The unfinished obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh of Egypt, is located in the granite quarries in Aswan in Egypt, where the pharaohs quarried blocks for the construction of temples, statues, obelisks, and pyramids. The interest of the site, the granite quarries, focuses on the area of the gigantic block of stone in the quarry, the unfinished obelisk of Hatshepsut, cut on all sides but one, three of its faces are separated, but due to some cracks that was made during the work of cutting and polishing the obelisk from the quarry, they could not finish or remove the obelisk. The unfinished obelisk is 42 m high and weighs 1267 tons.
It was built uniquely, as it relied on a Greek architectural style, as it had four sides converging into a mini pyramidal shape at the top of the obelisk, it was built in the new kingdom during the 18th dynasty by Queen Hatshepsut. the Wife of King Thutmosis II (1478-1458 BC) to be placed in the Temple of Karnak and to complement the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnak but later moved to Rome. Eventually,
It stands in its original location, a granite quarry in Aswan and would have measured 42 m, making it the tallest obelisk in history.
Work on the Unfinished Obelisk had been abandoned due to visible cracks that appeared in the granite. The massive structure, which is partially connected to the bedrock, has been left in situ. The obelisk, along with several workers' marks and rock engravings, provides a rare glimpse into Ancient Egyptian working techniques. It is virtually unknown which pharaoh ordered the Obelisk and where it was supposed to be erected.
Finally, The Unfinished Obelisk is an impressive visit, if only to try to grasp the idea that it was created by an ancient civilization in ways we can't even imagine today. If you visit Aswan independently, also visit the nearby Fatimid cemetery, which has fascinating 9th century adobe tombs. Otherwise, if you are short on time, the easiest way to see the obelisk is to combine your tour with a visit to the other nearby monuments of the Philae Temple and the Aswan Dam.
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