Obelisk, tapered monolithic pillar, originally erected in pairs at the entrances of ancient Egyptian temples. The Egyptian obelisk was carved from a single piece of stone, usually red granite from the quarries at Aswān. It was designed to be wider at it
Egypt ever since, being particularly important to esoteric movements such asRosicrucianism(late 16th–early 17th century) andFreemasonry(18th century). Popes reerectedobelisksin Rome, and Egyptian elements reappeared in room decorations. By the mid-1600s, Bernini was designing pyramid tombs for popes...
In Upper Egypt, on the eastern bank of the Nile, stand the remains of the most extensive temple complex of the Dynastic Egyptians. The entire site was calledWastby the Egyptians,Thebaiby the Greeks, andThebesby the Europeans (the word Thebai derives from the Egyptian word Apet, which was ...
This review examines some little known aspects of Roman art and architecture, dealing especially with complex allusions to Ancient Egypt. The first part considers the legacy of the Egyptian goddess Isis to European civilisation and goes on to discuss obelisks and the significance of the Isaeum Cam...