After the pyramids, the obelisks are perhaps the most emblematic architectural structures of ancient Egypt, as they have been commonly seen placed in pairs at the entrances of the great pyramidal constructions. They stand out for the complexity with which they are created since at least all the obelisks found in Egypt are monolithic pillars (that is, they are built from a single piece of rock). In addition, they are loaded with symbolism and geometry that make us wonder what they mean and why they were so important to the Egyptians.
The obelisks are monuments built by the Egyptian culture to venerate the god of the Sun, whom they called Ra, who was an extremely important figure in their worldview and pantheon of gods, as they believed he was the creator of life. Ra was represented by the body of a man and the head of a falcon and was always accompanied by a solar disk just above his head.
The appearance of the obelisks
The appearance of the Egyptian obelisks is similar in all cases. They are erected from the ground to the sky in the shape of a quadrangular pillar; they have four equal faces, which in turn have a trapezoidal shape, wider at the base than at the top. At the top, they have a pyramid-shaped finish called pyramidion or benben, as the Egyptians called it. It is believed that the benben were covered with gold and, although it is not known exactly why this metal was chosen, archaeologists believe that it may be closely linked to the color of the metal which is similar to that of the sun, in addition to the durability of the material.
These ancient pillars, which measure up to 30 meters high, are actually monoliths, which means that they were carved from a single piece of rock, whether granite, gray basalt, or quartzite. It is known that some of them weighed more than 350 tons, so archaeologists continue to question the construction practices of the ancient Egyptians, considering that they did not have the technology we have today.
Most of them stand on a prismatic stone base and their faces have carved hieroglyphs that reveal the name of the pharaoh who ordered the construction, as well as the description of the facts of the historical context of that monarch.
What is the meaning of the obelisk?
The word obelisk comes from the Greek word obelískos, diminutive in turn of obelos which means “pole or the pointed column.” Today they are known as obelisks, but in Ancient Egypt, they were known as tejen and also called benben to the highest part of these monuments that was adorned with a pyramidal shape. And it is not a mere coincidence that two of the most important structures of Egyptian culture have precisely this shape.
The ancient Egyptians represented their sacred vision of the divine almost always with a pyramidal geometry. For example, the great pyramids of Giza are perfectly aligned with the stars, which in itself gives us an indication of how much this culture observed the sky.
In addition, in the pyramid texts, there is a hieroglyph that represents the benben of the obelisks. Although sometimes it takes different figures as a complete or truncated pyramidion, as well as a double or simple staircase, or a promontory of rounded edge; in all cases, it represents an element that rises from the earth to the sky that serves as a connection between both worlds, the divine and the earthly.
This is why both the benben (the pyramidal tip) and the tejen (the complete obelisk) symbolized the process by which the Sun’s rays, which under their worldview were life-giving, fall on the earth, fertilizing and protecting it. Solar symbols and figures of the pharaoh protected by the god Ra were placed on the pyramidion, while dedications to the gods were inscribed on the faces of the obelisk. In this way the monarch was united to the divinity, which gave him the authority to mediate between the world beyond and the earthly; between the gods and men.
Which was the first obelisk in the world?
The oldest Egyptian obelisk preserved is the one erected at the entrance of the Temple of Sesostris I in Heliopolis, dating from 1961 – 1915 B.C. It is known that there were initially two obelisks at the entrance of the temple built by Sesostris I, one of the most powerful kings of the XII dynasty; however, today only one of them is still standing.
It was carved on a large red granite rock from Aswan and is 70 meters high, it is believed to weigh approximately 120 tons. According to the temple inscriptions, the monolith was built as a symbol of the jubilee to celebrate the 30 years of the Pharaoh’s reign. The inscription “He made it to give life forever” can be read on its side.
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera