ISTANBUL The Dikilitas obelisk, of TUTMOSIS III, 29 meters firstly and
800 tons, in its present location in Istanbul, of 20 meters,
25,60 meters with the pedestal and 193 tons, to be one of bigest
obeliks in Egypt, but broken during its transfer or when raising it
in its present location, conserving itself today the superior part.
TUTMOSIS III erected in year 33 of its reign to commemorate
his conquests in the west of Asia, registering the glory of its
military expeditions, including the crossing the Euphrates river in
Syria, think that it was erected its pair along with, near the 7 pilon
of the temple of Amon in Karnak, all these theories guarantee by
recent findings of franc-Egyptian center of Karnak, of the inclines
that the Romans did in order to take the obelisk.
The direction of the jeroglifics that there are in the front part of
the monolith it seems to confirm that this the west of the door
was in the side. Low part of the Fuste of its pair is on a great one
pedestal to the east of the door, and around is left numerous
fragments wire drawings. It seems that the inscriptions of the
fragments that are they demonstrate that it is the pair of which
one is in Istanbul.
Nobody knows who order to remove it from Karnak, to locate it
the square of At Meydani, ( of the Horses), Istambul, thinks that
it was transferred to the equal one that the obelisks of Rome to
locate it in the Hipodromo of Constantinoplas, (Byzantium) cons-
tructed by Septimo Severo, the asphalted street that surrounds to
the square, that is conserved in form of hipodromo, one is on the
track where they horses run.
One thinks that it was Constantino that control to remove it from
Karnak and to transfer it to Alexandria with the propose to raise
it in his new city of Constantinoplas, but it could not have been
demonstrated. Anyway, if destiny is known that to Constantino
another obelisk to its new city, but dead before being able to
make it, being its son Constantino II who transfer to Rome and
today rises in the San Juan of Laterano square.
Also it is possible that it was own Constantino II and not his
father, who sent it to transfer from his place of origin. Anyway,
the obelisk stay thrown in Alexandria during many years like
they testify the inscriptions of its base.
One thinks that he was the Julian Emperor who control to cons-
truct a special boat to transport the monolith.
Teodosio also knows itself like the obelisk of the Emperor,
because he was who raise it, being in charge of the work Proclus,
his governor in Constantinoplas, its present location in year 390
just before the division of the Eastern and Western Roman
Empires, the obelisk of Istanbul was witness of ascent and fall of
several empires.
It was placed on four blocks on which a double rests
pedestal of marble,whose low part is but wide that the upper one.
Low part has recorded inscriptions and two scenes in which
it can see the obelisk tended in the boat in which he was transpor-
ted, in one of them, and foot in the spina of hipodromo during a
race, in the other.
The scenes of the upper pedestal are the following ones:
- East Side:Teodosio, along with his children Arcadio and Honorio,
maintains a crown destined to the winner of the race of cars.
- North Side (in front of the German fontain): In the part down it
is seen the obelisk erection and in the one of above, was
represented the emperor and its cort.
- West Side: The emperor this receiving the tribute of the enemies
that they have been won and, in the part of down, there are two
messengers who they offer presents.
- South Side: In the upper part, it is possible to be seen Teodosio,
his family, guards and spectators during one competicion. In the
low part, they was recorded races in hipodromo and some inscrip-
tion of praise to Teodosio and his prefect, Proclus.
Over the marble pedestal, there are four bronze buckets on which
the obelisk rests. Around the monument there is a railing of iron
artistic worked with cement pivots put in that they was ended by
a semicircumference.
In the four faces of piramidon, the God Amon, standing up, takes
the hand of king while he extends before, anj or sign of the life.
In the superior part of each one of the faces of the fuste was a
representation of pharaon incado in front of the God Amon-Ra to
which it makes offerings.Each one of these four faces of the fuste
have a single column of jeroglifics, that they always begin with a
list of the royal titulatura.Actuals views to the obelisk of Horses´s
square - Istanbul, Turkee.
