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Obelisk of Thutmose III, Hippodrome, Istanbul
Site, Museums outside Egypt · also called Obelisk of Theodosius, Dikilitaş, Egyptian obelisk Istanbul, Hippodrome obelisk, Sultanahmet obelisk
The obelisk in Istanbul's Hippodrome was made for Thutmose III at Karnak, and its single column on each face boasts of his campaign across the Euphrates. Theodosius I raised it in Constantinople in 390 AD on a carved marble base.
Signs to look for
- Bull E1kꜣ The bull opens Kanakht, 'strong bull', the first word of Thutmose III's Horus name on every face.
- Sun rising over a hill N28ḫꜥ The sun rising over a hill (khai, 'risen') follows in 'risen in Thebes'.
- Was sceptre with a feather R19wꜣst The sceptre with a feather spells Waset, Thebes, the city named in his Horus name.
- Scarab beetle L1ḫpr The scarab (kheper) is in Menkheperre, his throne name in the cartouche.
- Flowering reed M17i The reed leaf opens Amun, the god named in the scenes and in the king's epithets.
Names you can find here
The story of Obelisk of Thutmose III, Hippodrome, Istanbul
Thutmose III set it up with a twin south of the seventh pylon at Karnak to mark his jubilee and honour Amun-Ra. In the fourth century AD a Roman emperor, perhaps Constantius II, had it taken down. Only the upper part stands today, roughly two thirds of the original shaft.
Each face carries one central column. It opens with Thutmose III's Horus name, 'strong bull, risen in Thebes', gives his cartouches and tells how he crossed the great river of Naharina, the Euphrates, at the head of his army. Small scenes at the top show the king before Amun-Ra.
The base is a second monument. Its marble reliefs show Theodosius and his court in the imperial box at the races, and the raising of the obelisk itself. A Latin poem is carved on one side and a Greek one on the other, which says the work took 32 days.
What to see and read
Thutmose III's columns
One column a face, with his Horus name, Menkheperre in a cartouche and the account of the Euphrates crossing.
Scenes at the top
Above each column the king makes an offering to Amun-Ra.
The Theodosian base
Reliefs of the emperor's box, chariot races and the obelisk's raising, with Latin and Greek verse inscriptions.
Bronze cubes
Four bronze blocks between the shaft and the pedestal, which carry its weight at the corners.
Reading the hieroglyphs here
- The carving is crisp for its age. Stand back across the square and zoom: the top signs are the sharpest.
- Walk all four sides. The base reliefs differ on each, and the Latin and Greek poems face opposite ways.
- Raking light early or late in the day makes the shallow base reliefs easier to read.
Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.
Questions
Which pharaoh is on the obelisk in Sultanahmet Square?
Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty. He had it carved for the temple of Amun at Karnak about 3,450 years ago.
What do the hieroglyphs on the Obelisk of Theodosius say?
They praise Thutmose III and tell of his campaign across the Euphrates in Naharina, the land of Mitanni.
Why is it called the Obelisk of Theodosius?
Theodosius I raised it in the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 390 AD. His name and court appear on the marble base, the Egyptian king on the shaft.
Read more about Obelisk of Thutmose III, Hippodrome, Istanbul
- Egyptian obelisks around the world and the names carved on them Egyptian obelisks around the world: Rome, Paris, London, New York, Istanbul. Whose names are carved on each, and how it left Egypt.
Where it is
Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.