Egyptian Obelisk

Egyptian Obelisk

Introduction: The obelisk is another masterpiece of ancient Egypt and, apart from the pyramids, one of the most distinctive symbols of ancient Egyptian civilization. Shaped like a square column with a pointed top that tapers from bottom to top, its peak resembles the tip of a pyramid. Often covered in gold, copper, or an alloy of the two, when the morning sun shines on its tip, it gleams like a dazzling sun.

Obelisks were typically carved from a single piece of granite, weighing several hundred tons. All four sides were inscribed with hieroglyphs, indicating the three main purposes of these stone monuments: religious (often dedicated to the sun god Amun), commemorative (used to mark the reign of a pharaoh), and decorative. At the same time, the obelisk also served as a powerful symbol of the authority of the Egyptian empire. Starting from the Middle Kingdom period (approximately 2133–1786 BCE), pharaohs erected obelisks during years of amnesty or to celebrate victories, usually placing them in pairs on either side of temple pylons. Although it is known that obelisks existed as early as the Fourth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, no relics from that time remain, and it is only known that they did not exceed 3 meters in height and were not as refined. The oldest complete surviving obelisk was built during the reign of Pharaoh Senusret I of the Twelfth Dynasty (approximately 1991–1786 BCE), around 1971–1928 BCE, and was erected in front of the ruins of the Temple of the Sun City of Heliopolis in what is now northeastern Cairo. This obelisk stands 20.7 meters tall and weighs 121 tons. It was constructed by Senusret I to celebrate his coronation.

Carving and erecting an obelisk was a monumental task. Records indicate that extracting such a massive monolith from the quarry and transporting it from Aswan to Thebes took seven months. In the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut in Aswan, there are depictions of obelisks being transported on barges along the Nile. Upon arrival at their destination, workers would haul the obelisk up an earthen ramp before standing it upright on its base.

Due to modern antiquities looting, Egypt—the homeland of the obelisk—now has only five obelisks left, with the rest scattered across the world.

Cairo, Egypt