obelisks
An Ancient Egyptian monuments
obelisks are four-sided tall, slim pillars covered with hieroglyphics that come to a point at the top. they are usually carved from a single block of stone. they were created by the Egyptians to symbolize contact between humans on earth and the gods in the heavens. A pair of obelisks often stood at the entrance to temples, particularly those dedicated to the sun god, Ra. their purpose was to declare the king’s power and success. these obelisks captured the imagination of foreign conquerors throughout history. many can now be found in different parts of the world. two great obelisks, which stood in Egypt for 2,500 years, were brought to Rome by Julius Caesar (d. 44 b.c.). these became known as Cleopatra’s needles. In 1878 one was taken to London and placed on the banks of the Thames river. New york city received the other one, and placed it in central park in 1881. Several obelisks were brought to ancient Rome in imperial times, and others were made by the Romans, who imitated Egyptian hieroglyphics. they were put up outside temples or tombs or along the center line of arenas built for chariot racing (a chariot is a two-wheeled cart pulled by horses). When the roman Empire came to an end, one by one the obelisks fell and were buried. It was not until the 13th century that a renewed interest for antiquities caused them to be unearthed. possibly the best known obelisk in Egypt is at the temple of Luxor in Thebes. It was put up by Ramses II. this obelisk was originally one of a pair. Each was 72 feet tall and made of 254 tons of solid red granite. In 1836, Napoleon removed one and it now stands in the place de la Concorde in Paris. one modern obelisk that may be familiar is the Washington monument in the United States capital. It was built to honor the first president of the United States, George Washington (1732–1799). the 555-foot obelisk is the tallest building in Washington, D.C. CONNECTIONS P.
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