23/08/2024
Ancient Egyptian Obelisks
Most Egyptians are familiar with obleisks in terms of shape & location, but very few know about the story behind these so-called: skyscrapers of the past…
It might be well-known to many that an obelisk is a tall four-sided structure with a small pyramidion on top of it, but have you ever wondered what its name means? Or have you even thought what was the significance of erecting such gigantic structures?
Well, the name “obelisk” is derived from the ancient Greek word “obeliskos”, which was first used by Greeks to refer to these striking structures, & it literally means “the small spit” in reference to the distinctive form of these structures. However, it’s important to know that the ancient Egyptians called it by a different name: “tekhenu”, a word whose origin and meaning are still obsecure.
As for the significance behind these structures, there have been so many interpretations. In general, it’s agreed that obelisks were meant to honour the sun god “Re” from the earliest of times & this interprets why the earliest obelisks are thought to have originated at Helipolis the cult centre of Re (now in Matariya, Cairo). However, some obelisks could be dedicated to other deities as well, all of whom had something to do with the solar cult, such as: Atum (the setting sun), Khepr (the rising sun), Re Herakhty (the sun at noon), Isis, Ptah, and others.
Accordingly, some suggested that obelisks, with their distinctive form and pyramidion top, were meant to symbolize sunrays that landing on earth from the sky. Others insist that the meaning of obelisks lies within their pyramidion top, which for the ancient Egyptians could have symbolized the “Benben”, or the primeval hill. This hill, according to one ancient Egyptian creation myth, was the stone on which the sun god stood amid the primeval ocean of non-being and started to create the world. Thus, for the ancient Egyptians, the obelisk symbolized the sun god & the beginning of creation. Additionally, during certain periods in ancient Egyptian history, the ancient Egyptians thought that obelisks were actually occupied by a god, and even made offerings to obelisks and the god lying within them. Furthermore, much more secular purposes had been also associated with obelisks. These included being used in pairs as an aesthetic architectural element to mark the entrance to temples in ancient Egypt. Sometimes, they were also meant to commemorate the king who erected them, and to also commemorate his relationship with the deity to which the obelisk was dedicated. This was highlighted through the reliefs and inscriptions on all four sides of such obelisks.
It's noteworthy that there was also another type of obelisks that had a funerary purpose. These were rather smaller obelisks that flanked the entrances to some private tombs. Such obelisks were only inscribed on one side with the name & titles of the tomb owner, and sometimes even included prayers to the deities of the dead.
Finally, it’s important to note that obelisks were not built, but rather cut out of a single piece of stone. This fact, however, raised so many speculations about the way obelisks were shaped, cut, transported, and finally erected in their intended places in temples…
To be continued…
By: Arwa Soliman.
References:
-Habaschi, L. (1978). The Obelisks of Egypt: Skyscrapers of The Past. London.
-Nur El-Din, Abdelhalim: Lecture on Obelisks in Ancient Egypt. (The Sirst Cultural-Archaeological Season in Bibliotheca Alexandrina).