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obelisk of Theodosius
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Hippodrome at Constantinople: Theodosius, obelisk of
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obelisk of Theodosius

obelisk, Istanbul, Turkey
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Hippodrome at Constantinople: Theodosius, obelisk of
Hippodrome at Constantinople: Theodosius, obelisk of Obelisk of Theodosius in the Hippodrome at Constantinople (now Istanbul).

The Obelisk of Theodosius is an ancient Egyptian obelisk that was transported from Egypt to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in the 4th century CE. It is one of three columns that remain standing in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which was originally built by Septimius Severus and later enlarged by Theodosius I.12

The obelisk is made of red granite and is characterized by its tapered, four-sided shape that narrows towards the top, culminating in a pyramidal point. Its shaft is adorned with hieroglyphs that typically include religious dedications and commemorations of rulers. This obelisk, along with others, showcases the ancient Egyptians' engineering prowess in quarrying, transporting, and erecting massive stone structures.2

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. Istanbul - Byzantine monuments
  2. obelisk
  3. Theodosius II
  4. obelisk

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