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Obelisks of Festival Hall West Pair
Originally built by Hatshepsut - 1479 BCE to 1458 BCE (Show in timemap)
Destroyed by: Amenhotep III - 1390 BCE to 1352 BCE ( (Show in timemap))
Other works initiated by Hatshepsut:
Palace of Ma'at, 8th Pylon, Amenhotep I Calcite Chapel, Obelisks at Contra Temple, Obelisks of Wadjet Hall, Wadjet Hall, Red Chapel, Pylon and Festival Court of Thutmose II
Other works destroyed by Amenhotep III:
Thutmose IV Peristyle Hall, White Chapel, Amenhotep II Shrine, Amenhotep I Limestone Chapel, Pylon and Festival Court of Thutmose II
Introduction
This pair of obelisks was located in the "festival court" of Thutmose II.
Measurements: The obelisks measured 27-28m in height, not including the base.
Phase: Hatshepsut
Thutmose II commissioned two obelisks for his newly constructed "festival hall," to be placed just west of the standing obelisks of Thutmose I. The king died before workmen finished quarrying these obelisks. Queen Hatshepsut, the king's wife, ordered that these be brought to Karnak and placed them in their intended spot.
Construction materials: rose granite
Destruction: Amenhotep III
As part of his restructuring of the western entrance to the temple, Amenhotep III disassembled the pylon and "festival hall" of Thutmose II and erected a new pylon, the third. The placement of this pylon (slightly east of the earlier Thutmose II pylon) necessitated the removal of the western-most pair of obelisks in the hall. Their bases were enclosed within pylon III.
About the reconstruction model of this phase
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The location of the bases of each obelisk is known from work done on and around the third pylon, allowing for the placement of the obelisks within the Thutmose II "festival court" on the model. Their placement was made according to the plan of the temple published by Carlotti (2001: pl. 1) and the detailed plan of their location by Gabolde (1987: 157). The height and angle of the obelisks was reconstructed based on the plan and axial reconstruction drawings of Gabolde (1987: 154; 1993: pl. III-VII). A plain red granite pattern was placed on both obelisks, as only fragments of the monuments still exist today.
Bibliography and Sources Used for Model Construction
Carlotti, Jean-François (2001), L'Akh-menou de Thoutmosis III à Karnak : etude architecturale. Paris: Recherche sur les civilisations.
Gabolde, Luc (1987), “à propos de deux obélisques de Thoutmosis II.” Cahiers de Karnak, vol. VIII, 143-158.
Further reading
Habachi, Labib and Charles Van Siclen (1977), The obelisks of Egypt: skyscrapers of the past. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press.