Workers in the Karnak Temple in Luxor succeeded in restoring and erecting the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, lying near the holy lake for many decades.
The obelisk has great historical value, as it was made 3,500 years ago, according to the director of the Karnak Temple, Salah Al-Masikh, to “Sky News Arabia”.
Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced that the studies conducted on the obelisk recently proved that its dormant condition may negatively affect its safety over time, so it had to be restored and raised again, according to an official statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
According to Al-Masikh, “The Permanent Committee of the Supreme Council of Antiquities indicated that the position of the obelisk obscures part of its important inscriptions, as well as its exposure to various factors of erosion. After obtaining approval to intervene to protect it, a team of experts worked out a plan to restore and erect it again.”
Regarding the importance of the obelisk, Al-Masikh explained that it is “the second obelisk mentioned by Queen Hatshepsut on the walls of the temples, as it was brought from the granite quarries in Aswan, and bears her image on the four sides, as well as containing her titles and her relationship with Amun, as well as the name of the Crown Prince at the time, King Thutmose III.” My first city.”
It is likely that the obelisk fell in ancient times due to a devastating earthquake that hit the country, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and its remains were left on top of the rubble accumulated above the Wadget Hall until the French archaeologist Georges Legran at the beginning of the twentieth century moved the upper part of it, and placed it lying in its current place near the holy lake .
Regarding the restoration project, Al-Masikh said: “The project to restore and erect the obelisk witnessed cooperation between dozens of restorers, archaeologists and engineers. During the first days of work, the team was busy determining the weight of the obelisk, which amounted to 90 tons, and its length reached 12 meters, and a concrete base was made to protect it from water. underground, with the preparation of an insulating material to be placed under it so that it is not affected after its installation.”
The director of Karnak Temple continued, “The role of the restoration men came after that, as it was confirmed that there were no cracks in the parts of the obelisk, and then dealing with all manifestations of damage to the giant artifact, especially in the area lying on the ground, and the team was able to complete the mechanical cleaning operations in a way good to get the best results possible.
With regard to moving the huge obelisk from its place near the holy lake to its new location, Al-Masikh confirmed that the experiment required a lot of effort, although the distance did not exceed a few metres, explaining to “Sky News Arabia” that “the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities searched for a suitable (winch).” For this step, the largest (winch) was found in Upper Egypt, specifically in Qena Governorate.
Regarding the details of the erection of the obelisk, Al-Masikh said: “We made great preparations to receive (the winch) and complete the process of transferring and erecting the obelisk of Hatshepsut. We spent the whole day inside Karnak Temple to prepare the antique for that task, and we put wooden panels around it and then covered it with fabrics to prevent any damage, And we were very careful to bring heavy equipment to the place.”
And Al-Masikh added: “The operation took place late at night before the tourists flocked to the temple. Dozens of archaeologists, workers and engineers gathered to find out all the details and supervise every step. Hearts were almost worried due to the importance of the event. We carried out the transportation procedures very calmly and with utmost precision, and moved ( the winch) slowly until the desired area is reached and the obelisk is lifted at the end.
In his statements to Sky News Arabia, the director of the Karnak Temple pointed out that there is a plan to place the obelisk within the scenario of the sound and light show that is held daily inside the temple to unveil its ancient history and its relationship with Queen Hatshepsut, and the stages it went through in previous eras.