On the shore of Turkey's most majestic landmark, the Bosphorus Strait, is the so-called Egyptian Obelisk or Dikilitash, which is a must-see for visiting tourists. It was erected in the 15th century BC under Pharaoh Thutmose III. Egyptians put in the southern part of the Great Temple of the sanctuary of Amon Ra, at the seventh pylon in front of the temple complex in the city of Karnak (Mexor zone of Egypt) two obelisks, which were cut from a single piece of rare white-pink Aswan granite. They were a memorial to the military valour of Pharaoh Thutmose III and his army in the warfare in Mesopotamia.
One of the obelisks was originally transported from Luxor to Alexandria and the other (in 390) from Luxor to Istanbul by Emperor Theodosius I and is currently located in Hippodrome Square, next to the Blue Mosque. The Egyptian Obelisk is one of the oldest monuments that are located not only in this square, but perhaps in the whole of Istanbul. The age of the obelisk dates back to about 16th century BC. In other words, the obelisk is about three and a half thousand years old. For some time, the Egyptian Obelisk was called "Obelisk of Theodosius" in honour of the emperor.
The city's untold wealth was looted or destroyed by the Crusaders who attacked Constantinople in the early 13th century. It was only due to its impressive size that the obelisk became one of the few monuments of the city that managed to survive at that time. Initially, according to historians, the obelisk weighed 400 tonnes and was about 32.5 m high. For transportation from Egypt to Constantinople it had to be sawn into two parts. The lower part of the obelisk was lost on the way.
Several copies of this architectural monument are available in Egypt and in the largest cities of Europe. Periodic earthquakes, the strength of which was up to 6-7 points on the Richter scale, which occurred in Istanbul every 100 years, could not change the original appearance of the obelisk. On all four sides of the obelisk can be seen Egyptian hieroglyphs that depict the heroic deeds that took place during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III. On its upper part was a depiction of the pharaoh and the god Amon, with a kite carved beneath these images. Some of the human figures have suffered destruction over time, with some of the letters erased from the obelisk and disappearing forever.
Being not perfectly flat, the foot of the obelisk has undergone changes, and was supplemented by four bronze amphorae. On the water channels connected to these amphorae, in ancient times, entertainment games were often organised. In the lowest part of the obelisk is a pedestal dating back to 389. On all four sides of the pedestal were depicted "Estamtes". On this pedestal are carved in marble the emperor himself, his family and councillors watching the chariot races, the imperial box, the construction of the obelisk, In addition to them, musicians and dancing girls are depicted here, as well as slaves taking an oath of allegiance to the emperor.
