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A monumental ancient Egyptian obelisk in Sultanahmet Square.
Category

Historic

Also

Sightseeing

Message from
Ozan YILDIRIM

🇬🇧 ENGLISH

  • Why Visit?: Standing tall in the heart of Sultanahmet Square, the Obelisk of Theodosius is a mind-blowing piece of ancient history that predates Istanbul itself by centuries. Originally carved in Egypt for Pharaoh Thutmose III and later transported here by the Romans, its towering pink granite silhouette brings a mystical, pharaonic energy to the historic Hippodrome.

  • What to Do?: Inspect the beautifully preserved hieroglyphs glinting in the sun, and look closely at the white marble Roman pedestal at the base, which vividly depicts Emperor Theodosius watching chariot races.

  • Insider Tip: To capture the ultimate postcard-perfect photograph, stand on the western side of the obelisk during the late afternoon. The golden hour sun illuminates the ancient Egyptian inscriptions perfectly while framing the majestic domes of the Blue Mosque right in the background.

đŸ‡čđŸ‡· TÜRKÇE

  • Neden Gitmeli?: Sultanahmet Meydanı’nın tam kalbinde yĂŒkselen Theodosius Dikilitaßı, İstanbul'un kendi yaßından bile bĂŒyĂŒk, bĂŒyĂŒleyici bir antik çağ ßaheseridir. Antik Mısır’da Firavun III. Thutmose için dikilen ve yĂŒzyıllar sonra Romalılar tarafından buraya taßınan bu pembe granit anıt, tarihi Hipodrom alanına mistik ve zamansız bir gĂŒĂ§ katıyor.

  • Ne Yapmalı?: Taßın ĂŒzerindeki neredeyse hiç bozulmamıß binlerce yıllık Mısır hiyerogliflerini yakından inceleyin ve alt kısımdaki Roma dönemine ait mermer kaideye dikkat edin; burada İmparator’un halkı selamlaması ve araba yarıßlarını izlemesi harika ßekilde tasvir edilmißtir.

  • Lokal İpucu (Insider Tip): En estetik ve derinliği olan fotoğraf karesini yakalamak için dikilitaßın batı tarafına geçin ve çekiminizi ikindi saatlerine denk getirin. Batmakta olan gĂŒneßin sıcak ıßıkları hiyeroglifleri parlatırken, arka planda yĂŒkselen Sultanahmet Camii’nin minareleriyle harika bir kontrast elde edeceksiniz.

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