Obelisk

Obelisk, four-sided tapering shaft terminating in a pyramid or conical top. In ancient Egypt, pairs of these monoliths, each hewn from a single piece of red granite and set on a cubical base, often flanked temple entrances and were associated with sun worship. The pointed tops were frequently sheathed in brass or gold; sculptured dedicatory or commemorative hieroglyphs about the Egyptian pharaohs usually ran down the sides of the shaft. Obelisks were produced throughout ancient Egyptian history, the dwarf specimens generally dating from the earliest and latest periods, and the giant specimens from the Middle Kingdom.

The obelisk form is still used in monuments and decorations and as an architectural adjunct. It was a popular feature in baroque and neoclassical tombs and has been used everywhere in the Western world as an ornamental element in parks, gardens, and cemeteries. It has often been added to fountains, balustrades, and gables. The Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are built in the shape of obelisks; as opposed to the traditional obelisk, which is carved from a single piece of solid rock, these monuments are masonry towers constructed of many stone blocks.