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.

monuments

pillars

Load-bearing vertical structures

Washington Monument · Luxor · commemorative · granite · memorial · plaza · landmark · towering · inscribed · dedication

ancient

Egyptian

Relating to the pharaohs' land

temple · quarried · Aswan · sun worship · Ra · sacred · Hatshepsut · Ramesses · Heliopolis · Nile

architectural

tapered

Gradually narrowing in width

plinth · inscriptions · carvings · polished · monolithic · hewn · erected · proportions · symmetry · apex

funerary

cemetery

Place for interring remains

burial · mausoleum · necropolis · grave marker · headstone · epitaph · mourning · remembrance · eternal rest · departed

symbolic

power

Energy transfer rate

sovereignty · immortality · victory · triumph · dominion · authority · majesty · permanence · legacy · glory

Categories
Opposites
architectural form/shape

obeliskscolumns

Upright structural shafts

pillars · spheres · domes · rotundas · drums

verticality/orientation

obelisksplatforms

Elevated flat surfaces

pavements · plazas · floor mosaics · reflecting pools · foundations

monumentality/scale

obelisksgrave markers

Monuments identifying burial sites

cairns · wooden posts · burial mounds · milestones · boundary stones

Family

obelisk

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G