What is a fact about obelisks?

TRUE OBELISKS ARE MADE OF A SINGLE PIECE OF STONE. True obelisks as conceived by the ancient Egyptians are “monolithic,” or made from a single piece of stone. (The literal translation of monolith—a Greek word—is “one stone.” On that note, the word “obelisk” is also Greek, derived from obeliskos, or skewer.



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While the honor of the world's tallest obelisk belongs to the Washington Monument (standing 555 feet, or 169 meters, tall), Long believes the most famous obelisk on the planet is likely the Vatican Obelisk at the center of Rome's St. Peter's Square.

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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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Globally there are around 30 obelisks, which are carved stone pillars with a pyramidal point and often engraved with hieroglyphs.

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  • Goshen Obelisk, Heliopolis, Egypt. ...
  • Philae Obelisk, Kingston Lacy, Dorset, England. ...
  • Cleopatra's Needle, Alexandria, Egypt.


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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. These commemorative structures were believed to attract the reviving rays of the sun, thereby allowing the resurrection of the deceased.

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This story begins with the Roman conquest of Egypt under Augustus, who upon defeating Cleopatra stole an Obelisk from a temple in Heliopolis and brought it back to Rome as a trophy of its conquests.

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Hero City Obelisk in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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