus [Mausoleo di Augusto]. The former one was re-erected here in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V [reigned 1585-1590], and the latter one is now in the Piazza del Quirinale.

There is no inscription on these obelisks and the one in Vatican City as well. Therefore, I suppose this obalisk is a replica by Romans.

Note: Both Piazza dell'Esquilino Obelisk and Piazza del Quirinale Obelisk can be seen if you are at the crossing of Four Fountains (Quattro Fontane). In addition, Sallustian Obelisk (Trinita dei Monti Obelisk) also can be seen from here. Namely, three obelisks can be seen from this point.

Stats:

Location: Piazza dell'Esquilino, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Probably a replica by Romans
Height: 14.75 meters

OBELISK AT PIAZZA NAVONA

This obelisk is not from the ancient Egypt, but this was created at Aswan (Upper Egypt, 640 km south of Cairo) by the order of Roman Emperor Domitianus in 1st Century. The name of Domitianus is inscribed with hieroglyphs on this obelisk. From the scene in which a goddess presents the Double Crown to the emperor, it seems that the obelisk was intended for the accession of Domitianus in A.D. 81.

This was carried to Rome and erected between the Serapeum Temple (The temple for the Greco-Egyptian god Serapius) and the Iseum Temple (The temple for the Egyptian goddess Isis), and remained there until early 4th Century when Emperor Maxentius [reigned 306-312] moved it to the Circo di Massenzio. Circo di Massenzio is the grand stadium for chariot race, which was built by the Emperor for the memory of his son Romulus. Since Romulus passed away in around 309, and the Emperor passed away in 312, the obelisk is supposed to have transported to here between 309-312. It was along Ancient Appian Road [Via Appia Antica], 2.8 km south of Porta San Sebastiano, Rome, and the vast site still remains.

At some unknown date, the obelisk was toppled and broken into a few pieces. The famous Pope Sixtus V [reigned 1585-1590] knew about this, but it was lower priority for restoration.

Finally, in 17th Century, Pope Innocentius X [reigned 1644-1655] decided to re-erect it in Piazza Navona in commemoration of his election. Because he had lived in the building which faces the Piazza Navona. He planned to create a fountain, and put the obelisk on it. An architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini [or Gianlorenzo Bernini, 1598-1680] wanted to undertake this project, and aggressively appealed his design to the Pope. Then the appointment was made to him on April 11th, 1647. The fountain is called the Fountain of the Four Rivers [Fontana dei Fiumi]. The four rivers of the then-known continents are represented by personifications - The Danube (representing Europe), The Ganges River (representing Asia), The Nile River (representing Africa), The Rio della Plata (representing Americas). This Four Rivers Fountain is one of Bernini's most celebrated works, and also one of typical masterpiece of the Baroque. The pieces of obelisk were assembled, and the dove [a symbol of the Pope family], instead of a Christian cross, was put at the apex, and then the obelisk topped on the Fountain. The entire work was completed in spring 1651.

The high cost of the project caused the tax increase, and resulted in loud protests against the Pope and his family. However, now this memorial is one of the most interested spots in Rome, and the source of endless admiration. You should appreciate this Baroque heritage.

Stats:

Location: Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: None
Height: 16.54 meters
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK AT CENTRAL PARK

After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the ruler of Egypt, the Khedive Ismail, promised the United States an obelisk. Henry Gorridge, a lieutenant commander of the U.S. Navy, was appointed the task of transporting it to New York from its pedestal in Alexandria. (It had been moved to Alexandria from Heliopolis, where Tuthmosis III had erected it alongside its companion, which is now in London.)

The obelisk and its 50-ton pedestal arrived at the Quarantine Station in New York in July 1880. It took 32 horses hitched in 16 pairs to drag the pedestal alone through the streets of the city. Once the pedestal was in place on the summit of the Graywacke Knoll in Central Park, the obelisk was then hauled through Manhattan. It traveled at the rate of 97 feet a day, taking 112 days to arrive at the knoll. The shaft was raised in January 1881 before more than 10,000 jubilant New Yorkers.

At the raising, William Maxwell Evarts, then U.S. Secretary of State, declared, "Who indeed can tell what our nation will do if any perversity is possible of realization; and yet this obelisk may ask us, 'Can you expect to flourish forever? Can you expect wealth to accumulate and man not decay? Can you think that the soft folds of luxury are to wrap themselves closer and closer around this nation and the pith and vigor of its manhood know no decay? Can it creep over you and yet the nation know no decrepitude?' These are questions that may be answered in the time of the obelisk but not in ours."

Stats:

Location: Central Park, New York, USA
Pharaoh: Tuthmosis III (reigned 1504-1450 B.C.)
Height: 70 feet
Weight: 193 tons

OBELISK AT ST. PETER'S SQUARE

This obelisk, like two others in Rome, is uninscribed, and no one knows where it originally came from or who created it. It is known that Emperor Augustus ordered it erected in the Julian Forum in Alexandria, where it stayed until A.D. 37. That year, the Emperor Caligula had it removed to the Vatican Circus in Rome. According to the Egyptologist Labib Habachi, "Legend has it that in the Vatican Circus innumerable Christians, including St. Peter, were put to death and that the reason this obelisk was not later overturned as were all the others in Rome was that it was looked upon as the last witness to the martyrdom of St. Peter."

In the 16th century, the Pope Sixtus V directed the obelisk to be re-erected in the collonnaded square before the Basilica of St. Peter, where it remains to this day. During its relocation, workers carefully inspected the metal globe that had stood atop the obelisk since Roman times. They were looking for the remains of Caesar, which were reputedly cached there, but they found only dust. After the successful re-erection, triumphant Romans carried the chief engineer, Domenico Fontana, on their shoulders all the way to his home.

Stats:

Location: St. Peter's Square, Vatican, Rome
Pharaoh: Unknown
Height: 83 feet
Weight: 331 tons

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DEL POPOLA

Seti I decorated three sides of this obelisk, while his son Ramses II carved the fourth and erected the obelisk in the sun temple at Heliopolis, a capital of ancient Egypt. In inscriptions on one side of the monolith, Seti I describes himself as "the one who fills Heliopolis with obelisks that their rays may illuminate the Temple of Re." Ramses II, one of history's greatest self-aggrandizers, styled himself as one who made "monuments as innumerable as the stars of heaven. His works join the sky. When Re shines, he rejoices because of [the obelisks] in his temple of millions of years."

In 10 B.C., the obelisk was re-erected at the Circus Maximus in Rome to celebrate Augustus' conquest of Egypt. Sometime later it toppled, to be resurrected in the 16th century under Pope Sixtus V. In 1589, it became the centerpiece of the Piazza del Popola in Rome, where three major avenues of the city converge.

Stats:

Location: Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Seti I (reigned 1318-1304 B.C.)
Height: 75 feet
Weight: 263 tons

OBELISK AT PIAZZA MONTE CITORIO

Psammetikos II, the third king of the 26th Dynasty (666-524 A.D.), erected this obelisk at Heliopolis near Cairo. Many of the inscriptions have eroded away, though a list of the king's many names remains: "The Golden Horus, 'beautifying the Two Lands,' beloved of Atum, lord of Heliopolis; the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferibre, beloved of Re-Harakhti; the son of his own body, who seizes the White Crown and who unites the Double Crown, Psammetikos, beloved of the Souls of Heliopolis."

Like the obelisk at the Piazza del Popolo, this obelisk was re-erected in Rome in 10 B.C. to commemorate the emperor Augustus' victories in Egypt. It remained there, in the Campus Martius, for many centuries before falling over in the 10th or 11th century. It wasn't until the 18th century that it was finally restored and re-erected at Monte Citorio.

Stats:

Location: Monte Citorio, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Psammetikos II (reigned 595-589 B.C.)
Height: 72 feet
Weight: 230 tons

OBELISK AT PIAZZA SAN GIOVANNI

The so-called Lateran obelisk is the largest standing obelisk in the world. Its inscriptions state that while it was begun during the reign of Tuthmosis III, it lay in the craftsmen's workshops for 35 years and was finally erected by his grandson Tuthmosis IV. The only single obelisk ever put up in Karnak Temple (obelisks usually came in pairs), it was removed under the orders of the Roman emperor Constantine (A.D. 274-337), who hoped to raise it in his new capital at Constantinople. He died before the obelisk ever left Egypt, and his son and successor Constantius (A.D. 317-361) had it taken to Rome, where it was re-erected in the Circus Maximus.

At some unknown date and by some unknown cause, the obelisk fell. It was not until the 16th century that Pope Sixtus V ordered a search for the monolith. It was found, in three pieces, some 23 feet down in the former Circus Maximus. On August 3, 1588, after more than a year of effort, the Lateran obelisk was raised in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, where it has stood ever since, a Christian cross at its apex.

Stats:

Location: Piazza S. Giovanni, Laterano, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Tuthmosis III (reigned 1504-1450 B.C.)
Height: 105.6 feet
Weight: 455 tons

OBELISK AT VICTORIA EMBANKMENT

The British first began to consider appropriating this obelisk, which had originally stood in the Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis, after the French were defeated at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. But it was not until the 1870s, when the soldier-turned-writer General James Alexander took up the cause, that serious efforts were made to collect it. After much negotiation and preliminary work, "Cleopatra's Needle" -- as this and its companion, now in New York, were dubbed -- was loaded aboard a special barge and towed to England.

Disaster struck in the Bay of Biscay, when a gale separated the barge, the Cleopatra, from its mother ship, the Olga. In their attempt to secure the barge to the Olga, a number of seamen were lost, and the barge was finally set adrift. Coming upon it on the high seas, a Glasgow steamer towed it into port. In January 1878, the Cleopatra was finally pulled up the Thames and moored near the Houses of Parliament. Eight months later, on September 13th, its precious cargo was raised on the Victoria Embankment, where it may be seen today.

Stats:

Location: Victoria Embankment, London, England
Pharaoh: Tuthmosis III (reigned 1504-1450 B.C.)
Height: 69 feet
Weight: 187 tons

OBELISK AT CAIRO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

According to the plate at the foot of this obelisk, this was found in Tanis, and transported to here in 1984. Tanis is a name of town in Ancient Egyptian Era, where is about 110-km northeast of Cairo. This town is currently called San el-Hagar.

It is inscribed with hierographic text bearing different names and titles of King Ramsess II as well as verses narrating his victory.

This obelisk (Cairo Airport Obelisk) and the Gezira Island Obelisk look alike. Therefore, both might have been erected as a "pair".

Stats:

Location: Entrance Gate of Cairo International Airport
Pharaoh: Ramses II (The 19th Dynasty, reigned B.C. 1304-1237)
Height: 16.97 meters
Weight: 120 tons
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS

Dating to the Middle Kingdom (2050-1786 B.C.), this is the oldest surviving giant obelisk. An inscription on it says, "The first occasion of the Jubilee, he made [it] to be given life forever." A Jubilee was traditionally given in the 30th year of a pharaoh's reign, so scholars believe Sesostris I erected the obelisk in 1942 B.C. Once part of a pair, its companion was thought to have toppled sometime in the 12th century A.D.

The first mention of these obelisks in the historical literature may come from a chapter of Isaiah by St. Epheaim (fourth century A.D.), who wrote that in Heliopolis "there are two great columns which excite admiration...On these columns are depicted figures of the men and animals which were shown by their priestly character to contain the mysteries of paganism." Yakut, an Arab historian of the 13th century, wrote that locals called them Messalat Far'un, or "Pharaoh's Packing Needles."

Abdel Rafty, an Arab physician, recorded his travels around in late 12 century. It says, "One is fallen in 2 pieces, and one is still standing, but it is stained by copper green from the pyramidian at its apex due to rain. It shows the elapsed time." The historian assumes that it have toppled sometime in the 12th century A.D., probably in 1158. The obelisk was probably toppled intentionally as the local people doubted if the treasure may be hidden at its apex, according to British historian E. A. Wallis Budge. (Source: "The Cleopatra's Needles and Other Egyptian Obelisks", 1926 The Religious Tract Society)

Neither the Temple nor the fallen obelisk exist at present. They were probably plundered and used for the parts of another architecture. One obelisk remains standing alone. A small park has recently been arranged around the obelisk, and is illuminated at night.

Stats:

Location: Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Pharaoh: Sesostris I (reigned 1972-1928 B.C.)
Height: 67 feet
Weight: 120 tons
Inscription: Click Here

OBELISK AT KARNAK TEMPLE - HATSHEPSUT

Not long after her father Tuthmosis I died, leaving the throne to his young grandson Tuthmosis III, Hatshepsut declared herself "king." She erected four obelisks at Karnak, but only this one remains standing. On its base are 32 horizontal lines of hieroglyphs, eight to a side, that describe why she had the obelisk built. The inscription reads in part:

"I was sitting in the palace and I remembered the One who created me; my heart directed me to make for him two obelisks of electrum [a natural alloy of gold and silver], that their pyramidions might mingle with the sky amid the august pillared hall between the great pylons of [Tuthmosis I]....My Majesty began work on them in Year 15, second month of Winter, day 1, continuing until Year 16, fourth month of Summer, day 30, making 7 months in cutting [them] from the mountain."

Lest anyone doubt her sincerity, Hatshepsut went on to say, "I acted for him with a straightforward heart, as a king does for any god...Let not anyone who hears this say it is boasting which I have said, but rather say, 'How like her it is, she who is truthful to her father.' The god knows it in me [namely] Amun, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands...I am his daughter in very truth, who glorifies him."

Stats:

Location: Karnak Temple, Luxor
Pharaoh: Hatshepsut (reigned 1503-1482 B.C.)
Height: 97 feet
Weight: 323 tons

OBELISK AT KARNAK TEMPLE - TUTHMOSIS I

Tuthmosis I was one of the great warrior-kings of ancient Egypt, extending his domains south into Nubia and north into Syria. He raised a pair of red-granite obelisks at Karnak, though only one remains standing today. In his tomb in the Theban necropolis, Aneni, one of the pharaoh's officials, relates how he "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." [One royal cubit = 1.72 feet] "They arrived safe and sound, and landed at Karnak."

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]...." (Alas, the electrum is all gone today.) About 400 years after the obelisks were raised, Ramses IV added his own inscriptions on either side of those of Tuthmosis I.

Stats:

Location: Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt
Pharaoh: Tuthmosis I (reigned 1525-c.1512 B.C.)
Height: 66 feet
Weight: 143 tons

OBELISK AT LUXOR TEMPLE

Ramses II (the Great) erected more obelisks than any other pharaoh; in the ruins of the Delta city of Tanis alone, fully 23 obelisks or partial obelisks bearing his name have turned up. Most of Ramses' obelisks are relatively small, but the two that stood before Luxor Temple were quite large. One stands there today; the other was shipped off to Paris in the 18th century.

Each of the four sides of the Luxor obelisk bear scenes of Ramses making offerings to the god Amun-Re, beneath which are three columns of inscriptions. On the northern face, the column on the right deems Ramses "splended of statues, great of monuments in the Southern Opet [Luxor]...making monuments in Thebes for the One." The left-hand column meanwhile, proclaims the pharaoh "the sovereign, great of Jubilees like Tatenen, making monuments in Karnak for his father Amun-Re who placed him upon his throne...." At the base of the obelisk, four stone baboons raise their front feet in adoration of the sun.

Stats:

Location: Luxor Temple, Egypt
Pharaoh: Ramses II (reigned 1304-1237 B.C.)
Height: 82 feet
Weight: 254 tons

OBELISK OF THE HIPPODROME SQUARE

The obelisk is called "Theodosius Obelisk", because the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor in the late 4th Century, Theodosius I carried it into the current site. This obelisk is located in the site of Square of Horses [The Hippodrome Square] in Istanbul [at that time, it was called Constantinople, a capital city of Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire)]. The ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic life, located in front (west) of famous Blue Mosque [Sultanahmet Camii]. Interseting thing is there are three pillars in the site of Hippodrome. From north to south; Theodosius Obelisk (Dikilitas), Serpentine Column (Burmali Sutun, or Snake Tower), and Constantinus VII Column (Colossus).

Stats:

Location: Site of the former Square of Horses [The Hippodrome Square], Istanbul, Turkey
Pharaoh: Tuthmosis III (reigned B.C. 1504-1450)
Height: 19.6 meters / 65 feet, 25.6 meters including the pedestal
Weight: No record
Stone: Red granite

This obelisk once graced the Karnak Great Temple of Amun (Amon) in ancient Thebes (now, Luxor). It was one of two erected at the south of the 7th Pylon of the Great Temple by Tuthmosis III. No one knows who ordered its removal from Karnak, or whether it was still standing when it was taken. It was transported to Alexsandria under the orders of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor Constantius II [reigned A.D. 337-361. He is different from Constantinus II, just one letter is different ("tius" vs. "tinus"), who transported an obelisk to Rome, which is now called "Lateran Obelisk"], and then finally transported to Constantinople [now Istanbul] by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I [reigned A.D. 379-395]. It was erected in A.D. 390.

It's estimated that it was originally about 30 meters and 400 tons. But the obelisk is supposed to have been broken during the transportation to this city. The obelisk was splited into 2 parts [or 3 pieces?], and the current obelisk itself is about 19.6 meters / 65 feet tall. Its lower half reputedly also once stood in Istanbul, but it is missing. It was probably used as the materials for other buildings.

One column of inscription with hieroglyph glorifies his military exploits in 1550 BC, including a crossing of the river Euphrates in Syria: "Crossing the Great Circle of Naharina in valor and victory at the head of his army, making great slaughter... Lord of Victory who subdues all lands, establishing his frontier at the Beginning of the Earth [the extreme south] up to the Swampy Lands of Naharina [the farthest north]...." In fact, he extended the largest territory of Anciant Egyptian dynasty.

OBELISK OF LA PLAZA FRANCIA

The southern tip of the Casco Viejo Peninsula is Plaza Francia and is home to a large obelisk in honor of the ill-fated Frenchmen who, under Ferdinand De Lesseps, started the arduous task of building a sea level Canal in 1880. Surrounding the obelisk is an arcade of marble plaques ornately carved with the story of the valiant French effort. In addition to the French memorials, La Plaza Francia is also the current location of the French Embassy, the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INAC), and the restaurant Las Bóvedas.

OBELISK OF LUXOR AT PLACE DE LA CONCORDE

The powerful Obelisk of Luxor at Place de la Concorde, a pink granite monolith that was given to the French in 1829 by the viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali. The edifice, which once marked the entrance to the Amon temple at Luxor, is more than 3,300 years old and is decorated with hieroglyphics portraying the reigns of the pharaohs Ramses II and Ramses III. Gilded images on the pedestal portray the monumental task of transporting the monolith to Paris and erecting it at the square. Installed in 1833, the Obelisk — weighing 230 tons and standing 22.83 meters (75 ft) high in the center of the Place — is flanked on both sides by two fountains constructed during the same period. Having survived more than 33 centuries, the Obelisk has suffered the greatest damage during the past half-century by air pollution from industry and motor vehicles.