Rome has more obelisks than any other country in the world, including Egypt. We know from records that 48 obelisks were shipped from Egypt to Rome under Roman rule. Today we know of, or should I say, have found only 13 of those originally brought here.

Yes, surprisingly, there are more ancient Egyptian obelisks standing in Rome than in all of Egypt. Rome is famously known as the "City of Obelisks," housing a total of 13 ancient obelisks. Of these, eight were originally crafted in ancient Egypt and transported to Rome by various emperors as symbols of power and conquest, while the other five were commissioned by the Romans themselves to mimic the Egyptian style. In contrast, Egypt currently has fewer than ten major obelisks still standing in their original locations, such as those at the Temple of Karnak or Luxor. The rest of Egypt's ancient obelisks were either taken to foreign capitals—like the "Cleopatra's Needles" in London, New York, and Paris—or remain unfinished or buried. The most famous of the Roman collection is the Vatican Obelisk in St. Peter's Square, which is unique because it is the only one in Rome that has never toppled since it was first erected in the city. This concentration of ancient stone monuments makes Rome the ultimate open-air museum for Egyptian monoliths outside of the Nile Valley.