An obelisk (Greek ὀβελίσκος [obeliskos], diminutive of ὀβελός [obelos], "needle") is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece of stone (a monolith); however, most modern obelisks are made of individual stones, and can even have interior spaces. A monolith is a geological feature such as a Mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock or a single piece of rock placed as or within a monument The original form is Egyptian and all subsequent versions are derived from the original Egyptian pattern.

The term stele (plural: stelae) is generally used for other monumental standing inscribed sculpted stones. A stele (from Greek:, stēlē, ˈstiːli plural stelae,, stēlai, ˈstiːlaɪ also found Latinised singular stela Epigraphy (ἐπιγραφολογία from Greek ἐπιγραφή — "inscription" is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs engraved

Because of the Enlightenment-era association of Egypt with mortuary arts, (and generally with great antiquity), obelisks became associated with timelessness and memorialization.

There are many smaller obelisks or similar forms to be found in European and American cemeteries, and may be from a few meters in height.

Contents 1 Ancient obelisks 1.1 Egyptian 1.2 Assyrian 1.3 Axumite/Ethiopian 1.4 Ancient Roman 1.5 Byzantine 1.6 Keralian 1.7 Pre-Columbian 2 Notable modern obelisks 2.1 17th century 2.2 18th century 2.3 19th century 2.4 20th century 2.5 21st century 3 References 4 External links

Ancient obelisks

Egyptian

Obelisks were prominent in the architecture of the ancient Egyptians, who placed them in pairs at the entrance of temples. The history of Egypt is the longest continuous history as a unified state of any country in the world The word "obelisk" is of Greek rather than Egyptian origin because Herodotus, the Greek traveler, was the first to describe the objects. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Twenty-eight ancient Egyptian obelisks are known to have survived, plus the "Unfinished Obelisk" found partly hewn from its quarry at Aswan. The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient Obelisk, located in the northern region of the Stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan (Assuan Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek These obelisks are now dispersed around the world, and only eight remain in Egypt.

The earliest temple obelisk still in its original position is the 20. A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites 7 m / 68 ft high red granite Obelisk of Senusret I of the XIIth Dynasty at Heliopolis. Senusret I was the second Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. The Eleventh (all of Egypt Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Middle Kingdom. Heliopolis (or On) ( Greek: or) meaning sun-city was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, and capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome ^[1]

The obelisk symbolized the sun god Ra, or Re, and during the brief religious reformation of Akhenaten was said to be a petrified ray of the Aten, the sundisk. Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep Alternative use the Aten asteroids named after 2062 Aten Aten (or Aton was the disk of the Sun in ancient Egyptian It was also thought that the god existed within the structure.

It is hypothesized by New York University Egyptologist Patricia Blackwell Gary and Astronomy senior editor Richard Talcott that the shapes of the ancient Egyptian pyramid and obelisk were derived from natural phenomena associated with the sun (the sun-god Ra being the Egyptians' greatest deity). New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. This is a partial list of Egyptologists. An Egyptologist is any Archaeologist, Historian, linguist, or Art historian who specializes in Astronomy ( ISSN 0091-6358 is a monthly American magazine about Astronomy. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. ^[2] The pyramid and obelisk would have been inspired by previously overlooked astronomical phenomena connected with sunrise and sunset: the zodiacal light and sun pillars respectively. A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the Horizon in the East. Sunset, also called sundown in some American English Dialects is the instant when the trailing edge of the Sun 's disk disappears below The zodiacal light is a faint roughly triangular whitish glow seen in the night sky which appears to extend up from the vicinity of the Sun along the Ecliptic A light pillar is a visual phenomenon created by the Reflection of Light from Ice crystals with near horizontal Parallel planar surfaces

The Ancient Romans were strongly influenced by the obelisk form, to the extent that there are now more than twice as many obelisks standing in Rome as remain in Egypt. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 All fell after the Roman period except for the Vatican obelisk and were re-erected in different locations.

The tallest Egyptian obelisk graces the square in front of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The Basilica of St John Lateran ( Italian: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the Cathedral of the church of Rome and the official

Not all the Egyptian obelisks re-erected in the Roman Empire were set up at Rome. Herod the Great imitated his Roman patrons and set up a red granite Egyptian obelisk in the hippodrome of his grand new city Caesarea in northern Judea. Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho Caesarea Maritima (Greek παράλιος Καισάρεια called Caesarea Palaestina from 133 CE onwards was a city and Harbor built by Herod the Great Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised It was discovered by archaeologists and has been re-erected at its former site.

In Constantinople, the Eastern Emperor Theodosius shipped an obelisk in AD 390 and had it set up in his hippodrome, where it has weathered Crusaders and Seljuks and stands in the Hippodrome square in modern Istanbul. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Flavius Theodosius (January 11 347 – January 17 395 also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great ( Greek: Θεοδόσιος Α΄ Events By Place Roman Empire In response to the murder of his general Butheric Theodosius I orders a massacre of the inhabitants of The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Meydanı At Meydanı was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey

Rome is the obelisk capital of the world. The most prominent is the 25. 5 m / 83. 6 ft high obelisk at Saint Peter's Square in Rome. Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza ( Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is located directly in front of St Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The obelisk had stood since AD 37 on its site on the wall of the Circus of Nero, flanking St Peter's Basilica:

"The elder Pliny in his Natural History refers to the obelisk's transportation from Egypt to Rome by order of the Emperor Gaius (Caligula) as an outstanding event. Not to be confused with the older and larger Circus Maximus. The Circus of Nero or Circus of Caligula was a circus Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author Naturalis Historia ( Latin for "Natural History" is an Encyclopedia written Circa AD 77 by Pliny the Elder. The barge that carried it had a huge mast of fir wood which four men's arms could not encircle. One hundred and twenty bushels of lentils were needed for ballast. Having fulfilled its purpose, the gigantic vessel was no longer wanted. Therefore, filled with stones and cement, it was sunk to form the foundations of the foremost quay of the new harbour at Ostia. Ostia may refer to Ostia Antica, a township and port of ancient Rome Ostia (town, a modern township (also called Ostia Lido or "^[3]

Re-erecting the obelisk had daunted even Michelangelo, but Sixtus V was determined to erect it in front of St Peter's, of which the nave was yet to be built, and had a full-sized wooden mock-up erected within months of his election. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all Domenico Fontana, the assistant of Giacomo Della Porta in the Basilica's construction, presented the Pope with a little model crane of wood and a heavy little obelisk of lead, which Sixtus himself was able to raise by turning a little winch with his finger. Domenico Fontana (1543 &ndash June 28 1607) was a Swiss -born Italian Architect of the late Renaissance. Giacomo della Porta (c 1533 &ndash 1602 was an Italian architect and sculptor who worked for many important buildings in Rome including St Fontana had the project. The obelisk, half-buried in the debris of the ages, was first excavated as it stood; then it took from April 30 to May 17, 1586 to move it on rollers to the Piazza: it required nearly 1000 men, 140 carthorses, 47 cranes. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. The re-erection, scheduled for September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, was watched by a large crowd. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the It was a famous feat of engineering, which made the reputation of Fontana, who detailed it in a book illustrated with copperplate etchings, Della Trasportatione dell’Obelisco Vaticano et delle Fabriche di Nostro Signore Papa Sisto V (1590),^[4][5] which itself set a new standard in communicating technical information and influenced subsequent architectural publications by its meticulous precision. ^[6] Before being re-erected the obelisk was exorcised. It is said that Fontana had teams of relay horses to make his getaway if the enterprise failed. When Carlo Maderno came to build the Basilica's nave, he had to put the slightest kink in its axis, to line it precisely with the obelisk. Carlo Maderno ( 1556 - January 30 1629) was an Italian - Swiss Architect, born in Ticino, who is remembered as

An obelisk stands in front of the church of Trinità dei Monti, at the head of the Spanish Steps. Trinità dei Monti (also called Santissima Trinità al Monte Pincio, Trinità del Monte, or Holy Trinity on Pincio Hill) is a famous church in Rome The Spanish Steps ( Italian: Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Another obelisk in Rome is sculpted as carried on the back of an elephant. Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea. Rome lost one of its obelisks, which had decorated the temple of Isis, where it was uncovered in the 16th century. The Medici claimed it for the Villa Medici, but in 1790 they managed to move it to the Boboli Gardens attached to the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and left a replica in its stead. For the Medici Villas in Tuscany, see Medici villas. The Villa Medici is an architectural complex centred The Boboli Gardens, in Italian Giardino di Boboli, form a famous park in Florence, Italy, that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating The Palazzo Pitti, in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance Palace in Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany

Several more of the original Egyptian obelisks have been shipped and re-erected around the world. The best-known examples outside Rome are the pair of 21 m /68 ft Cleopatra's Needles in London and New York City and the 23 m / 75 ft obelisk at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Cleopatra's Needle ("L'aiguille de Cléopâtre" in French is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian Obelisks re-erected in London London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York The Place de la Concorde is one of the major squares in Paris, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

There are 28 known ancient Egyptian obelisks in the following locations:

• Egypt – 8
  • Pharaoh Tuthmosis I, Karnak Temple, Luxor
  • Pharaoh Ramses II, Luxor Temple
  • Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple, Luxor
  • Pharaoh Senusret I, Heliopolis, Cairo
  • Pharaoh Ramses III, Luxor Museum
  • Pharaoh Ramses II, Gezira Island, Cairo, 20. The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples chapels pylons and other buildings Thutmose III (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis III and meaning Thoth is Born) was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I) was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples chapels pylons and other buildings Luxor (in Arabic: الأقصر al-Uqṣur) is a city in Upper (southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes Hatshepsut (or Hatchepsut, hætˈʃɛpsʊt meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Senusret I was the second Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. Heliopolis (or On) ( Greek: or) meaning sun-city was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, and capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Luxor Museum is located in the Egyptian city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) 4 m
  • Pharaoh Ramses II, Cairo International Airport, 16. Cairo International Airport (Arabic مطار القاهرة الدولي is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member 97 m
  • Pharaoh Seti II, Karnak Temple, Luxor, 7 m
• France – 1
  • Pharaoh Ramses II, in Place de la Concorde, Paris
• Israel – 1
  • Caesarea obelisk
• Italy – 11 (includes the only one located in the Vatican City)
  • 8 in Rome (see Obelisks in Rome)
  • Piazza del Duomo, Catania (Sicily)
  • Boboli Gardens (Florence)
  • Urbino
• Poland – 1
  • Ramses II, Poznań Archaeological Museum, Poznań (on loan from Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin^[7]
• Turkey – 1
  • Pharaoh Tuthmosis III, in Square of Horses, Istanbul
• United Kingdom – 4
  • Pharaoh Tuthmosis III, "Cleopatra's Needle", on Victoria Embankment, London
  • Pharaoh Amenhotep II, in the Oriental Museum, University of Durham
  • Pharaoh Ptolemy IX, Philae Obelisk, at Kingston Lacy, near Wimborne Minster, Dorset
  • Pharaoh Nectanebo II, British Museum, London
• United States – 1
  • Pharaoh Tuthmosis III, "Cleopatra's Needle", in Central Park, New York

Assyrian

One obelisk form is known from the early Assyrian civilization, represented by the Black Obelisk of King Shalmaneser III from the 9th century BC, now in the British Museum. Seti II (or Sethos II) was the fifth ruler of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt and reigned from 1203 BC - 1197 BC The Place de la Concorde is one of the major squares in Paris, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Caesarea obelisk is a red granite Obelisk 12 meters high which was erected in the Hippodrome of Herod the Great 's new-built capital of Judea Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 There are eight Ancient Egyptian and five ancient Roman obelisks in Rome, together with a number of more modern Obelisks there was also formerly (until 2005 Catania ( Greek: &ndash Katánē; Latin: Catăna and Catĭna; Arabic: Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Boboli Gardens, in Italian Giardino di Boboli, form a famous park in Florence, Italy, that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region in Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Meydanı At Meydanı was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Cleopatra's Needle ("L'aiguille de Cléopâtre" in French is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian Obelisks re-erected in London The Victoria Embankment, is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Amenhotep II (sometimes read as Amenophis II and meaning Amun is Satisfied) was the seventh Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Durham University is a University in Durham, England. It was founded as the University of Durham (which remains its official and legal name Ptolemy IX Soter II or Lathyros (" Chickpea " ( Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ Λάθυρος, Ptolemaĩos Sōtḗr Kingston Lacy is a Country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. This article is about the town Wimborne Minster For the church of Wimborne Minster see Wimborne Minster. Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast Nectanebo II (ruled 360 - 343 BC also known by the name Nakhthoreb, was the third and last king of the Thirtieth dynasty of Egypt and also the last native The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Cleopatra's Needle ("L'aiguille de Cléopâtre" in French is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian Obelisks re-erected in London Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture For the band see Black Obelisk (band The "Black Obelisk" of Shalmaneser III (reigned 858-824 BC is a black Shalmaneser III ( Šulmānu-ašarēdu, "the god Shulmanu is pre-eminent" was king of Assyria (859 BC-824 BC and son of the previous ruler The 9th century BC started the first day of 900 BC and ended the last day of 801 BC The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London.

Axumite/Ethiopian

A number of obelisks were carved in the ancient Axumite Kingdom of Ethiopia. The Aksumite Empire or Axumite Empire (sometimes called the Kingdom of Aksum or Axum ( Ge'ez: አክሱም was an important trading NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The most notable example – the 24 m high Obelisk of Axum carved around the 4th century AD – was looted by the Italians after the Second Italo-Abyssinian War and taken to Rome in 1937 where it stood in the Piazza di Porta Capena. The Obelisk of Axum is a 1700-year-old 24- Meters (78- foot) tall Granite Obelisk, weighing 160  Tonnes It is decorated with As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century See also First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Second Italo–Abyssinian War (also referred to as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) was a The Porta Capena was a gate in the Servian Wall near the Caelian Hill, in Rome, formerly a sacred forest where Numa Pompilius and Egeria Italy agreed in a 1947 UN agreement to return the obelisk but did not affirm its agreement until 1997, after years of pressure. In 2003 the Italian government made the first steps toward its return, and as of 2006 it is in Axum still awaiting re-erection due to the finding of older burial chambers on the intended site. Axum, or Aksum, is a City in northern Ethiopia named after the Kingdom of Aksum, a naval and trading power that ruled from the region ca

The largest obelisk, Great Stele at Axum, now fallen, at 33 m high and 3 by 2 meters at the base is the largest single piece of stone ever worked in human history and probably fell during erection or soon after, destroying a large part of the massive burial chamber underneath it. The obelisks, properly termed stelae or the native hawilt or hawilti as they do not end in a pyramid, were used to mark graves and underground burial chambers. A stele (from Greek:, stēlē, ˈstiːli plural stelae,, stēlai, ˈstiːlaɪ also found Latinised singular stela The largest of the grave markers were for royal burial chambers and were decorated with multi-story false windows and false doors, while nobility would have smaller less decorated ones. While there are only a few large ones standing, there are hundreds of smaller ones in various "stelae fields".

Ancient Roman

The Romans commissioned obelisks in an Egyptian style.

• Arles, France — in Place de la République, a 4th century obelisk of Roman origin
• Munich — obelisk of Titus Sextius Africanus, Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, Kunstareal, 1st century AD, 5. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Kunstareal (“art district” is a Museum quarter in the city centre of Munich, Germany. 80 m
• Rome — there are five ancient Roman obelisks in Rome. See Obelisks in Rome. There are eight Ancient Egyptian and five ancient Roman obelisks in Rome, together with a number of more modern Obelisks there was also formerly (until 2005

Byzantine

• Walled Obelisk, Hippodrome of Constantinople. The Walled Obelisk (also known as Constantine Obelisk) is situated near Serpentine Column at the southern side of the Hippodrome of Constantinople (now Built by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (905–959) and originally covered with gilded bronze plaques. Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος

Keralian

The obelisk stone (rock) crosses of Kerala form another category of obelisks. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; The Syrian Christians or St. Thomas Christians of Malabar on the west coast of India had close contacts with the Egyptian and Assyrian worlds, the original habitat of obelisks. This article addresses the Saint Thomas Christians and the various churches and denominations that form the Nasrani people. The "Ray of the Sun" and Horus concepts are to be found in the idea of Christ and in the orientation of the churches East-West. The use of the cylinder and socket method is found in both structures. ^[8]

Pre-Columbian

The "Tello Obelisk", from Chavín de Huantar, now in the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú in Lima is a monolith stele with obelisk-like proportions. Chavín de Huantar is an archaeological site containing ruins and artifacts originally constructed by the Chavin, a pre-Inca culture around 900 B Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking

Notable modern obelisks

(Listed in date order)

17th century

• Aix-en-Provence – Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins, 1667

18th century

• St Luke Old Street (church), London, spire by by Nicholas Hawksmoor circa 1727-33. St Luke is a historic Anglican church in the London Borough of Islington. Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 - 25 March 1736) was a British Architect born to a humble family in Nottinghamshire
• Stowe School, Buckinghamshire – General Wolfe's Obelisk, 1754
• Kagul Obelisk in Tsarskoe Selo, 1772
• Chesma Obelisk in Gatchina, 1775
• Villa Medici, Rome – a 19th century copy of the Egyptian obelisk moved to the Boboli Gardens in Florence in 1790. Stowe School is a British independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, referred to as a Public school. Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The Kagul Obelisk in Tsarskoye Selo is one of several such structures erected on behest of Catherine II of Russia in 1772 to commemorate Pyotr Rumyantsev Tsarskoye Selo (Ца́рское Село́ " Tsar 's Village" is a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting The naval Battle of Chesma took place on 5 - 7 July 1770 near and in Çeşme (Chesma Bay in the area between Asia Minor Gatchina (Га́тчина is a city in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located 45 km south of St For the Medici Villas in Tuscany, see Medici villas. The Villa Medici is an architectural complex centred
• Rumyantsev Obelisk in St Petersburg, 1799
• Obelisk at Slottsbacken, Stockholm, erected 1800

19th century

• Nelson memorial, Springfield Park, Liverpool, circa 1805. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River The Obelisk at Slottsbacken adjacent to the southern entrances of the Royal Palace in Stockholm Old Town is considered to be the very centre ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary
• "Brightling Needle", Brightling, East Sussex (65 ft), circa 1815^[9]. Brightling is a village and Civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the
• Patriots' Grave, Old Burying Ground, Arlington, Massachusetts (1818). The Jason Russell House is a historic House in Arlington Massachusetts, the site of the bloodiest fighting on the first day of the Revolutionary War, April
• Captain Cook's Monument, Easby Moor, Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, 1827 (15. Great Ayton is a Village and Civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in 5m, 51ft)^[10].
• Battle of Groton Heights Monument (Fort Griswold), Groton, Connecticut, 1830, (41. Background During the war the harbor on the Thames River was a home port for many privately owned ships many of them armed Fort Griswold is an American Military base, now decommissioned in Groton Connecticut. Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. 15m, 135ft) dedicated to the defense of Groton and New London, and the defeat of Benedict Arnold's attack on New London.
• Bunker Hill Monument, Charlestown, Massachusetts – built between 1827 and 1843. The Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill. Charlestown is a part of the city of Boston, Massachusetts located on a peninsula north of Boston proper
• Villa Torlonia, Rome – two obelisks erected 1842. For other villas of this name see Villa Torlonia. Villa Torlonia is a villa in Rome, Italy, belonging to the Torlonia
• Reggio Emilia obelisk, comemorates marriage of Francis V, Duke of Modena to princess Adelgunde of Bavaria, built 1842. For the city in the southern Italy See Reggio Calabria. For the basketball club "Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia" see Pallacanestro Reggiana. Francis V of Modena (Francesco V d'Absburgo-Este 1 June 1819 &ndash 20 November 1875) was Duke of Modena from 1846
• Rutherford's Monument near Anwoth, Scotland erected in 1842 as a memorial to Samuel Rutherford. Anwoth is a settlement near the Solway Firth in the Stewarty of Kirkcudbright, in South West Scotland, within a parish of the same name in the Vale Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Samuel Rutherford (1600? &ndash 1661 was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author
• Newcastle, New South Wales – "The Obelisk", built 1850. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
• Wellington Monument, Wellington, Somerset, completed 1854, (53. Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated seven Miles south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district 34m, 175ft).
• Obelisk of Fontenoy, 1860.
• Wellington Monument, 1861, (62m, 205ft), Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. The Wellington Monument (or more correctly the Wellington Testimonial) is an obelisk located in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. The Phoenix Park (Páirc an Fhionn-Uisce is the largest enclosed urban public Park in Europe located 3 km to the north west of Dublin city centre in Ireland Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world
• Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, 1865, (35. Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield Illinois, is the final resting place of 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U 66m, 117ft).
• Brigadier-General John Nicholson's monument on top of the Margalla Pass, GT Road, Pakistan, 1868. John Nicholson ( December 11, 1822 – September 23, 1857) was a Victorian era military officer known for his role in the British
• Captain Cook Obelisk, Kurnell, New South Wales, 1870. Kurnell is a Suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
• The Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial Obelisk in Harrisburg, PA, completed 1876, (33. Inspired by the classic Roman / Egyptian Obelisk form Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial Obelisk was originally erected in the middle of a park located at Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America 52m, 110ft).
• The Washington Monument in Washington DC, USA, measuring 169. The Washington Monument is a large tall sand-colored Obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 29 m in height, is the world's tallest true obelisk; completed in 1884.
• The Oriskany Battlefield monument in Rome, NY, dedicated in 1884 as a memorial to the Revolutionary War battle in 1777. Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site is an historic site in Oneida County, New York, USA that marks the Battle of Oriskany, fought in 1777 Rome is a City in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 34950 at the 2000 census.
• The Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington, Vermont, 1889. The Bennington Battle Monument is a 306 ft (93 m stone Obelisk located at 15 Monument Circle in Bennington, Vermont.
• Dalhousie Obelisk, in Raffles Place, Singapore, 1891. The Dalhousie Obelisk ( Chinese: 达豪施纪念碑 is a Memorial Obelisk in the Civic District of Singapore, located on the north bank Raffles Place is a geogaphical location in Singapore, south of the mouth of the Singapore River. Singapore

20th century

• The William Dudley Chipley Memorial, in the Plaza Ferdinand VII, Pensacola, Florida, 1901. William Dudley Chipley ( June 6, 1840 &ndash December 1, 1897) was an American Railroad Tycoon and The Plaza Ferdinand VII is an outdoor Garden and Park in the historic district of Pensacola Florida. Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the County seat of Escambia County. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
• The Sergeant Floyd Monument, on US Highway 75, Sioux City, Iowa, 1901. The Seargeant Floyd Monument is a monument on the bank of the Missouri River at Floyd's Bluff in what is now Sioux City Iowa. Sioux City (ˌsuːˈsɪti is a city located in northwest Iowa in the United States. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
• Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial, South Royalton, Vermont, 1905. Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a Granite Obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
• McKinley Monument, Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York, 1907, (96 ft / 29 m). For the McKinley Monument in Canton, Ohio, see McKinley National Memorial. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
• The Veterans' Monument obelisk, constructed primarily from river rock collected from the nearby Doe River in downtown Elizabethton, Tennessee and with two short American Civil War field cannon, dedicated in 1904 to Union and Confederate veterans from Carter County, Tennessee. The Doe River is a naturally flowing river in northeast Tennessee that forms in Carter County near the North Carolina line just south of Roan Mountain Elizabethton is a city in and the County seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Carter County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee.
• The Chalmette Monument, in Chalmette, Louisiana, commemorating the Battle of New Orleans, 1908. Chalmette is a Census-designated place (CDP in and the Parish seat of St The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
• The War Memorial in London Square, Southport, Lancashire, England, designed by Grayson and Barnish, 1923. Southport is a seaside town on the Irish Sea coast situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in England, UK. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It is flanked by two colonnades each supported by Doric columns, all constructed of Portland stone.
• Jefferson Davis Monument at Jefferson Davis State Historic Site in Fairview, Kentucky, (351 ft / 107 m) tall, mostly concrete, 1924. Jefferson Finis Davis ( June 3, 1808 &ndash December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as President of the The Jefferson Davis Monument State Historic Site is a Kentucky State Park preserving the birthplace of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States Fairview is a small unincorporated community on the boundary between Christian and Todd Counties in the U Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• The Foshay Tower, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, modeled after the Washington Monument, 1929. The Foshay Tower, now serving as the W Minneapolis - The Foshay, is a Skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Washington Monument is a large tall sand-colored Obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington D
• Obelisk of Montevideo, Uruguay, 1930. The Obelisk of Montevideo is a Monument located at the intersection of 18 de Julio and Artigas Boulevard avenues in Montevideo. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• High Point Monument, Montague, New Jersey. High Point is located in the northwestern part of New Jersey in Montague Sussex County in the Skylands Region of New Jersey is the highest Montague Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. A (220 ft /67 m) obelisk on top of New Jersey's highest point, 1,803 ft above sea level, 1930. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Foro Italico, Rome (on Lungotevere Maresciallo Diaz), erected to honour Mussolini, 1932. Foro Italico is a sports complex in Rome, Italy. It was built between 1928 and 1938 as the Foro Mussolini. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.
• Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1936. The Obelisk of Buenos Aires (Obelisco de Buenos Aires is a modern Monument placed at the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Trylon and Perisphere, 1939 New York World's Fair, Flushing, New York; not a true obelisk, but an art deco variant, (700 ft / 213 m), 1939. The Trylon and Perisphere were the central structures known as the Theme Center of the New York World's Fair of 1939-1940. The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair) was one of the largest New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Plaza Francia obelisk in Caracas, Venezuela, 1944. Altamira is a neighborhood located in the Chacao municipality of Caracas it has its own Metro Station, many hotels and restaurants Caracas (kaˈɾakas is the Capital and largest city of Venezuela. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• The Obelisk on One Tree Hill in Auckland, New Zealand
• Obelisk of São Paulo, Brazil, 1954. One Tree Hill (or Maungakiekie in Māori) is a 182 metre The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Obelisk of São Paulo is an Obelisk in Ibirapuera Park in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar)
• Trujillo Obelisk, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1960, (137 ft / 42 m). Santo Domingo de Guzmán (known as Santo Domingo population 2084852 (Metro (2003 estimated 2253437 (Metro in 2006 is the Capital and largest city in the The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Obelisk of La Paz, Bolivia
• Demidov Column in Barnaul, Siberia, Russia. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. History The Demidov (Деми́довы family also Demidoff, were probably the richest Russian people after the Tsar in the late For the Barnaul meteorite of 1904 see Meteorite falls. For the bird see Barn owl.
• Victory Obelisk in Moscow
• Abolition Park in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Poklonnaya Gora (Покло́нная гора́ lit  a bow-down hill) is at 171 Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Ponce ( IPA) officially the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Southern Coastal Plain region
• A small obelisk stands at Trinity site, the location of the first atomic bomb explosion. Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion.
• Rugby, North Dakota, the geographical center of North America (Mexico, USA and Canada). Rugby is a city in Pierce County, North Dakota in the United States.
• Pirulito da Praça Sete in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld
• In Las Vegas, Nevada, U. S. , an obelisk stands in front of the Luxor Hotel, a pyramid-shaped hotel along The Strip.
• An obelisk stands in front of radio talk show host Clint Ferro's boyhood home, Endicott, New York, 1975. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

21st century

• Capas National Shrine in Tarlac province, Philippines — a 70-meter obelisk (erected in 2003) that towers above the grounds of the former concentration camp at the final stop of the Bataan Death March. The Capas National Shrine ( Paggunita Sa Capas) in Capas Tarlac, The Philippines was built and is maintained by the Philippine government as a memorial For the city see Tarlac City. For the river see Tarlac River. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Bataan Death March (also known as The Death March of Bataan) took place in the Philippines in 1942 and was later accounted as a Japanese war This site is in memory of the 31,000 Filipino and American soldiers who died there during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
• Pond and white obelisk monument in the main square of Vigan City in the Philippines. The City of Vigan is a 3rd class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines.
• "Obelisco Novecento", Rome, 2004. Sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro. Arnaldo Pomodoro is an Italian Sculptor. He was born on 23 June 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy

References

• Wirsching, Armin: Obelisken transportieren und aufrichten in Aegypten und in Rom. Norderstedt: Books on Demand 2007, ISBN 978-3 8334-8513-8

External links

• Obelisk of the World
• History of the Egyptian obelisks
• Obelisks in Rome (Andrea Pollett)
• Obelisks of Rome (series of articles in Platner's Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome)
• Obelischi di Roma
• History of the obelisk of Arles (in French)
• Octavo Edition of Domenico Fontana's book depicting how he erected the Vatican obelisk in 1586.
• National Geographic: "Researchers Lift Obelisk With Kite to Test Theory on Ancient Pyramids"

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