Unfinished Obelisk in Kawm Umbu

Very short Tour but interesting story

Incredible size of this one piece unfinished stone obelisk made out of rose granite. Do you beleive this civilization made all this by themselves?

One of the misterious samples of Egyptian workmanship. It doesnt look like cut out of the stone but somehow scooped up. And is so huge that modern tools and machines couldnt do it or even move it

Impressive as this unfinished Granit obelisk would have the biggest, tallest one carved, around 42 metres in length, had it been completed, around the time of Queen Pharaoh Hatchepsut. But, regrettably being cracked in mid construction, it was left as is, and work was shifted to other projects. Seeing the chipping of wooden cheasels used by watering them so the wood expands and cracks the stone, in amazing precision, over 3,000 years ago.My dad, who was travelling with me, and had some trouble keeping balance. But he was so excited, hes done the entire round trip up and down the stairs circulating around the quary site.Very impressive.

Interesting to learn how the ancient Egyptian build an obelisk from granite.

Amazing to see how the great Obelisks were built.

Worth a quick visit to better understand how the ancient Egyptians did their grand architectural feats.

I loved to have been able to see something so incredible! Great place to visit, and admire nature and the power of man by carving such a massive Obelisk!

It is as advertised. Best to go with a guide for the full story

Beautiful place clean not provided by any places for having coffee or snack also not prepaired by wheelchair access created to show you the way of cutting the granite from the beginning not bad place but dont go late no tents there 😔 still nothing added still the same condition as I mentioned before 👎

It is an open museum where you can see the granite quarry of Aswan. Here where the ancient egyptians got their supplies of granite to make obelisks coffins and statues. Nothing left except one obelisk still attached to the bed rock because some cracks appeared while they were cutting it. If completed it would be the tallest and the heaviest obelisk ever built.

Not a lot to see there to be honest. The tour guides could do with not including it in thier itenery.

Ancient stone quarry in Aswan. An unfinished obelisk remains on site because it cracked in the extraction process.

Interesting to see how obelisks were made but it is a long hot climb to get close enough to appreciate.

Anyone that is into Ancient Egyptian history must make a stop here. This place is amazing. It will leave you in awe just thing about how the ancient peoples shaped and moved tons of granite stone.

We paid 40 EGP per person for the tickets. When we were in Luxor at Karnak temple, our guide mentioned about this specific cracked obelisk so when we arrived in Aswan, we decided to check it out. Was it worth being baked under 106F sun and paying 40 EGP to see it? Ummm, probably not (for me)! But if you appreciate learning about the process and how things are made (an obelisk, in this caseyou may find it worthwhile.Our Luxor guide told us that this obelisk was ordered by Hatshepsut, possibly to be erected at Karnak temple. That means, after being dug out as one solid piece, thats 1100 tonnes, it would have to be transported 150 miles (240kmnorth to Luxor from Aswan, again as one solid piece, via the Nile. Now, did the ancient Egyptians have a cargo ship that could carry a load thats over 1000 tons?! So many questions!!It looks like when about 75% work was done on the obelisk, it cracked... And then it was abandoned...left there for more than 3 millennia, for us to find it! If finished, this obelisk would have been the largest/tallest ever erected. Im standing right next to it on the photo to give you perspective on how massive it is.We saw many spots in the quarry where solid pieces of stone were removed from. For this specific obelisk, it was fascinating to see it in an unpolished state as it still has "rolling" marks on it. As to what kind of tool or "machine" would have resulted in such marks, thats for you to think about as you explore this amazing site!

I don’t really have anything good to say about my visit here. First of all, at least when we went, it was painfully hot and a long trek to the obelisk. Additionally, you have to walk down another path than the one you came down so you shouldn’t try to see the obelisk and go back the way you came. Secondly, it isn’t really that impressive. If you’re expecting a huge grand vertical obelisk, than you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s difficult to identify even where the obelisk is and it’s also horizontal. Overall, I would recommend skipping this if you’re travelling to Aswan.

Simple quarry, and not much to it, but this has been one of my favorite sites to see in Egypt so far. You’re taken back in time to get an inkling of what it was like to shape these massive obelisks. If you look in detail, you can see serrations where the ancients cut into the rock. Amazing!80 LE entrance fee. Bathrooms at the exit. If you dry out quick, bring some water as you can only find some vendors (maybe with high pricesat the exit.

The unfinished obelisc of Hatshepsut. After carving around 3 parts of it, they observed a crack in the pink granite they stopped working.Interesting from historic point of view, not so interesting compared to other sites.

Visiting The Unfinshed Obelisk wasnt planned but absolutely worth to see. Only a few kilometers walk from the Nile and it takes just 15 minutes to see - and we were almost the only ones there👍

If you want to learn how the ancient Egyptians sculptured their granite artifacts specially the obelisks, then give a visit to the granite quarry of the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan.Entrance fee: 80 EGP.Opening hours: 7 AM to 4 PM.

This is a simple, but fascinating place to see. It apparently is the largest site from which obelisks were carved, and one cracked obelisk was left halfway carved.It is a long, hot climb, so it might not be for everyone, but those who appreciate the work and craftsmanship will be impressed.

Hot. Blazing sun, little to no shade. Amazing piece of stone. Be sure to head towards the back of the property to view some excellwnt smaller carvings as well.

Small site easy to find taxi or tuk tuk . The obelisk and small quarry. Free to roam site with no obtrusive guards or bazaars

Worth visiting it especially being the biggest of them (41 m long and 1200 tons)!Mind wearing not slippery shoes because of the granite passing.A minus would be the toilet - theres someone at the entrance giving you toilet paper (?!and when you exit asking you money in a very aggressive way.So, advice - have some small bills (5-10 EGPwith you and dont negociate because the guy becomes almost violent, in front of the police that does nothing.

Id seen and read about this huge obeliskAnd hadnt appreciated this was here in Aswan.And yes it is huge!And oh my that is a big crack in it!!So much learned about how obelisks were made from this one site. Quite a climb up to the top, but worth it if you have the legs. Can be slippery in places.Also a Sun trap up there. It wasnt summer hot when I was there, but still felt hotter in the granite quarry.Really glad I have been and seen it

In October of 2021 our tour group visited the unfinished obelisk. The caretakers of the location have you watch a video on how they think the obelisk was made. Once you were done watching this video. you’re allowed to walk the property. Please notice the scoop marks in the granite, The laser like cut marks in the granite and mysterious odd shape markings on the unfinished obelisk. During peak season, it can be extremely hot. please bring a hat, wear sunblock and Bring plenty of water.

Its a place where shows the unfinished obelisk. One can see how the ancient Egyptian made this type of monuments from one piece of granite. This one was never finished because they found a flow and therefore they decided that it wouldnt be perfect.

Very interesting! Some moderate climbing - go with a guide to learn more as well as point out examples of how the ancient Egyptians could carve out such huge blocks of granite and transport such great distances.

Its interesting to see how the obelisk were made (explained by your guide). A walk trail around the unfinished obelisk. A 30 minutes or less stop. Wish the site provide a short film to explain the making, transporting, and raised the obelisk. Be aware that lots aggressive vendors are waiting at the exit.

This site is an amazing piece of history. The obelisk is thought be an order by Hatshepsut, but cracked while it was being created. It is bigger than any other obelisk I saw in Egypt and makes you wonder how in the world they would have moved it. The process of beating the obelisk out of the rock with other rocks is already unfathomable. This spot is also extremely important because anything made of granite in Egypt was most likely sourced from this quarry or one very near here.

Small granite quarry with a large unfinished Obelisk. Impressive size, almost twice the size of a normal Obelisk.You follow the walking and climbing path from the entrance to the top part of the quarry to view the Obelisk. The path is rocky and uneven but not too challenging.Fun short visit.

This was a great place to visit while in Aswan. It is unbelievable to think of all of the time and effort it took to get these massive pieces of stone carved out if the mountain and than transported up the Nile to thier finale resting place. Everything in Egypt is so grand. It makes you feel little and humble. The Egyptian people are amazing people. I am so impressed.

OK, I would say. But if you have to chose between this and another attraction, then go with the second.

If you want to visit an ancient quarry, thats the place. Otherwise, not so interesting

Well worth a visit if you have any interest in how an obelisk was created - the existence of this place is very significant as it helps us understand how they made obelisks thousands of years ago. Set in a quarry and close to an historical cemetery you need to buy a ticket to enter and exit is through the standard bazar with sellers keen to sell their goods. If you are travelling here self guided, be careful not to use the suggested route on Google as this takes you way off track. Instead use the Fever hospital, which is next door as your destination. Worth visiting The Fatimid Cemetery nearby to see some of the historic mud tombs.

A must see if you are interested in Egyptian history and the wonders of monument building.The place is not well maintained though and you can’t really find any description for what you’re seeing. Prepare to visit with a guide.

Made to be dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut. It is an marvel how people back in the days were able to make these large Obelisk.

The Unfinished Obelisk is a rare opportunity to consider what this process might have been like and just how difficult it was to shape and carve the great stone blocks that make up Egypt’s many monuments.This huge obelisk would have stood 140 feet in height. It was to be carved from the Red Aswan granite that decorate many of Egypt’s greatest monuments and for which the city is famous. This would have been the largest of all of Egypt’s obelisks, however it was never finished. At a late stage in its formation, a flaw in the rock was discovered and it was abandoned.As a result, it remains in one of Aswan’s ancient quarries, fully formed and carved on three sides, but still anchored to the bedrock on the fourth. Archeologists believe that this obelisk was intended for Karnak, but instead it has remained in the quarry, a curious testament to the difficulties of carving in stone, for the last several thousand years.

In Aswan, this is where the stones were gathered to make Obelisk. How? Im unsure of the tools used, but these large, hard rocks were moved up the Nile to the Temples and that is crazy to me. What tools were they using. What appears to be scoops can be seen around the Obelisk. A short tour, but cool to see.

Just as the name implies, an unfinished obelisk is located in a Granite quarry in the heart of Aswan. The highlight is a piece of granite weighting 1,200 tons and dating back 3,400 years old, however, the giant piece of stone is still in the ground cracked as they were mining it and it was abandoned. We saw another obelisk from this mine at the Temple of Karnack though this unfinished obelisk, was planned to be found found times bigger – reaching 42 meters (138 feethigh and would have been the world’s largest obelisk. And an interesting, albeit sad, fact that I learned – – Rome has 13 obelisks (more than all of Egypt, only 8 left of the original 85).

Walk up see the unfinished obelisk, take a picture walk out through a couple of vendors who may harass you to buy souvenirs and then leave. More signage and info regarding the site and process wouldve been better. Perhaps open a hands on exhibit for kids regarding rocks used and techniques. It doesnt live up to the hyoe around it, mainly because this site doesnt seem to be as well looked after. Garbaged scattered around amd a poor trail/stairs.

Interesting to see how to the Pharaohs made the obelisk, we are watching the documentary movie at first hall, then I climbed a lot of stairs (not wheelchair accessible), the exit between nice market of souvenir

80 LE entrance fee and some guards might ask for tips too. Starts with a 5 minute National Geographic video about obelisks and their significance. Spent 30 minutes at the site which was empty at 9am.

Seeing this puts the whole obelisk making process into perspective... Just stunning.The bookstore at the end has fixed prices and a decent selection in case you wanted to get a coffee table book on Egypt

All obelisks were carved here, rather amazing to walk the land of such longevity. My journey started with the obelisk on the river Thames and to think it was carved here.

This is an amazing archeological site. It really gives us a window into how the ancient egyptians build these kind of facinating monuments right out rocks. I was really amazed at the engineering skills and knowledge the ancient egyptians had. Its unfortunate that we lost that knowledge. Its a must see

Fantastic to see this unfinished obelix and learn about the methods of quarrying. It is quite a climb to get to the top. A short film is first shown before getting to the top for a view of the Obelix. Though there are staggered wooden steps, there are quite a few areas of uneven ground and one has to step carefully. It is not for the faint hearted and those with dodgy knees. Have to be reasonably fit to get to the top. But once up there it is a "WOW" moment.

Interesting place. Amazing to see how they quarried the stone. The scale of the obelisk was mind boggling. Oh, and the vendors weren’t all over us while we were checking it out. Worth a stop if you are in the area, but don’t expect to be wowed like you are at other sites

Not a great deal to see here at the former granite quarry, other than the incomplete obelisk. The high points of the quarry offer good views over Aswan. Wear sensible footwear as the granite underfoot can be slippery.