What does the obelisk symbolize?

Scholars believe that obelisks represented eternity and immortality, and their long, tapering form functioned to connect the heavens and the earth. Their pinnacles were typically covered in gold to reflect the sunlight.



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Ancient Egyptians further believed that the obelisk could guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Its shape, symbolism, and use made it a powerful symbol of the strength of Egyptians' faith and the power of the Sun God Ra. Ra was an ancient deity worshiped as the primary God of the sun, order, and creation.

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Ancient Egyptians further believed that the obelisk could guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Its shape, symbolism, and use made it a powerful symbol of the strength of Egyptians' faith and the power of the Sun God Ra. Ra was an ancient deity worshiped as the primary God of the sun, order, and creation.

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Ancient Egyptians further believed that the obelisk could guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Its shape, symbolism, and use made it a powerful symbol of the strength of Egyptians' faith and the power of the Sun God Ra. Ra was an ancient deity worshiped as the primary God of the sun, order, and creation.

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In 1830 the Sultan and Viceroy of Egypt Mehemet Ali decided to offer the two obelisks standing in front of the Luxor Temple (Thebes, Egypt) to King Charles X of France. It was a gesture of friendship and gratitude for the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs by Champollion.

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The monolith was brought to Rome from the fabled Alexandria by Caligula in the year 37, ostensibly to honor the great Julius Caesar. However, there was once another theory: that the obelisk was not just part of a memorial to a great man from history, but also his mausoleum.

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The upside down obelisk expresses the reality of loss and pain over the ways that communities and societies are not living up to the highest ideals. The hope in the dream of restored obelisk is reflected in the water. It created a vision of a future not yet fully-realized but for which we deeply yearn.

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Below is a list of the world's most famous obelisks.
  • Washington Monument, Washington DC, United States.
  • 2.Obelisk at Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City.
  • Luxor Obelisk, Paris, France.
  • Obelisco de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Cleopatra's Needle, New York, United States.
  • Luxor Obelisk, Luxor, Egypt.


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There is a progression of more crude pyramids like the step/bent pyramids. All have been explored and documented. They are not obelisks.

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Only about 30 such obelisks are still in existence worldwide; figures vary between sources with different definitions of extant Egyptian obelisks.

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Black Obelisk, Assyrian monument of King Shalmaneser III (reigned 858–824 bc). The most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered, it is decorated with cuneiform inscriptions and reliefs recording military campaigns and other triumphs, including payment of tribute by King Jehu of Israel (reigned 842–815).

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Obelisks, or tekhenu to ancient Egyptians, first appeared in Old Kingdom Egypt (2649-2150 BCE) in around 2300 BCE. These structures, characterized by a four-sided square base that tapered into an isosceles pyramidion at the top, initially symbolized rebirth, and were used as funerary monuments.

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Over time, many obelisks lost their original meanings, and many collapsed and were buried by rising ground levels. Centuries later, a number of popes would resurrect these structures, changing their locations, and giving them yet another set of interpretations.

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The first obelisks were built by ancient Egyptians. They were carved from stone and placed in pairs at the entrance of temples as sacred objects that symbolized the sun god, Ra. It's believed that the shape symbolized a single sun ray.

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During the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, the French attempted to steal the two obelisks and take them back to Paris. The campaign ended before they were successful, but the French did not give up then. A mere 30 years later, the obelisks were “gifted” to the French by the Ottoman monarch Muhammed Ali Pasha.

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During the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, the French attempted to steal the two obelisks and take them back to Paris. The campaign ended before they were successful, but the French did not give up then. A mere 30 years later, the obelisks were “gifted” to the French by the Ottoman monarch Muhammed Ali Pasha.

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