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Obelisks were prominent in the architecture of the ancient Egyptians, and played a vital role in their religion placing them in pairs at the entrance of the temples.The word "obelisk" as used in English today is of Greek rather than Egyptian origin because Herodotus, the Greek traveler, was one of the first classical writers to describe the objects.
The Luxor Temple predated Ramesses II by about 150 years. During his reign, renovations were made that included the addition of the two obelisks. The obelisks were each carved from a single piece of red granite, quarried about 100 miles (160 km) south of Luxor in Aswan, transported on a specially designed barge, and lowered into place with ropes and sand.
The Obélisque d'Arles ("Arles Obelisk") is a 4th-century Roman obelisk, erected in the center of the Place de la République, in front of the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) in Arles, France. Description
The largest known obelisk, the unfinished obelisk, was never erected and was discovered in its original quarry. It is nearly one-third larger than the largest ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected (the Lateran Obelisk in Rome); if finished it would have measured around 41.75 metres (137.0 ft) [ 6 ] and would have weighed nearly 1,090 tonnes ...
The name Cleopatra's Needles derives from the French name, "Les aiguilles de Cléopâtre", when they stood in Alexandria. [12] The earliest known post-classical reference to the obelisks was by the Cairo-based traveller Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi in c.1200 CE, who according to E. A. Wallis Budge described them as "Cleopatra's big needles".
The obelisk and its base contain a number of inscriptions. Two ancient inscriptions at the base of the shaft describe its original dedication in Rome, four inscriptions on the pedestal composed by Cardinal Silvio Antoniano describe its rededication in 1586, and lower down, in smaller script, is an acknowledgement of Domenico Fontana's role in the moving of the obelisk.
The centrepiece of the monument is a 21-metre-tall granite obelisk.Atop of the obelisk stands a gilded bronze statue representing Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, or "Queen of Freedom" (Friddenskinnigin in Luxembourgish), [1] holding out a laurel wreath as if placing it upon the head of the nation.
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus † is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. [1] The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species or languages). [ 2 ]