The Unfinished Obelisk is a vast granite monolith still attached to the bedrock of an ancient northern Aswan quarry, abandoned around 1500 BCE when a horizontal crack appeared during the cutting work. Had it been completed, it would have stood roughly 42 metres tall and weighed around 1,200 tons, making it the largest obelisk ever raised in pharaonic Egypt. The site is the most informative ancient quarry anywhere in the world for understanding how the Egyptians cut, shaped, and transported the enormous stones used in the temples and dam-scale monuments of the New Kingdom. The Unfinished Obelisk is included on every Aswan day tour, usually combined with the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple.
The northern Aswan granite quarries supplied stone to Egyptian temple builders from the Old Kingdom through the Roman period. The red and pink granite here was prized for its hardness and rich colour, used for sarcophagi, obelisks, statues, and monumental columns across the Nile valley. The Unfinished Obelisk dates to the early 18th Dynasty, most likely commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut around 1500 BCE for one of her major temple projects at Karnak.
The work began with marking out the obelisk’s outline on the surface of a granite outcrop. Workers then began the slow process of pounding away the surrounding stone with dolerite hammer-stones (basalt balls weighing several kilograms each), gradually exposing the obelisk’s sides. Wedge-shaped notches in the underlying rock suggest that the workers also used wooden wedges soaked with water that would expand and split the granite along intended planes.
At some point during the cutting, a major horizontal crack appeared near the upper third of the obelisk. The flaw made the monument unusable, and the project was abandoned in place. The workers moved on to other obelisks elsewhere in the quarry, leaving this one half-cut into the bedrock for 3,500 years.
The site’s abandonment turned out to be archaeology’s gain. The Unfinished Obelisk shows the cutting process at every stage simultaneously, from the surface mark-out through the partial undercutting that would have eventually separated the stone from the bedrock. No other site in the world preserves so much information about how ancient Egyptian quarrymen worked.
The Unfinished Obelisk itself is the centrepiece of the site. The monolith lies on its back, partially carved out of the surrounding granite, with three of its four sides exposed and the underside still attached to the bedrock. The horizontal crack that doomed the project is clearly visible in the upper third. Walking around the obelisk reveals the dolerite-ball pounding marks, the regular cutting trenches around the sides, and the proportions of what would have been the largest standing obelisk anywhere in Egypt.
The viewing platform above the obelisk gives the best photographic angle and a sense of the monument’s overall scale. From above, the obelisk’s pyramidion (the pointed top), shaft, and base are all visible in plan view.
The secondary quarry workings around the main obelisk preserve evidence of dozens of other ancient stone-cutting projects. Look for the regular notches where wooden wedges were inserted, the trial-cut sarcophagi (some still attached), and the smaller obelisks at various stages of extraction. Many of the obelisks now standing in Egyptian temples or shipped abroad (Vatican City, London, Paris, New York) originated here in Aswan.
The visitor information panels explain the cutting process in English and Arabic with diagrams. The site has been substantially upgraded for tourists in the past decade, with shaded walkways, wheelchair-accessible paths around the main obelisk, and clear interpretive signage. Allow time to read the panels — they make the difference between seeing a curiosity and understanding ancient engineering.
Location: Northern Aswan granite quarries, around 3 km north of central Aswan and 1.5 km from the Nile corniche. Most visitors arrive by taxi or as part of an organised tour.
Opening hours: 07:00 to 17:00 daily (winter), 07:00 to 18:00 (summer). Last entry around 30 minutes before closing.
Entrance fee (2026, subject to change): Approximately 100 EGP (around $2 USD) for foreign-visitor adults, 50 EGP for students with international ID. Often included in a combined Aswan ticket with Philae Temple and the Aswan High Dam.
Photography: Permitted throughout without flash or tripod restrictions. The midday sun produces strong shadows on the granite that show the cutting marks well.
Time needed: 30 to 45 minutes. The site is compact and one well-shaded loop walk covers everything.
Getting there: Every Aswan day tour includes the Unfinished Obelisk, normally as the second stop after the Aswan High Dam and before Philae Temple. Private taxis from central Aswan take 10 minutes for around 150 EGP round trip.
Accessibility: The main viewing platform and the walkway around the obelisk are paved and wheelchair-friendly. Some side paths to secondary quarry workings require short climbs.
Bring water and a sun hat. There is partial shade over the obelisk itself but the surrounding quarry walks are exposed. Aswan temperatures regularly exceed 40°C from May to September.
Look at the dolerite balls in the visitor centre display. The small case at the entrance holds several of the actual stone hammer-balls used to cut the granite. Picking one up gives you an immediate sense of the labour involved.
Combine with the High Dam and Philae for a classic Aswan half-day. The three sites sit within 20 km of each other and follow a logical narrative arc from ancient quarry to modern dam to flooded temple rescue.
Visit early or late. The site is at its quietest just after opening at 07:00 or in the last hour before closing. Midday tour groups can make the viewing platform crowded.
The Unfinished Obelisk is included in every EDT Aswan itinerary. The three best options:
Every EDT Aswan tour includes private transport, entrance fees, bottled water, and a licensed Egyptologist guide who can explain the cutting techniques and the role of the quarry in ancient Egyptian construction.
A vast granite monolith still attached to the bedrock of an ancient northern Aswan quarry. Carved around 1500 BCE under Queen Hatshepsut, it would have stood 42 metres tall and weighed 1,200 tons if completed — the largest obelisk ever raised in pharaonic Egypt.
A horizontal crack appeared in the upper third of the obelisk during the cutting process, making the monument unusable. The workers abandoned it in place and moved on to other obelisks elsewhere in the quarry.
Workers used dolerite hammer-stones (basalt balls weighing several kilograms each) to pound away the granite around the obelisk’s sides. Wooden wedges soaked with water were also used to split the stone along planned lines. Several of the original dolerite balls are on display at the visitor centre.
30 to 45 minutes for a careful visit including the viewing platform, the walk around the main obelisk, and the secondary quarry workings. The site pays off best with a knowledgeable guide who can explain the cutting marks.
Yes for travellers interested in ancient engineering, archaeology, or the construction of obelisks in temples elsewhere in Egypt. Best combined with the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple as part of a classic Aswan half-day.
Most of the standing obelisks in Egyptian temples — including those at Karnak and Luxor Temple — came from these same Aswan quarries. Obelisks that left Egypt and now stand in Vatican City, London, Paris, Istanbul, and New York were also quarried in Aswan.