Obelisk of Thutmose I, Luxor

The Obelisk of Thutmose I is one of the oldest standing obelisks in the Karnak Temple complex. Carved from red granite quarried at Aswan, it was transported north on a huge custom-built boat recorded by Ineni, the pharaoh’s chief architect. The monument honored Amun and marked Thutmose I’s power during the early New Kingdom.

When first erected, the obelisk stood near the Fourth Pylon, then an important entrance to the temple. Later rulers expanded the complex around it, turning the once-open marker into part of the inner temple landscape. Its twin has fallen, but a broken fragment remains nearby, still carrying traces of Thutmose I’s royal name.

The obelisk’s inscriptions also show how later pharaohs reused earlier monuments. Thutmose I’s original text ran in a single central column on each side, while Ramesses IV later added flanking lines. Ramesses VI then replaced parts of Ramesses IV’s name with his own. Today, the obelisk still stands with a slight westward lean, a small sign of age after more than 3,500 years.