OBELISK OF THEODOSIUS

Description

Essentials about the Obelisk of Theodosius in brief

It is the oldest ancient structure in all of Istanbul: The Obelisk of Theodosius. Moved to Constantinople under Emperor Theodosius I, the obelisk was erected in 390 AD on the Hippodrome, where it can still be seen today.

The history of the Obelisk of Theodosius

The ancient Egyptian obelisk was made under Pharaoh Thutmosis III around the year 1500 BC as a memorial stone for the victory in Mesopotamia and erected in front of the Karnak Temple in Luxor. It was originally about 30 meters high like the Lateran Obelisk standing in front of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, but unfortunately it broke before it was erected in Constantinople, which is why today the obelisk is only about 20 meters high. However, in order to still reach the original height, the obelisk of Theodosius was placed on a marble pedestal, which in turn stands on the original pedestal. The obelisk is made of pink granite. Inscriptions in Greek and Latin state that the obelisk was erected in 32 days under Proculus, the city prefect of Constantinople.

The decorations of the Obelisk of Theodosius

On all four sides it bears a relief decoration with different situations of imperial self-portrayal. On the north side there is an image of the emperor in his box with the court, the soldiers of the bodyguard are armed with shields and lances, some of the soldiers wear neck rings (torques) which were also awarded as military awards in late antiquity. Below, in a separate zone, the transport of the obelisk is depicted. The east side shows the emperor holding a victory wreath as a prize (for the chariot races). To the south is another depiction of the emperor in the box, below (again in a separate zone) a chariot race in the circus. On the west side, below the imperial box, bearded barbarians dressed in fur cloaks offer tributes on their knees.