Why does the obelisk look like the Washington Monument?

The Washington Monument Looks Like an Obelisk Because of Egyptomania. In a technical sense, the Washington Monument isn't an obelisk, because it isn't made from a single piece of stone. That fact makes it no less impressive. Stretching 555 feet in the air, the Washington Monument is the tallest thing in the city.



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The Egyptian monument represented a given pharaoh, expressing the fusion of earthly and divine power, a solar symbol of creation and regeneration. With a square base, the structure gradually tapered high up in a pyramid shape, called pyramidion.

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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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Inside the ground floor lobby, there is a statue of George Washington. An elevator provides transportation to the top floor, the 500' observation deck at the base of the pyramidion. The observation deck provides views out two windows on the north, south, east, and west sides of the pyramidion.

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An obelisk is a monumental, four-sided tapering pillar of stone topped by a pyramidion (miniature pyramid). The ancient Egyptian word for obelisk was tekhen, but we know obelisks by their Greek name, obeliskos (a humorous name meaning “little skewer”).

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The pyramid was supposed to serve as a lightning rod, and since Frishmuth had already done some plating work for the monument, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called on him to fashion the topper as well. They requested a small metal pyramid, preferably made from copper, bronze, or platinum-plated brass.

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The Washington Monument is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The Washington Monument is 554 feet 7 inches while the Statue of Liberty has a height of 305 feet.

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Description. Stretching approximately a third of a mile from end to end, the reflecting pool lies between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Built in 1920 on marshland, the pool gradually sank, leaking into the surrounding land. In 2012, the pool was reconstructed.

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Today, visitors to Washington DC can tour the monument and visit it day or night, including climbing to the top of the obelisk. Although it is free and open to the public, guests need to get tickets in order to tour the monument.

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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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A pyramidion (plural: pyramidia) is the capstone of an Egyptian pyramid or the upper section of an obelisk. Speakers of the Ancient Egyptian language referred to pyramidia as benbenet and associated the pyramid as a whole with the sacred benben stone.

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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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