Obelisks of Rome - history and description. What is the difference between an obelisk and a stele? What is an obelisk in ancient times?

The obelisks of Rome are its unique characteristic. Like no other city in the world, there are 13 ancient monolithic granite obelisks. Seven of them are ancient Egyptian obelisks, they were brought to Rome at different times during the Imperial period. The first obelisk was delivered by order of Augustus in 10 BC, and the last one was ordered to be brought to Rome by Emperor Constantius II in 357 AD. The remaining obelisks are copies and were made in Egypt by the Romans.

After the conquest of Egypt in 31 BC. In Rome it became possible to decorate the city with obelisks. Their use was varied, some, low, were installed along the main street in the Campo Marzio, among them those that are now in Florence and Urbino. Tall obelisks adorned the centers of ancient circuses: the Great Circus (Circo Massimo), the Circus of Maxentius (Circo di Massenzio), the Vatican Circus (Vaticano) and Variano (Variano). Two obelisks decorated the entrance to the Mausoleum of Augustus, and one served as the gnomon of a huge sundial.

Egyptian obelisks were transported by ship and unloaded at the port of Ostia, where some of them were divided into sections and cataloged for subsequent installation. Obelisks filled the inhabitants of Ancient Rome with a sense of pride. After numerous invasions of barbarians, many obelisks were destroyed, and some simply disappeared and were covered with the dust of oblivion. In addition to the architectural decoration of the city, obelisks performed specific functions of the geometric layout of the squares and were located in their absolute center. From a symbolic point of view, the obelisks of Rome expressed the idea of ​​the rise of Christianity and its desire to get closer to God.

Reference. Obelisks are monolithic granite blocks with four sides that taper towards the top. At the very top they are crowned with a pyramidal gilded arrow (point, later - a cross or a ball). The name comes from the Greek Obelìscos (spire, spear, peak). The ancient Egyptian name for obelisks is TEKHENU.

The obelisks were carved in the quarries of Aswan in Egypt and floated down the Nile on special barges. Some obelisks are colossal in size, the largest of which is now preserved in the city of Rome has a height of 32 meters. The Egyptians erected obelisks to glorify the sun god Ra. The obelisks symbolized the sun's rays that descended on the earth to illuminate it and warm everyone. In addition, obelisks were installed in front of temples and tombs, and inscriptions on them glorified the pharaohs. The first obelisks were erected in the Egyptian city of Iunu, which translates as “city of pillars,” or obelisks. The Greeks called this city Iliopolis or Heliopolis, which means “city of the sun.” It was from here, on specially built ships, that the Romans brought one of the most ancient obelisks.

In the article we will talk about what an obelisk is, when this element of architecture first arose, and we will analyze the history of the Luxor Obelisk.

Architecture

People have always attached great importance to art, including architecture. We know the life of most ancient civilizations mainly thanks to the preserved buildings and elements of the architectural style, for example, these include those in South America. Of course, not all nations left behind such significant traces in history; moreover, even in our time, houses and other buildings are primarily used from a practical point of view, and they do not differ in centuries-old durability with exquisite construction solutions.

Probably the most famous historical era is Ancient Egypt. To this day, the culture of this now dead people inspires admiration. And, in addition to the pyramids, one very important architectural element for the ancient Egyptians, the obelisk, has survived to this day. So what is an obelisk, and how is it used today? This is what we will talk about.

Definition

Obelisks were also used in Ancient Greece, but there they had a purely practical meaning, for example, as gnomons (special pointers, prototypes of hour hands) of sundials. While the obelisk is, in general, one of the favorite elements of architecture and symbolism. Let's take a closer look at the history of Egyptian obelisks and their purpose.

Device and purpose

Egyptian obelisks (at least those that have survived to this day) are monoliths that were carved from a uniform block of stone. Usually the material was red granite, which was mined in Aswan. And they were installed in pairs along the entrances to temples.

Due to the imperfection of the tools, obelisks were made very long and painstakingly. For example, the obelisk of Hatshepsut was carved over the course of seven months. Now we know what an obelisk is. Let's look at the main characteristics.

It was customary to cover their sides with hieroglyphs, whose texts in most cases boiled down to the glorification of gods and active pharaohs. Sometimes, if such a structure had special significance, it was covered with an alloy of gold and silver. True, this was done only with the top of the obelisk. So in Ancient Egypt, the obelisk was an important element of religious cult and symbolism.

Historians know for sure that the Egyptians mastered the art of making obelisks already during the 4th dynasty, but the most ancient ones that have survived to this day date back to the 5th dynasty. Their distinctive feature is their small size, just over three meters. If we talk about those that have survived to this day in the same place that they were installed, then the oldest is the obelisk of Senusret. And the tallest of the completed ones is the one installed in Karnak, its height is more than 24 meters. By the way, according to rough estimates, it weighs 143 tons. As you can see, an obelisk is a structure that varies greatly in size.

Spreading

Gradually, obelisks from Egypt began to spread throughout the world. The first countries in which fashion for them appeared were Palestine and Phenicia. True, they were produced there by combining them from separate segments, which greatly simplified the manufacturing process. Then the obelisks began to spread throughout Byzantium, Assyria and even Ethiopia. A considerable number of them were exported to the Roman Empire. For example, the one that is now installed in front of the Lateran Basilica in Rome was created in Carnac, weighs 230 tons and is 32 meters high. True, the first thing that comes to mind when looking at such an obelisk is how was it transported? Even in our time, transporting such cargo is not such an easy task.

During the Renaissance, obelisks became popular among Italian architects as elements of the overall composition. And then, starting from the middle of the 19th century, as public and historians’ interest in Ancient Egypt grew, many countries began to uncontrollably export various objects of art and antiquities. For example, in St. Petersburg on the Neva embankment there are sphinxes, but few people know that they were brought straight from Egypt and are several thousand years old.

Nowadays

And today, obelisks are very popular as a separate sculpture of symbolic significance or a monument. The largest is the Washington Monument in the USA, its height is 169 meters.

In Russia, obelisks became widespread starting from the reign of Catherine II, and were installed in honor of military victories and achievements. That is, you can determine the meaning of the word “obelisk” yourself. This is an architectural monument that looks like a pillar, tapering upward.

Obelisks gradually fell out of fashion as an element of design or architecture, but began to be used as monuments of military glory. For example, you can often find obelisks over mass graves from the Great Patriotic War. And in Russian cities there are monuments to outstanding historical and military figures of the past, for example, an obelisk in honor of Minin and Pozharsky in Nizhny Novgorod, on the site of Suvorov’s command post and others.

Luxor Obelisk

In 1831, the ruler of Egypt, Mehmet Ali, gave France the Luxor Obelisk, which was originally erected in honor of Ramses II. Already in 1833, it was delivered to Paris and, after a royal meeting, it was installed on the Place de la Concorde, where the obelisk can still be seen to this day. His photo is provided just above. The lower part of the monument depicts the process of its delivery.

The cradle of culture, science and military affairs. However, even in such an extraordinary city there was a place for imported wonders. The obelisks of Rome are a tribute to an even more ancient civilization, the Egyptian. Powerful pointed stone blocks soared into the sky of the Italian capital, decorating the squares of the Eternal City.

The term “obelisk” (Ancient Greek: βελίσκος) originated in Ancient Egypt and meant “small skewer.”

Looking at the stone monument, with a square cross-section and a pointed crown, you will inevitably agree that the stone mass resembles a giant spit. The Egyptians carved obelisks from a whole block of granite and covered them with inscriptions praising the sun god Ra (ancient Greek Ρα) and other celestial beings.

The height of the obelisks reached 30-35 meters, weight - 150-240 tons. The Egyptians erected similar monuments in pairs, as gates to the sanctuary of the god Ra. In Ancient Egypt, obelisks had great religious significance and were considered sacred. The Romans found utilitarian uses for ancient artifacts, using tall, pointed stone pillars as gnomons for sundials, markers on major roads, and memorials for nobles.

Interesting fact: the number of obelisks in Rome is “the devil’s dozen,” that is, 13.

The first person to turn his attention to ancient Egyptian monuments was (lat. Caesar Dīvī Fīlius Augustus). In 10 BC. he transported the first of the Egyptian obelisks from Heliopolis (ancient Greek: Ἡλίουπόλις) to Rome. In the Middle Ages, Italian architects reintroduced ancient obelisks into fashion. Thus, the luxurious architecture of the Middle Ages was complemented by Egyptian and Roman monuments.

Ancient obelisks

Dear reader, to find an answer to any question about holidays in Italy, use. I answer all questions in the comments under the relevant articles at least once a day. Your guide in Italy Artur Yakutsevich.

In order to look at the ancient obelisks of Rome, it is enough to take a special route starting in the center of the capital.

In Piazza del Popolo

This obelisk was the first monument to arrive from Egypt to Rome. Brought by Emperor Augustus from Heliopolis, the multi-ton stone pillar was subsequently installed in the open spaces (lat. Circus Maximus), as an indicator of the time on a sundial. During the collapse of the Roman Empire, the obelisk was buried underground. At the end of the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V (Latin: Sixtus V) ordered the newly discovered obelisk to be installed in the center (Piazza del Popolo). In 1823, the monument was additionally decorated with statues of lions emitting fountains of water from their mouths, made in the Egyptian style.

The current height of the obelisk is 24 m, with its original parameters - 36 m.

• Address: Piazza del Popolo
• Metro:
• By bus №301,628

On Pincio Hill, Villa Borghese

The ancient obelisk, about 17 meters high, was unknown to the general public until the 16th century, when it was discovered by archaeologists near Porta Maggiore. The sacred pillar changed several places (Palazzo Barberini,) and ended up on the Pincio hill.

• Address: Via Gabriele d'Annunzio
• Metro: Line A (Flaminio metro station)
• By bus №61,89,160,490,495,590

In Piazza Trinita dei Monti

Above, in the center of Trinita dei Monti square, there is an obelisk, which is a smaller copy of what Emperor Augustus brought. This monument was once intended to decorate the Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani) in Ancient Rome. The obelisk owes its discovery to the noble Italian family Ludovisi, who presented their find as a gift to Rome. The obelisk spent some time in the square (Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano), but it was installed at the end of the 18th century in the square near the Church of Trinita dei Monti.

• Address: Piazza della Trinita dei Monti
• Metro: line A (metro station "Spagna")

In Piazza Navona

The 30-meter obelisk was brought to Rome by Emperor Domitian (Latin: Titus Flavius ​​Caesar Domitianus) in the 1st century AD. It was a duplicate of the sacred pillar installed in the temple of the god Serapis (Greek: Σέραπις). In the 3rd century AD. The monument was placed in the Circus Maximus, according to the will of Emperor Maxentius (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius).

In the first half of the 17th century, an English count bought an obelisk divided into 4 parts and wanted to take it to Britain, which was prevented by Pope Urban VIII. In 1651 (Gian Lorenzo Bernini) made the ancient obelisk part of a sculptural group (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) installed in the center (Piazza Navona).

• Address: Piazza Navona
• By bus №30,40,46,62,63,64,70,81,87,116,492,571,628,630,780,916

In Piazza del Rotonda

The monument, rising on the Piazza della Rotonda, in front of the entrance to the (Latin Pantheon), is one of the paired obelisks that once marked the entrance to the Temple of Ra at Heliopolis. The height of the monument is 6.34 m without a pedestal, which makes it much shorter than its counterpart installed at Villa Celimontana. In ancient times, an obelisk was installed at the entrance to the sanctuary of Isis, and was lost over time. In the 14th century, a stone pillar was found during the construction of the Church of San Macuto (Chiesa di San Macuto).

Only in 1711 the obelisk took its current place in front of the Pantheon by order of Pope Clement XI (lat. Clemens XI). The obelisk is decorated with a fountain designed by Filippo Barigioni.

• Address: Piazza della Rotonda
• By bus №30,51,62,63,70,81,83,85,87,160,492,628

In the Piazza del Minerva

One block from the Pantheon is Piazza della Minerva and the church of the same name (Santa Maria sopra Minerva). Near the entrance to the church there is one of the paired obelisks, originally from the Egyptian Sais (ancient Greek Σάϊς). A small obelisk, less than 6 m high, looks solemn and sophisticated. Brought in the 1st century AD. Domitian to decorate the Temple of Isis; this monument was reused by Bernini in the 17th century to decorate a Roman piazza.

The pedestal in the shape of a baby elephant makes the obelisk especially touching. Thus, the most talented sculptor symbolized the highest wisdom of God.

• Address: Piazza della Minerva
• By bus№70,81,87,492,628,N6,N7

In Piazza Montecitorio

It is believed that this obelisk was also brought to the capital by Emperor Augustus from Heliopolis in the 1st century AD. The height of the obelisk is 22 m, which made it possible to use it as a gnomon for a sundial on (lat. Campus Martius).

The obelisk was discovered again in the 16th century, but there was no rush to remove it from the earth. Archaeologists retrieved and restored only the pedestal of the monument, initially attributing it to Emperor Mark Antony. Already at the end of the 18th century, Pope Pius VI (lat. Pius VI) decided to use a red marble obelisk to decorate Piazza di Montecitorio.

• Address: Piazza di Monte Citorio
• By bus No. 51,62,63,83,85,160,492,N4,N5,N12,N25

In St. Peter's Square

The stone spire is 25.5 meters high, originally intended for the Forum Iulium in Egyptian Alexandria (Old Ἀλεξάνδρεια), by the Roman prefect Cornelius Gallus. This monument, created in the 1st century BC. and was notable for the fact that it did not contain hieroglyphs. In the 40s AD. Caligula (lat. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) moved the pillar to Rome in order to decorate the Circus of Nerone (Circo di Nerone).

At the end of the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V ordered the obelisk to be transported to St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. To transport the multi-ton stone block, a technique developed by the architect Domenico Fontana was used.

It is noteworthy that this obelisk is the only one that was not overthrown or destroyed during the oblivion of the Roman Empire. Another interesting fact: the ball installed on top of the monument was for a long time considered to be a receptacle for ashes (Latin: Gaius Julius Caesar). When Fontana dismantled the decoration and handed it over to the museum, it turned out that only centuries-old dust was stored in it.

This obelisk stands opposite (Basilica di San Pietro) - the patriarchal basilica.

• Address: Piazza San Pietro, Vaticano
• Metro: line A (Ottaviano – San Pietro station)
• By bus № 23,32,34,40,46,49,62,64,81,98,271,492,571,870,881,907,916,982,990
• Tram №19

In Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano

The tallest obelisk in Rome rises 38.12 meters above the ground. And its weight is 230 tons, which makes it the record holder for power among similar monuments around the world.

The first place of “registration” of this curiosity was the temple of the Egyptian god Amun-Ra (ancient Greek Ἅμμων Hámmōn) in Karnak. In the 4th century AD ruler Constantine II (lat. Flavius ​​Julius Constantius Augustus) brought several obelisks, including the largest pillar, to Rome. In 357 AD. the giant monument became part of the decoration of the Circus Maximus.

Many centuries later, after the fall of the great Rome, the obelisk was discovered again, split into three parts. In 1587 it was reassembled, losing 4 meters from its original height. The new place of “residence” of the grandiose artifact was the square near the Lateran Palace (Palazzo del Laterano) - the residence of the Vatican pontiffs and the papal basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano), on the site of the gilded equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (lat. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus), moved to (Campidoglio) Rome.

• Address: Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano
• Metro: line A (San Giovanni station)
• By bus № 81,85,117,650,665,673,714,792
• Tram №19

On the Esquiline Hill

Esquilino, one of the obelisks removed from the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria. Later, the monument and its double were installed at the entrance to the mausoleum of Emperor Augustus on the Campus Martius.

The pillars were excavated from the ground at the beginning of the 16th century, and one of them was installed at the papal basilica (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore) in Piazza dell’ Esquilino, and the second at the Quirinal Palace (Palazzo del Quirinal). All work was carried out under the constant guidance of the beloved architect of Pope Sixtus V, Domenico Fontana.

• Address: Piazza dell'Esquilino
• By bus №16,70,71,75,117,360,649,714
• Tram No. 5 and 14

In Piazza Quirinale

The obelisk in Quirinale Square (Piazza del Quirinale) is an exact copy of the obelisk installed on Esquiin Hill. Smooth surface of stone obelisks, freedom from hieroglyphs. The height is almost 15 m. Discovered at the beginning of the 16th century, the pillar was not used until 1786. By order of Pope Pius VI, the obelisk was erected near the marble statues of the Dioscuri (Ancient Greek: Διόσκοροι) on the square near the Quirinal Palace - the official residence of the President of Italy.

• Address: Piazza del Quirinale
• By bus№64,70,117,170

In the Baths of Diocletian

In the original, the obelisk that now adorns the Baths of Diocletian (Terme di Diocleziano) had a twin brother, together with whom it was placed in Heliopolis in the temple of Pharaoh Ramses II. At the dawn of our era, the Romans transported the monument to Rome to the Temple of Isis. In 1883, Rodolfo Lanciani again discovered the pillar in the thickness of the earth, during excavations near the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

For a long time, a stone “candle” stood opposite the entrance to (Stazione Termini). The stone pillar became part of a memorial dedicated to the Italian soldiers who died in 1887 at the Battle of Dogali in Ethiopia. In 1924, the star-topped memorial was moved from the station's Piazza dei Cinquecento to the gardens at the Baths of Diocletian.

• Address: Viale Luigi Einaudi
• Metro: line A (station “Repubblica – Taetro Opera”)
• By bus №40,60,64,70,82,85,170,590,910

At Villa Celimontana

The luxurious gardens on the Celio hill are decorated with an obelisk brought from Heliopolis in the 2nd century AD. It is known that the original height of the monument was about 12 m, while the current one is only 2.68 m. The Romans used it to decorate the sanctuary of Isis near the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

The next time the obelisk was found and used was in the 14th century to decorate the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on Capitoline Hill. In the second half of the 16th century (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) was involved in the reorganization of the gardens at Villa Celimontana, then still called Villa Mattei. An ancient obelisk was used as one of the garden decor elements. Lost again, the pillar was discovered in the 19th century, in a ruined state. It was then that its height was reduced by 4 times, which makes the obelisk the smallest in the collection of similar Roman monuments.

• Obelisk at the Villa Medici- a copy, made in the 19th century, of an ancient artifact found in the gardens of the estate, and transported to Florence (Firenze).
• Two obelisks, made of Baven granite, installed at Villa Torlonia at the end of the 19th century.
• In 1932 obelisk made of Carrara marble was installed in the Italian Forum (Foro Italico) in honor of Duce Mussolini (Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini).
• In the quarter of the World Exhibition in Rome, the EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma) in 1959, a 45-meter white marble obelisk dedicated to the inventor Guglielmo Marconi.

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Which is located in Lebanon. And until now I was sure. that this particular stone called “Southern Stone” is the largest - it lies in a quarry near Baalbek. The dimensions of this stone block are 23 m in length, 5.3 m in width and 4.55 m in height. She weighs approximately 1000 tons.

It turns out this is not true. The largest processed stone in the world HERE:

The obelisk (entrance 1OLE.) is located on the eastern bank of the Nile, a kilometer from the center of Aswan. To get to the obelisk you need to go along El-Bandar St. Nearby are several tombs with round roofs from an ancient cemetery from the Fatimid era. The obelisk, fused with the rock from which they wanted to carve it, lies all its weight (1200 t) and the entire length (42 m) on a granite bed.

Queen Hatshepsut intended to erect the obelisk, but the obelisk was abandoned and left unfinished because several cracks were found in it. For this reason it was never separated from the rock. If it had been erected, it would have been the largest obelisk known to us. It is surrounded by ancient quarries stretching for almost 6 km, where workers worked to extract huge stone blocks for the construction of temples and palaces.

It was hell of a job! It was necessary to chisel the rock with a hard stone in order for sufficiently wide and deep cracks to appear. Wooden wedges were driven in there and water was poured over them, and as the wedges expanded, they split the rock. The work was carried out on three sides, with endless precautions at all stages so as not to split the stone block. In accordance with the intended purpose, the block was ground on site. Then he was placed on a wooden sleigh, which was pulled either by animals or people, lowering him to the water, to a special platform.

It was built from construction waste, on which masons placed several layers of brick, covered with a thick layer of wet mud. The barge, which was supposed to transport stone blocks, was placed near the shore before low tide. The barge ran aground, and now it was possible to load it. At the next flood, the platform was again on the water and ready for transportation. Unloading was carried out in the same way.

Considering the primitive soft metal tools of the ancient Egyptians, the obelisk at the Northern Quarry shows us an amazing feat of technology. During the excavations, archaeologists learned a lot about stone-cutting techniques. And even the mistake that the builders made during its construction did not prevent it from being motionlessly attached to the rock for more than 3,000 years!

When hearing the word Ancient Egypt, the vast majority of people naturally associate it with pyramids or mummies. But an equally famous type of monumental architecture of the ancient Egyptians are obelisks. The word "obelisk" is of Greek origin, meaning skewer or skewer, and appeared in the late period when the Greeks established close contacts with Egypt. The Egyptians themselves designated the obelisk as “ben-ben.” This was the name of a pyramid-shaped stone that fell from the sky at the beginning of time, which was installed on a pillar in the sacred capital city of Innu (the Greeks called it Heliopolis). This ben-ben stone, placed on a pillar, was hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated in the Phoenix Temple, but, as is known, it disappeared in ancient times. The obelisk repeats the shape of the ancient sacred ben-ben in the form of a regular square pillar with a pyramidal top pointing into the sky.

It is known that the tops of obelisks were usually covered with gold or copper, which, of course, have not survived to this day. Almost all known obelisks were made of pink granite, which was mined in quarries located near the first cataract of the Nile, where the modern city of Aswan lies today. Here the Nile cuts through the rocky body of the Nubian Plateau and finally breaks out onto the plain, taking on its usual majestic dimensions. In the Aswan quarries, the Egyptians mined pink granite since the era of the Old Kingdom and, possibly, earlier. Pink granite was undoubtedly a special rock for the ancient Egyptians. The most important architectural and sculptural forms were created from it: temple portals, sarcophagi, statues of kings and, of course, obelisks.

Naturally, not all of them have reached our time. Moreover, most of them today are located outside of Egypt. After establishing their dominance here, the Romans began actively exporting obelisks to Rome, without especially considering the physical and financial costs. And today there are 13 obelisks in the Eternal City. In the 19th century, the French and British staged a real hunt for ancient Egyptian antiquities, not neglecting obelisks that weighed several hundred tons. Therefore, today Egyptian obelisks from three thousand years ago can be seen in Paris, London and even New York. According to surviving sources, the construction of obelisks reached its greatest flourishing during the New Kingdom period (XVI-XI centuries BC). The most famous pharaohs of this time, Thutmose III and Ramesses II, especially “distinguished themselves” in the construction of granite monoliths.

The latter is believed to have erected 23 obelisks during his reign. The average height of large obelisks was 20 meters, weight exceeded 200 tons. One of the obelisks made under Thutmose III is now in Rome and has a height of 32 m. About a third of the 27 obelisks that have survived to this day do not exceed a height of 10 m. Almost all obelisks known today are covered over the entire surface with hieroglyphic inscriptions glorifying the king and his deeds. Obelisks were dedicated to the supreme solar deity and, as a rule, were installed in pairs. The technology for producing sacred stone pillars included three stages: cutting the monolith from the mother rock and polishing it, transporting it to the construction site and, finally, installation. All three technological stages are considered quite well known, since a number of written sources have reached our time describing the production of obelisks and a set of images from funerary structures and temples, which reflect the different stages of this process. It is believed that cutting down the stone was carried out in the following way: first, holes were cut out in the rock, positioning them in a straight line, then wooden wedges were driven into them and water was poured over them. The tree swelled and broke the rock. The resulting blocks were leveled using saws and, if necessary, polished.

Even the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) mentions that the process of sawing stone was carried out using thin saws, under the blade of which fine sand was constantly poured, which served as an abrasive. Transportation of stone blocks was carried out using wooden sleds, under which water or liquefied silt was added to improve their sliding. Numerous images of such sleds are well known both in fine art and in archaeological finds. This is how the stone was moved over short distances. Long-distance transportation was carried out along the Nile using special barges pulled by small rowing ships. When transporting large monoliths, there could be several dozen such ships. The installation of the obelisk was carried out using an inclined embankment, which was a brick structure divided into numerous compartments filled with sand and rubble. The embankment had a very slight slope and, accordingly, a very significant length. The obelisk was dragged along it with the lower end first and erected on a pedestal.

It would seem that this historical issue can be considered well studied and does not raise any doubts. However, facts are stubborn things, especially those that lie, in the truest sense of the word, on the surface. A significant part of the ancient Aswan quarries has already been absorbed by the territory of the modern city of Aswan. These granite quarries contain the only obelisk in Egypt that remains unfinished, i.e. not completely separated from the mother rock. And this is what raises a whole series of paradoxical questions that modern science cannot answer. First of all, it should be noted that this is the largest obelisk known in Egypt. Its length is 41.8 m! The Aswan obelisk does not have any inscriptions, so it cannot be dated. But due to its gigantic size, the obelisk dates back to the time of the Old Kingdom, i.e. to the era of the Great Pyramids. The obelisk is located on the surface and lies at a slight angle, following the direction of the layers of the granite massif.

Along its entire perimeter, the monolith is surrounded by a narrow trench less than 1 m wide, which follows the contour of the obelisk. Thus, it turns out that the obelisk was hollowed out of the rock, and the work was carried out from above, and not from the sides. What instrument was used here? It is clear that there is no need to talk about the use of saws here. The sides of the obelisk and the surrounding trench bear traces of a large rounded tool. The width of the trace is 27 cm. Italian researcher A. Preti in the late 80s of the last century suggested that the traces were left by a rotating cutter, which the ancient Egyptians used to cut a monolith from the rock. Where could the ancients have such a tool? However, similar traces are found in abundance on horizontal surfaces around the obelisk. And they look more like marks from a giant chisel. But is it possible to imagine a chisel with a working edge of 30 cm, cutting granite like plasticine? On the monolith itself, by the way, there are numerous traces of cuts and traditional splitting techniques using wedges.

But they were clearly left in later times and these attempts did not cause significant damage to the monolith. It was not possible to split or saw it. It is believed that the Aswan obelisk remained unfinished because an error was made during the work and the monolith cracked. Indeed, the upper part of the obelisk is crossed by a longitudinal crack, which has disrupted its integrity. But the reasons for such a fault do not necessarily lie in the miscalculations of the builders. This could be, for example, the result of an earthquake. We should not blame the ancient engineers who were able to complete such a volume of work for stupidity or negligence, especially since the method of solving this technical problem is not clear to us. Moreover, the problem can be posed somewhat differently: since the ancients carved such a monolith, it means they were going to transport it somewhere and install it. And then a number of more questions arise. Firstly, how can a monolith located inside a rock and surrounded by a narrow trench around the perimeter be separated from this rock? After all, the obelisk lies on a rock; only its lower wall remains intact. How can saws be used in such a situation? Cut through forty meters of granite rock horizontally without disturbing the straight plane and avoiding the monolith breaking under its own weight? The literature gives different figures for the weight of the Aswan monolith, but on average they fluctuate around the figure of 1200 tons. This is the heaviest artificial monolith in the world! Although it is not very clear why such a figure appears.

It is clear that no one is able to weigh such a giant and its weight is calculated arithmetically. Although the obelisk remained intact from the rock, its planned dimensions are well known. The height should have been 41.8 m, the obelisk has a square cross-section with sides 4.2 m by 4.2 m. Its sides stretch parallel throughout, only narrowing at the top and forming a peak. With an average density of granite of 2600 kg per cubic meter. It is easy to calculate the weight of the monument. And if we do not take into account a slight correction for the narrowed top, the estimated weight of the Aswan obelisk should not have been close to 1200 tons, but would have been approximately 1900 tons! It is clear that there was nothing like the Aswan obelisk either in the ancient world or in the modern history of mankind. And the ancient engineers were going to move such a monolith somewhere and then install it.

The Guinness Book of World Records is full of examples of people single-handedly moving heavy vehicles, airplanes, and railroad cars. But in all these cases we are talking about huge loads placed on wheels and they must be moved on a flat horizontal surface. How can one solve the problem of transporting a single monolith weighing almost 1,900 tons over uneven mountainous terrain? And the mysteries associated with the Aswan obelisk do not end there. Ten meters from the obelisk there are two vertical wells or shafts, drilled vertically into the body of a granite rock. Their depth is approximately 3-4 m, diameter - about 80 cm. The shape of the holes is something between a circle and a square. Antiquities inspectors working in Aswan explained that the Egyptians dug these wells to determine the direction of cracks in the rock mass. Perhaps this explanation is correct; there are not two such wells on the territory of the quarries, but about ten. But the question remains: what tool was used? The fact is that the walls of the wells have a smooth, uniform surface without any traces of chips; one gets the feeling that the rock was simply removed using an installation similar to that used for drilling wells.

This is how the obelisk was hollowed out

Only here we are talking about granite. The art of processing this hard volcanic rock reached unprecedented heights in Ancient Egypt. And it evokes not only respect, but also amazement. Indeed, it is impossible to explain everything by the principle “persistence and work will grind everything down.” This is not enough. The examples of ancient Egyptian granite architecture that have reached us demonstrate not only the highest level of processing and construction technology, but also require the ancients to have sufficiently advanced knowledge in the field of natural sciences. Moreover, the closer we come to the origins of Egyptian civilization, the higher these indicators are. The construction technology exhibited by the Giza Plateau monuments has not since been surpassed or improved upon. On the contrary, there is a process of degradation of many aspects of early Egyptian civilization that we observe in the 3rd millennium BC. during the period of the Old Kingdom.

The very phenomenon of the emergence of such a cultural complex with an ordered system of hieroglyphic writing, a developed calendar, and a developed technology for monumental construction causes genuine amazement. And in this aspect, the ideas of those researchers who consider Ancient Egypt the heir of an even more ancient and more developed civilization, the traces of which have reached us very few, are completely appropriate and legitimate. But there are such traces, you just need to not ignore them, be able to study them and interpret them correctly.

This is what the obelisk was supposed to become in the future:

Or, for example, like the famous Luxor Obelisk, which now stands in France.

For comparison, the height of the obelisk reaches 23 meters, the weight is equal to 220 tons, age – 3600 years. On all four sides of the monument there are hieroglyphs and drawings that were carved in honor of Ramesses II. The most important moments of his transportation from Egypt to Paris were also captured on the Luxor obelisk. On both sides around the monument in the mid-19th century, the architect Hittorf created elegant fountains that still function today. In 1999, the peak of the obelisk was dressed in a gold tip, the casting of which took one and a half kilograms of gold of the highest standard.

In the southern part of Aswan there was once an area where ancient granite quarries were located. It was considered the most valuable stone used for construction in Egypt. Now this square interests tourists because of the monument there, which is still attached to one of the rocks - an unfinished obelisk.

In general, the Northern Quarry itself is a great place to visit for those interested in studying ancient technologies. It was famous for its production of granite, which was used in the construction of the burial chamber of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, and as casing stone in other pyramids. Every rock in it shows the imprint of ancient stone cutters.

The northern quarry area has only recently been excavated. Previously unknown granite objects were found here, including fragments of columns and statues. To the south of the obelisk, archaeologists discovered an inscription dated to the 25th year of the reign of Tuthmose III. Also near it, niches of seven more large obelisks were excavated, which today are located in the temples of Karnak and Luxor.

An entrance ticket to the open-air museum, as the Northern Quarry is also called, will cost 30 EGP.

The northern quarry is located next to the Fatimid cemetery, in the southern part of Aswan. It is easily accessible by taxi or by walking uphill from the Nubian Museum.

More and more secret corners and previously unexplored places are opening up in the Aswan quarries. Here you can see the bed of the obelisk(s) of Thutmose III with your own eyes. And why Thutmose III? Because it was his workers who wrote right on the wall of the quarry about the extraction of two obelisks for His Majesty

In the 23rd year of his majesty, the mighty Horus “refers to the king” of Kemet” Egyptian name” “who is blessed by Nakhebet and Wajet” the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt and the cobra snake of lower Egypt” Eternity to him who is like Ra “the Sun” in the sky. The living god, master of offerings “and “ structures of the beloved gods, king of Upper and Lower Egypt- (Men –Kheper-Ra), child of Ra of his body, his beloved ( Thut-moses III) master of offerings, he who is given the life as the Sun forever, made with love two great obelisks in the abode of Amun, in the Karnak.”

Aswan is a city in southern Egypt, located on the right bank of the Nile River, approximately 865 km from Cairo. One of the driest populated areas on the planet. Population – 275,000 people (2008).

Aswan was a trading center on the caravan route for many centuries. Even in ancient times, trade flows from Nubia and back passed through the city, which occupies the right bank of the river. Today, the streets of Aswan do not sell ivory and precious wood, but Egypt's third city is filled with aromas and spices that arrived from the south. Local markets are reminiscent of Sudanese bazaars with their color and smells.

Numerous tourist ships operate between Aswan and Luxor. On the way, they usually make stops in Kom Ombo and Edfa, where they can explore the beautifully preserved ancient temples.

The bulk of tourists come to Aswan during the winter months. At this time, the city is filled with crowds of tourists.

Aswan has a charming Botanical Garden, the cottage and mausoleum of the Aga Khan, the ruins of the Monastery of St. Simeon and the Nubian Museum, which is located somewhat on the outskirts. The museum covers an area of ​​50,000 m², and includes not only exhibition halls, but also a library, educational centers, and a green park around.

Both obelisks and steles in different historical eras were made of different materials: marble, granite or some other stone, even. Inscriptions were applied to both obelisks and steles. These memorial signs differ in their shape.

An obelisk is most often in the form of a pillar, tapering upward. Most often, such a column has a square cross-section, but there are also obelisks in the form of a cone. The stella looks like a slab, not a pillar.

Obelisks

The word “obelisk” is Greek, but the very first obelisks appeared not in Greece, but in Ancient Egypt. They were made from red granite. It was no easy task! Thus, the inscription above one of the Egyptian obelisks located in Karnak says that it took seven whole months to make it!

Egyptian obelisks are tetrahedral tapering pillars. On all four faces, hieroglyphic inscriptions were carved in which the Egyptians praised their gods, first of all, the sun god Ra, as well as those also considered gods. Many obelisks are decorated with pyramidal tops covered with an alloy of silver and gold.

The tradition of building obelisks from the Egyptians was borrowed by many peoples of the Ancient World. Obelisks began to be erected in Phenicia, Assyria, and Ethiopia.

After conquering Egypt, the Romans transported many Egyptian obelisks to Rome. After this, Rome began to erect its own obelisks, but they also had a practical significance: they were used as sundial columns.

In Europe, the tradition of erecting obelisks was forgotten in the Middle Ages, but was resurrected during the Renaissance and has not been interrupted to this day. In Russia, obelisks began to be erected under Catherine II.

The tallest obelisk in the world is located in Washington (USA) between the Capitol and the White House. This is the Washington Monument, its height exceeds 169 meters.

Stella

Like obelisks, steles appeared in ancient times. One of the most ancient steles is the one on which the code of laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, who ruled in 1793-1750, is inscribed in cuneiform. BC. This stele is made from diorite, a rock of igneous origin.

Another famous ancient stele is known as the Rosetta Stone. This stele was found in Egypt, and what is remarkable about it is that the text on it is inscribed in three versions: in ancient Egyptian - in hieroglyphs and later demotic writing, and in ancient Greek. Scientists have long known the ancient Greek language, and thanks to the Rosetta Stone the ancient Egyptian texts began.

But steles were especially loved in China, where they were erected both at the behest of emperors and at the initiative of temples. In this country, in the city of Xi'an, there is even a museum called "Forest of Steles", where you can see steles created during different periods of Chinese history.