Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vogebam here. When it comes to astonishing architectural achievements of ancient Egypt, the first example that comes to mind maybe the pyramids. But these historic structures aren't the only majestic geometric feats to originate from this civilization.
In fact, their rectangular cousin, the obelisk, can be found in countries throughout the world, from Washington, d C. To Paris, France, but the iconic monuments are still shrouded in a fair amount of mystery. We spoke by email with historian Pamela oh Long. She said obelisks originated in ancient Egypt. They were spectacular monuments, often dedicated to the solar gods of Egypt, but also representing the power of the Pharaoh. They were
monuments to the fusion of earthly and divine power. According to Long, obelisks first appeared in the fifth and six dynasties of the Old Kingdom circa four b C, the same era in which the Pyramids of Giza were built. She explained, the important central fact about obelisks is that they are monoliths carved out of granite. Most from the Aswan Quarry in Lower Egypt. As a single block of stone weighing several hundred tons, the base was a square. It gradually tapered as it rose, and was capped by
a pyramid shaped structure called a pyramidian. If creating an artistically designed architectural masterpiece out of several hundred tons of stone sounds impossibly challenging, that's because it nearly was, Along said, Carving out an obelisk from the bedrock of the quarry, dragging it to the transport ship on the Nile River, offloading it, dragging it to where it was to stand, and then raising it was a tremendous feat of high
technological skill and brute labor. The fact that these original structures were monolithic, meaning that they were carved from one single piece of stone, makes them distinct from more modern versions. Along said, many people don't realize that the ancient Egyptian obelisk was a monolith. This is one thing that makes
them beautiful and remarkable. There are obelisk shaped masonry structures, such as the Washington Monument in Washington, d c. But of course they differ from the ancient Egyptian monolithic structures. According to experts, obelisks were often associated with the ancient Egyptian sun god Raw, but their meaning may go even deeper. But we also spoke via email with Vicky al Mansa Vila Toro, a PhD Candidate in Egyptology at Brown University. She said, the obelisk is a solar symbol of regeneration
and creation, and it symbolizes the ben Ben Stone. What is the ben Ben Stone? According to the ancient Egyptian myths of creation or cosmogenys, in the beginning, there was a primordial ocean of nothingness called new Among these cosmogonies, the Heliopolitan account describes how the first thing to ever arise from these was a mound of earth, the so
called primordial Hill. This mound is clearly inspired by the fertile hills that emerged from the waters of the Nile every year after the annual flood began to recede and the crop growing season approached. The ben Ben is actually
the icon the magical representation of the primordial hill. According to a months of Villa Toro, the ben Ben was likely an actual mound shaped monument that residents of Heliopolis worshiped she said, the sun temples of the Fifth dynasty incorporated amount of earth resembling a small pyramid in their courtyards, and likewise, obelisks are topped by a small pyramidian. Thus, both the obelisks and the pyramids are regenerative icons and rooted in the symbolism of the primordial hill and the
ben Ben stone. The Egyptian myths of the creation are multiple and sometimes contradictory. The myth that incorporates the primordial hill and thus the ben Ben is the Heliopolitan myth. Heliopolis was the city of worship of the sun god Ra and as many manifestations. One significant feature found on many of the original obelisks is their decoration. Along said, obelisks were often found ornamented on all four sides with hieroglyphic writing, which for the most part commemorated the pharaoh
and his or her deeds. Of course, some of Egypt's obelisks have been removed from their original context. Along said, It's also true the obelisks are ancient monuments that can be moved, so their meaning has changed as they are moved from one location and culture to another. The obelisks in Egypt, Rome, Istanbul, Paris, London, and New York all have meant very different things to the people and culture that possesses them, very different from that of the ancient Egyptians.
The oldest man made object in Central Park and the oldest outdoor monument in New York City is the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle. It's over three thousand years old, stand sixty nine ft high and ways in and an amazing two d and twenty tons. It was erected in Central Park on January twenty second of eighteen eighty one, after having been sold to the United States by the
Egyptian government. One particularly famous relocation was that of the Vatican Obelisk at the center of Rome St. Peter's Square. Along said it's famous because of the renown it acquired, and not when it was brought by the ancient Romans from Egypt to Rome after the Roman conquest of Egypt, but when Pope's sixth is the fifth Antis engineer Domenico Fontana moved the obelisk from the side of St. Peter's
to the front where it now stands. This occurred in a dramatic series of steps, with all of Rome watching in the spring, summer and early fall of fifteen eighty six. The dramatic transport process was fraught with danger and celebrated all around Italy. When it was accomplished, Long said, the engineer wrote a wonderful book with spectacularly detailed woodcuts, explaining every step of the move, including all the ben and
machinery that where used. This account was published in We can marvel at it today both because of Fontana's lucid explanations and the illuminating illustrations. While obelisks are rich in meaning and historical significance, their main attraction may really be their inspiring esthetics. Long said. If you are ever in egypt, istanbul Rome, Paris, London, or New York, stop to really look at the obelisks. They are immensely heavy, but also fragile.
They're the oldest or among the oldest human made structures that exist in whichever city you find them. They display a subtle geometry. Block out the traffic, noise and other distractions, and spend some time looking at the obelisk walking around it if you can observing the hieroglyphs, the pyramidian pointing to the sun, immensely heavy monuments that are also transportable. They connect us to an ancient past, but can be deeply moving in the present as well. Today's episode was
written by Michelle Konstantinovski and produced by Tyler Clay. For more on this and loss of other curious topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.