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Nevine al-Aref – Ahram Online
After decades of lying beside the sacred lake at the Karnak Temple in Luxor, a team of Egyptian restorers and archaeologists succeeded in re-erecting the restored Hatshepsut’s obelisk on Saturday.
The obelisk was carved from granite and originally erected at Karnak Temple, but a destructive earthquake caused it to collapse on top of the debris accumulated on the Udjat hall built by Queen Hatshepsut’s father, King Thurmose I.
At the beginning of the 20th century, French Egyptologist George Legrain removed the upper part of the obelisk and laid it down beside the artificial sacred lake inside the temple complex.
“The obelisk had to be re-erected as the studies carried out on it revealed that it was under threat, because of the location it had been moved to”, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said.
The monument is 11 metres tall and weighs 90 tonnes. It is decorated with scenes depicting Queen Hatshepsut and her relationship with the deity Amun as well as showing his different names and titles.
Restoration and re-erecting works of the obelisk, which followed the latest scientific methods, was performed in collaboration with the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces.
