It seems that mankind loves to erect tall cylindrical structures, usually as a memorial to an important person or to commemorate a significant historical event. At any rate, there are many of these obelisks throughout the world. I thought I would post a list of some of the more noteworthy of these structures. A photo album will follow the post.
1. Cleopatra’s Needle, London, England – This is one of Egypt’s obelisks, found along the Thames River, near the British Parliament Complex.
2. Washington Monument, Washington, DC, USA – This memorial to America’s first president will, by law, always be the tallest structure in the US Capitol.
3. Hippodrome, Istanbul, Turkey – There are actually three (3) obelisks/columns here in this ancient stadium where chariot races occurred. Remember that Constantinople (Istanbul’s old name) was once the center of the Roman Empire.
4. Egyptian Obelisk, Place de la Concorde, Paris, France – This structure adorns the famous square at the eastern end of the Champs Elysses.
5. Mary’s Column, Munich, Germany – This gold-topped structure stands in the center of Munich’s busiest and most famous square, smack-dab in the heart of the city center.
6. Memorial to the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China – The world’s largest square is rather stark, but displays this column at its center.
7. Egyptian Obelisk, St Peter’s Square, Vatican City – This structure has witnessed millions of people praying and cheering for the leader of the Roman Catholic religion in this incredible expanse of Medieval beauty.
8. Cleopatra’s Needle, Central Park, New York, New York, USA – Another of Egypt’s contributions to the world, this structure was once cited as a sad indication of the air pollution that characterized large cities in the US in the Sixies and Seventies.
9. Bunker Hill Monument, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA – One of the last stops on Boston’s Freedom Trail, this obelisk marks the famous battle for Boston Harbor.
10. El Obelisco, Plaza de la Republica, Buenos Aires, Argentina – This structure dominates one of Argentina’s most-photographed squares.
11. Plague Column, London, England – A monument to the devastation and destruction of this curse of the Middle Ages, the Plague Column stands in London’s Financial District.
12. Obelisk of Sao Paulo, Brazil – This structure adorns one of the world’s most populous cities.
13. Dalhousie Obelisk, Raffles Place, Singapore – This structure memorializes the visit, to Singapore, by the Governor-General of India in the mid-1800’s.
14. Egyptian Obelisk, Triniti dei Monti, Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy – This structure sits at the top of one of Rome’s most beloved gathering places and also one of its most popular tourist spots.
15. St Anne’s Column, Innsbruck, Austria – The view from this structure back toward the Golden Roof and the mountains above is postively incredible and captures the essence of the Austrian Tyrol.
