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Dikilitaş
Dikilitaş, which is located in Sultanahmet Square in Hipodrome is the
very monument which was built in 1450 B.C. as a memorial of the
victories in Asia of Thutmosis (1502-1448 B.C), one of the Egyptian
Emperors. Some “sisters” of this stone monument still survive to date.
Dikilitaş is thought to have been built by the
Pharoah between 1457-1448 B.C in front of Amon Ra Temple in Heliopolis
as a memorial of the victory he achieved in Naharin against Mitandi
State in the east of Euphrates River in 1457 B.C. The stone which was
kept in Egypt for many years was first passed to the possession of a
half-Hellen half Egyptian state founded in this region, later to the
possession of Romans. In this period, Romans used to use the monuments
in Egypt to decorate their cities. Constantin the First used to move
various monuments to here to decorate the Hipodrome. His son Constantin
the Second (337-361 A.C), wanted to move the monument to İskenderiye to
be transferred to Istanbul, however he failed to do this. Later,
Iskenderia people built a special ship for the monument on order of
Emperor Julianus (361-363 A.C). It is unknown when nor by whom the
monument was taken from Iskenderia to Istanbul nor how was it
transported.
Dikilitaş, which was brought to decorate the
Hipodrome, was situated on the wall called “Spina” in the centre of the
Hipodrome, its present location in the period of Theodossius the First
in 390 A.C. It is also said that an iron track was built from Marmara
coast to the Hipodrome to transfer this monument which is 19, 59 m. high
to Sultanahmet Square.
Today Dikilitaş lacks a part of six meters long.
Though the reason is unknown, the theory is that the monument was
previously situated in another part of the city and after it was damaged
in earthquake the upper part was appendixes on the monument… Another
possibility is its getting broken while being transferred to Istanbul.
Dikilitaş is situated on four bronze trigs over a marble base of six
meters high with reliefs on four sides. The relief on the base is themed
on the wars of Emperor I. Theodossius and his life in the Hipodrome. The
bronze sphere on the top of Dikilitaş monument which symbolizes the
world fell during an earthquake in 865 and was never replaced again…
The lower side reliefs tell about process of
situating the monument. One of the two epitaphs on one side of the base
is in Greek and the other one is in Latin. The inscription in Latin
states that Dikilitaş was erected in thirty and the other in Greek
states that it was erected in thirty two days. The Latin inscription
tells : “First I resisted; but it was commanded to me to yield to my
almighty master and carry the wreath of his achieved victory over tyrans.
Everything obeys to Theodossius and his long-to-last dynasty. That’s how
I was beaten and I was forced to rise three times in ten days under the
rule of Proclus.”
The inscription in Greek on the northwest side is
shorter: “The courage to erect the four sided pole which had laid on
earth for a long time fell to Emperor Theodossius’ lot. To achieve this,
he asked for the help of Proklos and therefore the stone monument could
be erected in thirty two days.”
The hieroglyph on Dikilitaş depicts Thutmosis’
victories as well. On the very top of the stone monument, on the pyramid-shaped
carved end, there are Pharoh Thutmosis the Second and the god Amon-Ra on
each side hand in hand within a rectangular frame. Beneath this, on all
four sides there are depictions of god and the Pharoh again. Below them,
there is holy Horus. The main inscription starts below this depiction:
“Thutmosis the Third, from 18th descendance who is rich, mighty and
talented, and who has these qualities thanks to god Amon scattering the
golden rays of the sun to the world presents his gift to pay his deep
gratitude to God Amon. Thutmosis the Third conquered the lands between
two rivers, getting over seas. He erected this monument in the 30th year
of his sovereignty.”
On each of the four sides, Amon-Ra and Horus of the
Egyptian gods are continuously remembered and supremacy of Thutmosis is
mentioned.
Dikilitaş has been a scene to various political
events, car races, uprisings and murders that occurred in the Hipodrome.
In Ottoman period, many phenomena occurred around the monument in the
Hipodrome and the earth level rose and the lower part of the base was
buried. In 1857, C.T. Newton reopened the base by digging around it.
Since that time, Dikilitaş is situated on a hole surrounded by round and
iron railings. In the first half of 20th century, the mossy side of the
monument was cleaned and renewed… |
FETHIYE
BODRUM
MARMARIS
ANTALYA