Granite quarry of Modern Kingdom obelisks unearthed
Egypt, History, 5/21/2002

The site of the granite quarry that belonged to king Thutmose III was unearthed, said Farouk Hosni, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

The quarry was devoted to cutting the famous Egyptian obelisks in Thutmose's era and is probably the main quarry of all the kings of the Modern Kingdom (the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties) as affirmed by the plague recently found in the site of the incomplete obelisk in Aswan during restoration works there, he said.

The text on the plaque had engravings that in the 25th year of king Thutomse III's rule, two obelisks were cut in this quarry and carried to the Karnak temple.

This came during Farouk Hosni's tour of Aswan within preparations for President Hosni Mubarak's inauguration of Kalabsha Island in a world Gala.

SCA Secretary-General Zahi Hawas said the area of the lost obelisk in Aswan has been witnessing an integrated project for a year to develop the archaeological area to be an open museum of all the works not completed by the ancient Egyptians.

The remains of two obelisks were also found in the same site, said Hawas, adding that the number of incomplete obelisks reached five, belonging to Thutmose III and Queen Hatshepsut.

Previous Stories:
  Tombs unearthed in Alexandria   (5/17/2002)
  British foreign office releases July Revolution documents in Egypt   (5/15/2002)
  Pyramid five-millennium old   (5/6/2002)

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