Hawass Dig Days - Obelisks

Al Ahram Weekly

Obelisks were signs of victory, and the inscriptions carved on them record the titles and achievements of the Pharaohs. The tip of an obelisk, called the capstone or pyramidion, was cased with gold, its brilliant shine connecting it with the sun-god Re. Egypt's obelisks were chosen by the Discovery Channel as one of the top 10 archaeological "discoveries" in Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians cut small obelisks to place inside the funerary temple associated with each pyramid. The oldest and the largest obelisk still standing, however, dates from the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom, about 3,600 years ago. The site of the ancient city of Heliopolis, where this obelisk stands, was the centre for the worship of the sun- god, and temples dedicated to this deity were built here throughout much of Pharaonic history.

The granite quarry in Aswan was the main source of stone for obelisks. The famous quarry in the heart of the town still holds an unfinished obelisk weighing about 1,164 tonnes and believed to date to the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. From this site we can learn how the ancients cut these heavy monuments and then transported them to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Inside Karnak Temple we can still see a standing obelisk dedicated by Queen Hatshepsut. In front of the first pylon at Luxor Temple, built by Ramses II, we can still see one huge obelisk in situ, along with two huge seated statues of the king.

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