obelisks
Four-sided stone towers
Obelisks are tall, four-sided stone pillars that taper to a pyramidal point at the top.
Ancient Egyptians carved them from single blocks of granite, often inscribed with hieroglyphics.
Many now stand in Western cities as trophies of empire: The obelisk in Central Park was a gift from Egypt.
By extension, any tall, narrow monument of similar shape: The Washington Monument is technically an obelisk.
Load-bearing vertical structures
- spiresTapering architectural towers
- needlesSlender pointed instruments
- Cleopatra's NeedleEgyptian obelisk in London
- Washington MonumentCommemorative stone tower, D.C.
Luxor · commemorative · granite · memorial · plaza · landmark · towering · inscribed
Relating to the pharaohs' land
- pharaohAncient Egyptian ruler
- hieroglyphicsSymbolic picture-based writing
- KarnakEgyptian temple complex
- templeSacred worship structure
quarried · Aswan · sun worship · Ra · sacred · Hatshepsut · Ramesses · Heliopolis
Gradually narrowing in width
- four-sidedHaving four straight boundaries
- capstoneTopmost stone of structure
- baseSupporting bottom structure
- plinthArchitectural support block
inscriptions · carvings · polished · monolithic · hewn · erected · proportions · symmetry
Place for interring remains
- gravestoneBurial site marker
- tombstoneMemorial stone at grave
- memorialThing preserving remembrance
- burialPlacing deceased underground
mausoleum · necropolis · grave marker · headstone · epitaph · mourning · remembrance · eternal rest
Energy transfer rate
- eternityBoundless temporal existence
- sunbeamsStreaks of solar light
- divinitySacred nature or nougat-like sweet
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
immortality · victory · triumph · dominion · authority · majesty · permanence · legacy
pillars
Load-bearing vertical structures
- spiresTapering architectural towers
- needlesSlender pointed instruments
- Cleopatra's NeedleEgyptian obelisk in London
Washington Monument · Luxor · commemorative · granite · memorial · plaza · landmark · towering · inscribed · dedication
Egyptian
Relating to the pharaohs' land
- pharaohAncient Egyptian ruler
- hieroglyphicsSymbolic picture-based writing
- KarnakEgyptian temple complex
temple · quarried · Aswan · sun worship · Ra · sacred · Hatshepsut · Ramesses · Heliopolis · Nile
tapered
Gradually narrowing in width
- four-sidedHaving four straight boundaries
- capstoneTopmost stone of structure
- baseSupporting bottom structure
plinth · inscriptions · carvings · polished · monolithic · hewn · erected · proportions · symmetry · apex
cemetery
Place for interring remains
- gravestoneBurial site marker
- tombstoneMemorial stone at grave
- memorialThing preserving remembrance
burial · mausoleum · necropolis · grave marker · headstone · epitaph · mourning · remembrance · eternal rest · departed
power
Energy transfer rate
- eternityBoundless temporal existence
- sunbeamsStreaks of solar light
- divinitySacred nature or nougat-like sweet
sovereignty · immortality · victory · triumph · dominion · authority · majesty · permanence · legacy · glory
- Egyptian Antiquitiesmummies, sarcophagi, sarcophagus, canopic jars, scarabs
- Ancient ThebesThebes, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, West Bank, Karnak
- Roman monumentstriumphal arches, columns, mausoleums, equestrian statues
- ancient inscriptionscuneiform tablets, stone tablets, stele, cuneiform, inscription
- Ancient Egyptpharaoh, pharaohs, sphinx, pyramids, hieroglyphics
- artifactspottery shards, knives, masks, pottery, antiquity
obelisksplatforms
Elevated flat surfaces
pavements · plazas · floor mosaics · reflecting pools · foundations
obelisksgrave markers
Monuments identifying burial sites
cairns · wooden posts · burial mounds · milestones · boundary stones