Do you dream of seeing a real Egyptian obelisk? It's easier than you think! You don't even need to buy a ticket to Egypt. Just visit Rome, London or Paris! This article contains 10 obelisks that you can see in Europe.
What is an obelisk?
An obelisk (from the Latin point, pole) is a monument made of one block of rock in the shape of a tall, slender pyramid. The pyramid is truncated at the top, the end of which is often gilded. It is one of the most famous architectural elements of ancient Egypt. It was believed that this was an image of one of the most important gods, Ra, the personification of the Sun. On the side walls of the obelisk there were inscriptions with the names of the rulers.
The largest obelisk in Egypt was found in the quarries of Aswan. It was made for Queen Hatshepsut, however, due to the appearance of cracks in its middle part, the work was not completed. If this were done, the result would be the largest obelisk in the world, 42 meters high and weighing 1,200 tons.
Obelisks are further proof of the technological power of the ancient Egyptians. In order to forge a monolith from a stone block and bring it from Aswan, where there were granite deposits, it was necessary to develop complex methods and have organizational skills!
Where are most Egyptian obelisks located?
You probably think that in Egypt? But that's not true! Paradoxically, in Egypt, obelisks “survived” in smaller numbers than today, for example... in Rome! The Eternal City has eight ancient monoliths, and five more copies made already in the times of Ancient Rome.
Where can you find obelisks in Europe?
When the Roman Empire conquered Egypt, the obelisks, by the will of the emperors, began to be moved to Rome. They placed them in arenas (where chariot races were held), in temples and in squares. During the city's heyday, there were almost 40 obelisks.
Since finding an obelisk and bringing it to Rome was very expensive and difficult, the Romans began to make new obelisks in Italy and Alexandria. They were smaller in size and, for obvious reasons, lacked inscriptions, so they never belonged to the pharaohs.
In the Middle Ages, obelisks were considered a symbol of paganism, and all of them fell into oblivion over the course of several centuries. Only one obelisk was left, which is installed in the Vatican, because it is associated with Julius Caesar. In 1586, a cross was installed on it, and the obelisk moved to the center of the Piazza San Marco, which was under construction. Preparations for the transfer took four months, and 900 workers, 140 horses and 44 winches took part in the work.
Renaissance obelisks praised ancient art. The Egyptian motif was given a Christian aspect, where a triangular shape was combined, symbolizing the Trinity and the symbolism of the resurrection of Christ.
Since the reign of Pope Sixtus V, who wanted to make Rome the capital of true Christianity, several Egyptian obelisks were also found and reinstalled in the main squares of Rome, where they remain to this day.
In modern times, the export of Egyptian obelisks was facilitated by Napoleon's expeditions. In the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, France and England gained influence on the Nile, which provided the perfect opportunity to plunder the monumental buildings of ancient Egypt. This is why we see more obelisks today in the Old World than in the land of the pharaohs. In addition, they were interested in Egyptian art and religion, which also played a role.
10 obelisks you can see in Europe:
Tall Obelisk in Rome The Lateran obelisk that stands in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano. Its height, including its base, is almost 46 m, and its weight is estimated at 230 tons! It comes from the Temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak, and was erected in honor of Pharaoh Thutmose IV.
The first ancient obelisk brought from Egypt is the 25-meter Vatican Obelisk, which is probably the obelisk of Pharaoh Amenemhat II. It was transferred to Rome in 37 BC. by order of Emperor Caligula and placed in the arena. Currently, the monolith is located in the middle of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
Two obelisks arrived in the Eternal City in 10 BC. thanks to Emperor Octavian Augustus. The first of them is Flaminio, which was erected in honor of Ramses II. It was originally installed in the arena. After many years of oblivion, it was found in 1587 along with the Lateran obelisk. In 1589, the government of Pope Sixtus V installed it in Piazza del Poppolo.
Another, almost 22 meters high, Solar Obelisk was created in honor of Psammetichus II. It was originally part of the sundial on the Campus Martius. By order of Pope Pius VI, it was installed in 1792 in front of the Palazzo Montecitorio, which is the lower house of the Italian parliament.
The Piazza della Rotonda, where there is a fountain, is dominated by a 6-foot obelisk built in honor of Ramses II. It was found in 1373 and was originally installed on Capitol Hill. It was installed in front of the majestic Pantheon only in 1711 thanks to Pope Clement XI.
The obelisk standing in Piazza della Minerva has the most original appearance. The 5 and a half meter high monolith was created in honor of Pharaoh Apria and was brought to Rome by Emperor Diocletian. It was not found until 1655, and the government of Pope Alexander VII installed it in front of the Church of Santa Maria in 1667.
At its base is the most famous elephant in Rome: Elefantino. The inspired author of the monument took the illustration from a book by the Venetian scientist Francesco Colonna around 1499. The Latin inscription on the pedestal reads: "Understand what is associated with this symbol, that unshakable truth requires a reliable reason."
A Roman copy of the ancient building of Agonalis, the obelisk was made by order of Emperor Domitian. Height 16 m 53 cm, the monolith stood in 1651 near Piazza Navona, moved here at the behest of the pope from the ruins of the Circus of Maxentius.
During the Roman Empire, thanks to the Emperor Aurelian Augustus, two Roman obelisks were created, which were found only in 1527. The first of these, the Quirinale, was installed in 1786 at the suggestion of Pope Pius VI, on the highest of the seven hills of Rome, the Quirinale. Its height is 14 meters 63 centimeters.
The second 15-meter obelisk is behind the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which stood in Piazza del Esculino.
The obelisk of Sallustiano is a smaller copy of Ramses II. The obelisk was made at the request of Emperor Aurelian in the gardens of Sallust. It was found in 1734 by the government of Pope Pius VI. It currently rises above the Trinita dei Monti, the Spanish Steps.
Where else can you see obelisks?
In Paris
The obelisk from the Luxor Temple was a gift from the Viceroy of Egypt Muhammad Ali to King Louis Philippe in 1829 in gratitude for the deciphering of hieroglyphs made in 1822 by the French Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion. The obelisk stood in 1833 on Place Concorde in the center of Paris. Transporting the monolith to France lasted four years, and the manner in which this complex operation was carried out is shown on the pedestal of the monument.
In London
The Alexandria Needle of Cleopatra was given as a gift by Muhammad Ali in 1819. Until 1877 there were not enough financial resources to transport it to London, then the ship with the obelisk was caught in a storm, but fortunately the obelisk was preserved. The 20 meter tall giant stands on the Victoria Embankment along the River Thames.
In New York
Cleopatra's second Alexandrian needle. In 1880 it was transported across the ocean and installed in Central Park in New York.
In Istanbul
The obelisk of Thutmose III was brought to Constantinople, the then capital of the Roman Empire, by Emperor Theodosius. It was installed at the hippodrome by order of Emperor Constantine. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal depict the emperor looking at a racing chariot.
In Washington, DC
Washington DC National Park is home to the world's largest obelisk, built in 1888. Its height of 169 meters was a record until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889.
Which outwardly looks like a thin stone arrow, the tip of which looks like a pyramid. The first and most famous monuments of this kind were those in Egypt.
Obelisks are usually carved from a single piece of stone, so it was the Egyptian obelisks that were considered real. Some of the obelisk monuments of the United States of America, such as the Washington Monument or Bunker Hill, are similar in shape to real obelisks, but they are assembled from many small stones rather than carved from a single stone.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the obelisk was the habitat of the spirit of the Sun. As a rule, two obelisks were usually made. They were placed in pairs near the entrance to temples and palaces. The upper part of the obelisks was covered with shiny metal (most often gold), which reflected the sun's rays. On all four sides of the obelisk there were inscriptions praising the pharaohs.
The obelisks of Ancient Egypt were carved out of granite blocks that were quarried near Aswan. Some of these giants exceeded twenty-five meters in height. It is still unknown how these blocks were moved. According to rough estimates, it took the efforts of twenty thousand people to move the block. Stones from the quarry were dragged to the banks of the Nile River. Here they were loaded onto barges. The stones traveled by water to other cities.
Obelisks of ancient Egypt were sent to all countries of the world. Obelisks made a deep impression on the ancient Romans. After the conquest of Egypt by Rome, the Romans transported fifteen obelisks to Italy, to their home. How this was done is unknown.
The obelisk that stands in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was brought in around the same time. In 1585, sixteen centuries later, it was decided to move the obelisk to the square in front of the cathedral. It took a year to do this.
In the 19th century, 3 more obelisks were taken from Egypt. The first was installed on the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1836, the second was installed on the banks of the Thames in London in 1880. The third obelisk is located in Central Park in New York. Monuments in New York and London are called "Cleopatra's Needle".
During the Renaissance, Italian architects used obelisks to solve urban planning problems, as a compositional accent in architectural ensembles of squares (Piazza del Popolo, Piazza San Pietro).
Catherine II erected obelisks to commemorate major military victories (Rumyantsev Obelisk, Kagul Obelisk).
The tallest obelisk today is the Washington Monument, which was opened in 1884 in the US capital. Its height is 169 meters.
Obelisks are associated with the cult of the sun. They taper upward, are hewn out of monolithic stones, they have a pyramidal top (pyramidion), often lined with metal (gold) to shine brightly and shine in the sun. They were often placed in pairs at the pylons of the entrance to temples, as well as one at a time in the central part of the square in front of the temple. In our time, only a few obelisks remain in Egypt, standing in their original place - most of them were taken to other countries. In the main cities of Europe and America, there are about 15 of these large monoliths in large areas. The largest, weighing over 1000 tons, was never completed and still lies in the quarries of Aswan.
What are obelisks for? (versions):
Obelisks were built for “communication with the gods” and were intended forflow stabilization and conservationbiological time.
- Perhaps the obelisks serverepeater antennasenergy of a certain property, used by alien civilizations to control and manage humanity?
Some scientists believe that the obelisk is partnavigation equipmentfor alien ships, installed on top of the tower inHeliopolis.
Here are some famous obelisks of the world. Most of them are installed in Rome.
1 . Obelisk Feodosia in Istanbul, a porphyry monolith, 25 m high, brought from the Egyptian temple at Karnak, where it was erected in honor of Thutmose III. The marble base, six meters high, is decorated with bas-reliefs.
2 .Luxor Obelisk at Place de la Concorde (France). Created around 1285 BC. Decorated the entrance to the temple in Luxor in Egypt, donated to FranceEgyptian Viceroy Muhammad Ali in 1830.
3. P An obelisk stands in front of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano Laterano, the tallest of the thirteen obelisks (47 meters) installed in the squares of Rome.The obelisk dates back to the era of Pharaoh Thutmose III. In 357, Emperor Constantine II, son of Constantine the Great, decorated the Circus of Massimo with this obelisk. When the Circus of Massimo fell into ruins, by order of Sixtus V, the obelisk was pulled out, restored and installed in front of the entrance to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
4 . Obelisk Flaminia. Rome. height 24 meters was built for the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesse in 1232-20. BC
5 . An Egyptian monolithic obelisk made of granite, 16.53 meters high, rises in the center of Piazza Navona in Rome.
6 . Obelisk Minerva arrived in Rome along with the twin obelisk that is now located at the Pantheon for the Temple of Isis. This small obelisk, 5.5 meters high, appeared opposite the church in 1667 by order of Pope Alexander VII.
7 . N and in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican there is an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome in 37 by Emperor Caligula. The 25.5 meter high obelisk is made of pink granite.in 1586, Pope Sixtus V ordered the architect Domenico Fontana to install it in the square. He replaced the golden ball that once crowned the obelisk with a Cross with a piece of the Holy Cross
8. A magnificent staircase with 135 steps rises to the Trinita del Monti church. At the top of the stairs in front of the church in 1789 an obelisk with a height of 13.91 m was erected.This obelisk was carved in Egypt on behalf of the Romans. In 200 or 300 it was taken to Rome to decorate the gardens of Salust.
9 . The columns of the Pantheon (Rome) were made of 15 m long granite blocks brought from Egypt. The portico of the building faces the small square of the Rotunda, on which there is a fountain created in 1711 during the time of Pope Clement XI. The composition of the fountain uses an obelisk 6.34 m high, found on the site where the Temple of Isis was located in ancient times.
10 . Obelisk on Piazza del Pololo. A square with three rays of streets extending from it - one of which leads to the Vatican. At the point of their intersection, an obelisk with a height of 23.2 m and a weight of 235 tons was installed. The obelisk was created during the reign of the son of Ramses II Merenpt (1223-1211 BC). The obelisk was installed in Heliopolis, the religious center of Ancient Egypt. In 30 BC. After the victory over Cleopatra, the future emperor Augustus ordered this obelisk to be transported to Rome and dedicated to the god Apollo, who ensured his victory.
11 . Obelisk Senusret I - the only surviving structure of ancient Heliopolis in Egypt. Its height 20,4 meters, weight - 121 ton. On the occasion of the anniversary ( heb-seda) Senusret I two obelisks were installed in front of the temple Atuma in Heliopolis (one survives) .
12. Britain's largest obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" 20.88 m high, weight 189.35 tons. Made of pink granite.It was originally installed by order of Thutmose 3 in front of the Temple of the Sun in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis around 1450 BC. A couple of hundred years later, Pharaoh Ramses 2 ordered his military victories to be described on the obelisk.In the 12th century BC. During the reign of Caesar Augustus, the obelisk was transported to Alexandria and installed in the temple that the legendary Queen Cleopatra once built in honor of her beloved Mark Antony.Gifted to Great Britain by the Viceroy of Egypt Mehemed Ali in 1819 in honor of the victory of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercrombie at the Battle of Alexandria.
13 . Obelisk to the first US President George Washington on the National Mall (USA). The monument, almost 170 meters high, is made in the image and likeness of Egyptian obelisks. (not original)
14 . Egyptian obelisk in New York's Central Park. The obelisk from the time of Pharaoh Thutmose III dates back approximately 3,500 years. It has been the pride of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1881 as a gift from the Egyptian government. Its height is 21.6 meters, weight is 244 tons.
15. Buinos Aires (Argentina). An artificial obelisk in honor of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city. height 67.5 m.
17 . in Aswan (Egypt) a 42-meter obelisk carved from stone remained unraised
18. Obelisk of Constantine . Colossus(Lacy Stone Column) was built from stone blocks by order of Emperor Constantine VII in honor of the memory of his grandfather Basil I. The original height of the column was 32 meters, it was covered with gilded bronze sheets, which were stripped and melted down by the Crusaders during the 4th Crusade (1204). Currently, the height of the column is 21 meters.
Both obelisks and steles in different historical eras were made of different materials: marble, granite or some other stone, even. Inscriptions were applied to both obelisks and steles. These memorial signs differ in their shape.
An obelisk is most often in the form of a pillar, tapering upward. Most often, such a column has a square cross-section, but there are also cone-shaped obelisks. The stella looks like a slab, not a pillar.
Obelisks
The word “obelisk” is Greek, but the very first obelisks appeared not in Greece, but in Ancient Egypt. They were made from red granite. It was no easy task! Thus, the inscription above one of the Egyptian obelisks located in Karnak says that it took seven whole months to make it!
Egyptian obelisks are tetrahedral tapering pillars. On all four faces, hieroglyphic inscriptions were carved in which the Egyptians praised their gods, first of all, the sun god Ra, as well as those also considered gods. Many obelisks are decorated with pyramidal tops covered with an alloy of silver and gold.
The tradition of building obelisks from the Egyptians was borrowed by many peoples of the Ancient World. Obelisks began to be erected in Phenicia, Assyria, and Ethiopia.
After conquering Egypt, the Romans transported many Egyptian obelisks to Rome. After this, Rome began to erect its own obelisks, but they also had a practical significance: they were used as sundial columns.
In Europe, the tradition of erecting obelisks was forgotten in the Middle Ages, but was resurrected during the Renaissance and has not been interrupted to this day. In Russia, obelisks began to be erected under Catherine II.
The tallest obelisk in the world is located in Washington (USA) between the Capitol and the White House. This is the Washington Monument, its height exceeds 169 meters.
Stella
Like obelisks, steles appeared in ancient times. One of the most ancient steles is the one on which the code of laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, who ruled in 1793-1750, is inscribed in cuneiform. BC This stele is made from diorite, a rock of igneous origin.
Another famous ancient stele is known as the Rosetta Stone. This stele was found in Egypt, and what is remarkable about it is that the text on it is inscribed in three versions: in ancient Egyptian - in hieroglyphs and later demotic writing, and in ancient Greek. Scientists have long known the ancient Greek language, and thanks to the Rosetta Stone the ancient Egyptian texts began.
But steles were especially loved in China, where they were erected both at the behest of emperors and at the initiative of temples. In this country, in the city of Xi'an, there is even a museum called "Forest of Steles", where you can see steles created during different periods of Chinese history.
The obelisks of Rome are its unique characteristic. Like no other city in the world, there are 13 ancient monolithic granite obelisks. Seven of them are ancient Egyptian obelisks, brought to Rome at different times during the Imperial period. The first obelisk was delivered by order of Augustus in 10 BC, and the last one was ordered to be brought to Rome by Emperor Constantius II in 357 AD. The remaining obelisks are copies and were made in Egypt by the Romans.
After the conquest of Egypt in 31 BC. In Rome it became possible to decorate the city with obelisks. Their use was varied, some, low, were installed along the main street in the Campo Marzio, among them those that are now in Florence and Urbino. Tall obelisks adorned the centers of ancient circuses: the Great Circus (Circo Massimo), the Circus of Maxentius (Circo di Massenzio), the Vatican Circus (Vaticano) and Variano (Variano). Two obelisks decorated the entrance to the Mausoleum of Augustus, and one served as the gnomon of a huge sundial.
Egyptian obelisks were transported by ship and unloaded at the port of Ostia, where some of them were crushed into sections and cataloged for subsequent installation. Obelisks filled the inhabitants of Ancient Rome with a sense of pride. After numerous invasions of barbarians, many obelisks were destroyed, and some simply disappeared and were covered with the dust of oblivion. In addition to the architectural decoration of the city, obelisks performed specific functions of the geometric layout of the squares and were located in their absolute center. From a symbolic point of view, the obelisks of Rome expressed the idea of the rise of Christianity and its desire to get closer to God.
Reference. Obelisks are monolithic granite blocks with four sides that taper towards the top. At the very top they are crowned with a pyramidal gilded arrow (point, later - a cross or a ball). The name comes from the Greek Obelìscos (spire, spear, peak). The ancient Egyptian name for obelisks is TEKHENU.
The obelisks were carved in the quarries of Aswan in Egypt and floated down the Nile on special barges. Some obelisks are colossal in size, the largest of which is now preserved in the city of Rome has a height of 32 meters. The Egyptians erected obelisks to glorify the sun god Ra. The obelisks symbolized the rays of the sun that descended on the earth to illuminate it and warm everyone. In addition, obelisks were installed in front of temples and tombs, and the inscriptions on them glorified the pharaohs. The first obelisks were erected in the Egyptian city of Iunu, which translates as “city of pillars,” or obelisks. The Greeks called this city Iliopolis or Heliopolis, which means “city of the sun.” It was from here, on specially built ships, that the Romans brought one of the most ancient obelisks.
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