Unfinished obelisk

The unfinished obelisk in Aswan, Egypt, is a significant archaeological site that offers insights into ancient Egyptian stone-working techniques. This obelisk, if completed, would have been the largest known ancient obelisk, measuring approximately 41.75 meters in height and weighing around 1,090 tonnes. It was likely commissioned by the Pharaoh Hatshepsut during the 15th century BCE. The project was abandoned due to cracks that developed in the granite, leaving the obelisk still attached to the bedrock. Tool marks and ochre-colored lines on the obelisk provide valuable information about the methods used by ancient craftsmen. The site, now part of an open-air museum, is officially protected by the Egyptian government and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 as part of the 'Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae,' despite not being geographically located within Nubia.