Obelisk

(noun)

A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.

Related Terms

(noun)

Four-sided monument that tapers with height and is usually capped by a pyramidal form.

Related Terms

Examples of Obelisk in the following topics:

  • Stelae of the Middle Kingdom

    • For much of Egyptian history, including the Middle Kingdom, obelisks erected in pairs were used to mark the entrances of temples.
    • The earliest temple obelisk still in its original position is the red granite Obelisk of Senusret I (Twelfth Dynasty) at Al-Matariyyah in modern Heliopolis.
    • The obelisk was the symbol and perceived place of existence of the sun god Ra.
    • This obelisk is one half of a pair that originally marked the entrance to the temple of the sun god Ra.

  • Artifacts of Assyria

    • Erected during a time of civil war (825 BCE), the limestone Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is the most intact Assyrian obelisk found to date.
    • This limestone obelisk contains 20 registers depicting conquered kings paying tribute to Assyrian power and celebrating the military campaigns of Shalmaneser III.

  • Architecture of Aksun and Lalibela

    • Aksum is best known for the 1937 discovery of the 24-meter tall, 1,700-year-old Obelisk of Axum.
    • The obelisk is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of engineering from the height of the Aksumite empire, and in 2005 it was finally returned to Aksum.
    • The Obelisk of Aksum after its return to Ethiopia in 2005
    • The obelisk is an example of the stelae built by the Aksum kingdom.
    • Identify the famous rock-cut churches of Lalibela and the stelae, obelisk, and Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion of Aksum.

  • Hatshepsut

    • She installed twin obelisks, the tallest in the world at that time, at the entrance to this temple; one still stands.
    • Karnak's Red Chapel was intended as a shrine to her life, and may have stood with these obelisks.
    • The Hatshepsut needle, a granite obelisk, is considered another great accomplishment.

  • Hatshepsut

    • She had twin obelisks, at the time the tallest in the world, erected at the entrance to the temple.
    • One still stands today as the tallest surviving ancient obelisk in the world; the other has broken and toppled.
    • She later ordered the construction of two more obelisks to celebrate her sixteenth year as pharaoh.

  • The Assyrian Culture

    • Furthermore, the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, discovered in 1846, stands six-and-a-half-feet tall and commemorates the king's victorious campaigns from 859–824 BCE.
    • The cuneiform text on the obelisk reads "Jehu the son of Omri" and mentions gifts of gold, silver, lead, and spear shafts.
    • The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III commemorates the king's victorious campaigns from 859–824 BCE.

  • Architecture of the New Kingdom

    • To emphasize height and distance and enhance an existing pathway, two obelisks flanking the entrance were built with the illusion that they were the same height—even though they weren't.
    • It features large sandstone columns, several colossal statues, and one of the largest obelisks, weighing 328 tons and standing 29 meters tall.
    • Hapshepsut helped to restore the original precinct, which had been ravaged during the Hyksos occupation, and had twin obelisks erected at the entrance to the temple; one still stands as the tallest surviving ancient obelisk in the world.

  • Kingdom of Aksum

    • Furthermore, in the early times of the empire, around 1700 years ago, giant obelisks to mark emperor's (and nobles') tombs (underground grave chambers) were constructed, the most famous of which is the Obelisk of Aksum.
    • The Rome Stele (known also as the Aksum Obelisk) in Aksum (Tigray Region, Ethiopia)

  • The Nile River

    • The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians included the quarrying, surveying, and construction techniques that facilitated the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics; a practical and effective system of medicine; irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques; the first known ships; glass technology; and new forms of literature.

  • The Chavín Civilization

    • The Tello Obelisk is a huge sculpted shaft decorated with images of plants, animals, including caymans and birds, and humans, which may be portraying a creation myth.