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Ships were used during theEighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt to transportobelisks from the quarry to their destination. Fifteen centuries later, the Romans used ships to transport obelisks across the Mediterranean to Rome.Today,eight ancient Egyptian obelisks stand in Rome, though not in their original places. The first of the obelisks, the 263-tonFlaminian obelisk, was transported fromHeliopolis – modern-dayCairo – in 10 BCE. while the last, the 500-tonLateran obelisk, was transported fromKarnak.
The earliest obelisk ships were built inAncient Egypt to transport obelisks via theNile from the quarries to their destination.
During the reign ofThutmose I,Ineni was granted superintendence of the king's building projects, which included the erection of two obelisks. A surviving text fragment documents that the obelisk ship had a length of ~63 metres (207 ft) and a width of ~21 metres (69 ft).[1]
I (Ineni) inspected the erection of two obelisks ... built the august boat of 120cubits in its length, 40 cubits in its width, in order to transport these obelisks. (They) came in peace, safety and prosperity, and landed at Karnak ... of the city. Its 'track' was laid with every pleasant wood.
A relief depictingHatshepsut's barge loaded with two obelisks on its way to the great temple ofAmun atKarnak was found in theMortuary Temple of Hatshepsut atDeir el-Bahari.[2]
In the19th dynasty,Seti I commissioned numerous works, including multiple obelisks, and large barges to transport them. A rockstela at Aswan states:
His Majesty has ordered the commissioning of multitudinous works for the making of very great obelisks and great and wondrous statues in the name of His Majesty. He made great barges for transporting them, and ships crews to match them (for) ferrying them from the quarry while the officials and transport-men hastened and his eldest son was before them doing what is beneficial for His Majesty.[3]
During theRoman Empire ships were constructed to transport obelisks from Egypt across theMediterranean to Rome andConstantinople (modern Istanbul).Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE) andAmmianus Marcellinus (330–393 CE) give accounts of how obelisks were brought to Rome.[4]
Pliny the Elder described how an obelisk was loaded onto a ship.
For this purpose, a canal was dug from the river Nile to the spot where the obelisk lay; and two broad vessels, laden with blocks of similar stone a foot square, the cargo of each amounting to double the size, and consequently double the weight, of the obelisk, were brought beneath it; the extremities of the obelisk remaining supported by the opposite sides of the canal. The blocks of stone were then removed, and the vessels, being thus gradually lightened, received their burden.[4]
There is little evidence of the great ships that carried the large obelisks across the Mediterranean. One of the two ships that carried the Vatican obelisk was purposely sunk by the emperorClaudius to build thePortus harbor; the other burned down during Caligula’s reign (36–41 CE) while on display at thePuteoli harbor.[4]
Three Roman ships were built to transport one obelisk. The two aft ships were of rectangular shape; they were 37 meters in length and 5 meters in width. The two ships were held together by longitudinal beams, while the obelisk was tied to these longitudinal beams and held stationary underwater. The third ship, a largertrireme, was in the front and was tied to the two larger ships carrying the obelisk. The third ship’s purpose was to help steer the two aft ships and have rowers and sail power the ship across the Mediterranean.
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Until the second half of the 19th century two obelisks were located at theCaesareum of Alexandria, now known asCleopatra's Needles. Thefallen one was taken to London by thecylinder ship Cleopatra in 1877. Four years later, thestanding one was loaded onto theSS Dessoug and shipped to New York City.[5]
