Red porphyry seems almost to have been a calling card for whoever built the pyramids. The magnificent megalithic statuary, the obelisks, the chambers within the great pyramid, the Osireion...
There seem to be red granite/porphyry megalithic columns at various locations around the Eastern Mediterranean:
Abydos
Giza
Baalbek
Byblos
Istanbul
Alexandria
Knossos
Pompey's column in Alexandria is very close in height to the columns at Baalbek. The height and non-sectional nature make them rare (unique?) in the Roman world. Again the columns in Byblos look incredibly similar the Baalbek columns.
The columns at Istanbul are sectioned, both at the Hagia Sophia and Constantine's column, in a quite unsatisfactory way with collars retaining the joins, they appear to be quite obviously re-purposed (certainly of an inferior quality despite the technological advancements of the later build date and preeminent significance of the site).
The columns at the reconstructions at Knossos are painted wood, but there is considerable red porphyry documented at the site, and there are pictures online of remnants of stone columns that look suspiciously similar (colour, proportions and lack of fluting): [commons.wikimedia.org]
Are there any other similar red granite/porphyry stone columns of (at least) classical age known and documented?
Wouldn't it be interesting to know if the "Roman era" columns came from the Roman era porphyry quarry or the "Egyptian era" quarry at Aswan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyry_(geology)#Ancient_uses). How close is the commonality between the red porphyry columns at the various sites in terms of diameter, machining marks and stone composition? If sufficient commonality could be established it would be incredibly supportive of the idea that the Egyptian/Minoan/Roman civilisations just moved into the ruins of pre-existing sites and re-purposed the materials they found there.
There seem to be red granite/porphyry megalithic columns at various locations around the Eastern Mediterranean:
Abydos
Giza
Baalbek
Byblos
Istanbul
Alexandria
Knossos
Pompey's column in Alexandria is very close in height to the columns at Baalbek. The height and non-sectional nature make them rare (unique?) in the Roman world. Again the columns in Byblos look incredibly similar the Baalbek columns.
The columns at Istanbul are sectioned, both at the Hagia Sophia and Constantine's column, in a quite unsatisfactory way with collars retaining the joins, they appear to be quite obviously re-purposed (certainly of an inferior quality despite the technological advancements of the later build date and preeminent significance of the site).
The columns at the reconstructions at Knossos are painted wood, but there is considerable red porphyry documented at the site, and there are pictures online of remnants of stone columns that look suspiciously similar (colour, proportions and lack of fluting): [commons.wikimedia.org]
Are there any other similar red granite/porphyry stone columns of (at least) classical age known and documented?
Wouldn't it be interesting to know if the "Roman era" columns came from the Roman era porphyry quarry or the "Egyptian era" quarry at Aswan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyry_(geology)#Ancient_uses). How close is the commonality between the red porphyry columns at the various sites in terms of diameter, machining marks and stone composition? If sufficient commonality could be established it would be incredibly supportive of the idea that the Egyptian/Minoan/Roman civilisations just moved into the ruins of pre-existing sites and re-purposed the materials they found there.