The Obelisk of Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmosis III in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square was originally erected in 15th century BC at the temple of Karnak, on the occasion of his second jubilee. In the old times obelisks were always erected in pairs.
It's a one-piece pink granite obelisk carved in Aswan. Originally it was over 30 meters tall and weighting around 380 tons, today only 19 meters are left of it. The obelisk was brought from Karnak to Constantinople by emperor Theodosius I in 390 AD, in order to decorate the Hippodrome. It's the oldest monument that you can see in Istanbul.Read more