Obelisks were built in order to honor or commemorate important people or events in history. Here’s a list of the most notable obelisks from around the world.

Cleopatra’s Needles

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Cleopatra’s Needle from the River Thames, London

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Cleopatra’s Needle in Paris at the Place de la Concorde

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Cleopatra’s Needle, Central Park, New York

Three of the most popular obelisks in the world are the so-called Cleopatra’s Needles. They are a trio of obelisks in London, Paris, and New York City. Each is made of red granite, stands about 21 meters (68 ft) high, weighs about 180 tons and is inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphics. They were originally erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III, around 1450 BC. The inscriptions were added about 200 years later by Ramesses II to commemorate his military victories. The obelisks were moved to Alexandria and set up in the Caesarium - temples built by Cleopatra in honor of Mark Antony - by the Romans in 12 BC, during the reign of Augustus, but were toppled some time later. This had the fortuitous effect of burying their faces and so preserving most of the hieroglyphs from the effects of weathering.

Obelisk of Pharaoh: Egypt

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Ancient Egypt had built numerous obelisks but most of them were either destroyed or transported elsewhere in the world. One of the few that remained is the Obelisk of Pharaoh Senusret I. It is located in Al-Masalla area of al-Matariyyah district in Heliopolis, Cairo.

Obelisk of Thutmosis III: Turkey

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The Obelisk of Thutmosis III has large hieroglyphics that can be seen at a distance. It is currently standing in Istanbul, Turkey.

King Ezana’s Stele: Ethiopia

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The structure known as King Ezana’s Stele is the central obelisk still standing in the Northern Stelae Park in the ancient city of Axum, in modern-day Ethiopia. The obelisk was carved and erected in the 4th century by builders of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum. It is named after King Ezana, the first monarch of Axum to embrace Christianity. At its base, it is decorated with a false door, and apertures resembling windows on all sides.

King Ezana’s Stele stands 70 ft (21 m) tall, smaller than the fallen 108-foot (33 m) Great Stele and the better-known 79-foot (24 m) Obelisk of Axum; this obelisk was reassembled and unveiled on September 4, 2008.

Washington Monument: USA

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This spectacular obelisk is called the Washington Monument. It is a large, tall, sand-colored obelisk near the west end of the national mall in Washington D.C. It is constructed to commemorate George Washington. The monument is the world’s tallest stone structure, and is the world’s second tallest obelisk (behind San Jacinto Monument, in Texas), standing 169.294 meters (555 ft 5⅛ inches) in height and made of marble, granite, and sandstone. The Washington Monument reflection can be seen in the aptly named Reflecting Pool, a rectangular pool extending to the west toward the Lincoln Memorial.

Obelisk of Sao Paulo: Brazil

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Obelisk of Sao Paulo is an obelisk in Ibirapuera Park in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This monument is a symbol of the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, and the biggest monument of the city of Sao Paulo. The height of the monument is 72 meters. The construction of the monument was started in 1947 and completed in 1970. The obelisk, made of pure travertine marble, was inaugurated in 1955, one year after the inauguration of Ibirapuera Park.

One Tree Hill: New Zealand

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One remarkable obelisk in New Zealand is the One Tree Hill. One Tree Hill or Maungakiekie in Maori is a 182 meter volcanic peak located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is an important memorial place for both Maori and other New Zealanders. The suburb around the base of the hill is also called One Tree Hill. The hill’s scoria cones erupted 20,000 - 30,000 years ago, creating lava flows that covered an area of 20 square kilometers. The summit provides views across the Auckland area, and allows visitors to see both of Auckland’s harbors.

Obelisk of Buenos Aires: Argentina

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The magnificent obelisk of Buenos Aires was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is located in the center of the Plaza de la Republica (Republic Square), the spot where the Argentine flag was flown for the first time in Buenos Aires, at the intersection of Nueve de Julio and Corrientes avenues. Its total height is 67 meters (220 ft) and its base area is 49 square meters (530 square feet). It was designed by architect Alberto Prebisch, and its construction took barely four weeks.

High Point: USA

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High Point is located in the northwestern part of New Jersey and is the highest elevation in the state at 1,803 feet (550 m). High Point is the highest peak of the Kittatinny Mountains. At the peak is the High Point Monument, a 220-foot (67 m) tower, built in 1930 to commemorate the war dead.

Bennington Battle Monument: USA

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This tall structure called the Bennington Battle Monument is a 306 ft (93 m) stone obelisk located at 15 Monument Circle, in Bennington, Vermont. The monument commemorates the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Bennington.

Wellington Memorial: Ireland

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One of the most notable obelisks in Europe is the Wellington Monument. Welling ton Monument or more correctly the Wellington Testimonial is an obelisk located in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. The testimonial is situated at the southeast end of the Park, overlooking Kilmainham and the River Liffey. The structure is 62 meters (200 ft) tall, making it the largest obelisk in Europe.

Bunker Hill Monument: USA

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One of the most remarkable obelisks in the US is the Bunker Hill Monument. This obelisk was built to commemorate the battle of Bunker Hill. The 221 foot (67 m) granite obelisk was erected between 1827 and 1843 in Charlestown, Massachusetts with granite from Quincy, Massachusetts, conveyed to the site via the first commercial railway in the United States, built specially for that purpose, followed by a trip by barge. There are 294 steps to the top.

Walled Obelisk: Turkey

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The Walled Obelisk is also known as Constantine Obelisk. This obelisk is situated near Serpentine Column at the southern side of the Hippodrome of Constantinople (now Sultanahmet Square). The 32 meter-high obelisk was constructed of roughly cut stones by Constantine VII. Its exact construction date is unknown, but it is named after Constantine VII after he repaired it in 10th century. At that time, it was reportedly decorated with gilded bronze plaques that portrayed victories of Basil I who was grandfather of Constantine VII. Also there was a sphere at the top of obelisk. However, reportedly these gilded bronze plaques were stolen and melted by Fourth Crusaders in 1204. Since young Janissaries liked to use the obelisk to climb and show their prowess, the obelisk stone surface suffered further damage to its surface.

Black Obelisk: British Museum

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One of the most historically important obelisks is the “Black Obelisk” of Sahalmaneser III (reigned 858-824 BC). It is a black limestone Neo-Assyrian bas-relief sculpture from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), in northern Iraq. It is 197.85 cm. tall with a width of 45.08 cm. It is currently displayed in the British Museum. It is the most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered, and is historically significant because it displays the earliest ancient depiction of an Israelite. It was erected as a public monument in 825 BCE at a time of civil war. It was discovered in 1846. The obelisk features twenty reliefs, five on each side. They depict five different subdued kings, bringing tribute and prostrating before the Assyrian king. From top to bottom they are: (1) Sua of Gilzanu (in north-west Iran), (2) “Jehu of Bit Omri” (Jehu of the House of Omri), (3) an unnamed ruler of Musri (probably Egypt), (4) Marduk-apil-usur of Suhi (middle Euphrates, Syria and Iraq), and (5) Qalparunda of Patin (Antakya region of Turkey). Each scene occupies four panels around the monument and is described by a cuneiform script above them.

So as we have seen, an obelisk is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece of stone (a monolith); however, most modern obelisks are made of individual stones, and can even have interior spaces.

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