Obelisks are four-sided tall, slender pillars covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions and tapering to a point at the top, usually carved from a single block of stone. They were created by the Egyptians to symbolize contact between humans on earth and the gods in the heavens. A pair of obelisks bearing commemorative inscriptions often stood at the entrance to temples, particularly those dedicated to the sun god, Ra. Their purpose was to proclaim the king's power and successes.
These obelisks captured the imagination of foreign conquerors throughout history, and many can now be found in different parts of the world. Two great obelisks, which stood in Egypt for 2,500 years, were brought to Rome to commemorate Julius Caesar. These became known as Cleopatra's Needles. Ironically, in 1878 one was transported to London and placed on the Thames River embankment. New York City received the other one, and placed it in Central Park in 1881.
Several obelisks were brought to ancient Rome in imperial times, and others were made by the Romans, who imitated Egyptian hieroglyphics to simulate the real thing. They were erected outside temples or mausoleums or along the center line of arenas built for chariot racing. When the Roman Empire came to an end, one by one the obelisks fell and were buried. It was not until the Renaissance that a renewed interest for antiquities caused them to be unearthed.
Possibly the best known obelisk in Egypt is at the Temple of Luxor in Thebe, which was raised by Ramses II. This obelisk was originally one of a pair, each 72 feet tall and 254 tons of solid red granite. In 1836, Napoleon removed one and it now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
One modern obelisk that may be familiar is the Washington Monument in the United States capital. Built to honor the first president of the United States, George Washington (1732-1799), this 555-foot obelisk is the tallest building in Washington, D. C.
The country splintered into numerous small kingdoms and fiefdoms, constantly at war. Massive confusion reigned, enabling Egypt’s former colony, Nubia, to seize the throne, which it held for more than 100 years.
During Egypt’s Late Period (664 B. C.E.-332 B. C.E.) outside influences and invaders-Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Macedonian Greeks-dominated Egypt. A dynasty of merchant-kings, the Saites, fell to the Persian Cambyses in 525 B. C.E. The First Persian Occupation (525 B. C.E.-405 B. C.E.) was an unhappy time. Egypt did not like being part of someone else’s empire. The Egyptians rebelled and won back their independence for 66 years. Nakhthoreb (also known as Nectanebo II), the last king of the Thirtieth Dynasty, who ruled from 362 B. C.E. to 343 B. C.E., was the last native Egyptian to rule Egypt for 2,300 years, until 1952.
The Second Persian Occupation (343 B. C.E.-332 b. c.e.) was brief and troubled. Egypt longed for a savior. In 332 B. C.E., Alexander the Great drove the hated Persians from Egypt, beginning the Hellenistic (Greek) Period (332 B. C.E.-323 B. C.E.). The Egyptians considered Alexander a god-the son of their god Amun-Re. In founding the city of Alexandria, Alexander brought Egypt into the greater Mediterranean world. But Egypt’s ancient, native civilization was swiftly passing away.
The Ptolemaic Period (323 B. C.E.-30 B. C.E.) saw the end of ancient Egypt. The Ptolemies, ruling from Alexandria, were greatly influenced by the Greeks, and Greek and Egyptian culture began to blend. In 30 B. C.E., Queen Cleopatra VII committed suicide rather than face defeat by the Romans, and Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.
World History
