Unfinished Obelisk

Ancient Granite Quarries in Aswan: A Journey Through Time

Aswan was the supplier of the finest granite in ancient Egypt for making statues and decorating temples, pyramids and obelisks. You can visit the pyramids and see the granite quarries through the Egypt pyramid tour packages. The large unfinished obelisk in the northern quarries gives us a glimpse into how these monuments were made, although the full process is still not fully understood.

How were these monuments made?

Three sides of the 42-meter-long column were completed, excluding the inscriptions. Weighing 1,168 tons, it would have been the largest single piece of stone ever carved by the Egyptians. You can visit this place through Egypt travel packages to enjoy the best time.

But a defect appeared late in the process and they left it, to the disappointment of the construction workers, still stuck to the rock.

As you enter the quarry, the steps lead you to the obelisk pit where there are ancient paintings of dolphins, ostriches or flamingos, which are believed to have been painted by quarry workers, which you can visit through Egypt private tours if you want a private tour. The northern quarries are located 1.5 km from the city opposite the Fatimid cemetery, which can be easily reached through Egypt holiday packages. Minibuses will take you there within a few minutes on foot or private taxis.