The obelisk of Thutmose III comes from the great temple of Amon-Re in Karnak. He was transported to Alexandria under Constantius II (Emperor 337-61), along with the present Lateran obelisk, but he had to wait until 390, under the reign of Theodosius I, to find his place on the spina of the Racecourse of Constantinople.

This final operation was certainly not without difficulties, since the monument broke during its transport or recovery: it lacks the lower third, which gives it a silhouette a bit short in relation to other Egyptian obelisks. Its height is today only 19 m. Originally, it was to reach thirty meters, about as much as the Lateran obelisk in Rome.

The hieroglyphs on the obelisk celebrate the victories of Tuthmosis III on the banks of the Euphrates. The marble pedestal, famous him, Theodosius I.