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Lateran Obelisk -

The enormous Lateran Obelisk is the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk in the world. Made around 1400 BCE in Karnak, the obelisk measures 32 m (105 ft) and stands in Rome's Piazza di San Giovanni.

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Vatican Obelisk -

The Egyptian obelisk of red granite that looms large over St. Peter's Square was originally erected at Heliopolis, Egypt by an unknown pharaoh before it was removed to Rome in 37 CE by Caligula. It's unusual in that it doesn't display any hieroglyphs, and is the only obelisk in the city that has not toppled since ancient Roman times.

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Obelisk of Ramses II -

The Obelisk of Ramses II flanking the entrance to the ancient ruins of Luxor Temple in Egypt is one of a pair; the other now stands in Place de la Concorde in Paris.

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Obelisk of Theodosius -

The remarkable pink granite monolith known as the Obelisk of Theodosius was built in 1500 BCE under orders from Pharaoh Thutmose III as a memorial stone for the victory in Mesopotamia. Originally standing outside the Temple of Karnak, it was bought to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) by Theodosius I in the 4th century CE.

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Obelisk of Arles -

The 4th-century CE Obelisk of Arles was probably first erected under the Roman emperor Constantine II, in the Cirque Romain (Roman circus, Hippodrome for chariot racing). It now graces the city's Place de la République, where it was placed in 1676.

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Walled Obelisk -

Its exact construction date during late antiquity is not known, but the Walled Obelisk that now stands in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul would have originally impressed visitors to Constantinople's ancient chariot-racing track.

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Washington Monument -

At 169 m (555 ft), the Washington Monument is the tallest monumental column in the world. Rearing over the National Mall, the marble obelisk, built to commemorate George Washington, was inaugurated in 1888.

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Obelisk of Thutmose I -

The Obelisk of Thutmose I (right) stands as a pair of columns among an astonishing ensemble of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings known as the Karnak Temple complex near Luxor, in Egypt.

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Obelisk of Flaminio -

Constructed under the orders of the pharaohs Set I and Ramases II, the Obelisk of Faminio originated in Heliopolis. It was brought to Rome by Augustus in 10 BCE but later lost until rediscovered and erected in Piazza del Popolo in 1589.

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Obelisk of Axum -

The Obelisk of Axum is found in the ancient city of Axum, Ethiopia. The 24-m-tall (79-ft) ornamented stele was probably carved and erected in the 4th century CE. It is one of several stelae found at Axum and named for the ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Axum.

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The Axum obelisks -

The collection of obelisks, or stelae, at Axum also includes the King Ezana's Stele (background)—which used to stand in Rome before its repatriation and reassembly in 2008—and the remains of the Great Stele (seen in the foreground), likely the largest single monolith that humans have ever attempted to erect.

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Obelisk of Montecitorio -

Brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus, the ancient Egyptian Obelisk of Montecitorio, which stands in Palazzo Montecitorio, was originally positioned over the Ara Pacis, the "Altar of Peace" built to commemorate the Pax Romana.

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Obelisk of u Liotru -

A cherished landmark, the Obelisk of u Liotru, or the Fontana dell'Elefante, is recognized for the obelisk carried on the back of an elephant. The fountain base dates back to the first half of the 18th century. The obelisk's origins, however, are less clear. The monument has become a symbol of the Sicilian port city of Catania.

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Obelisk of Esquiline -

Rome's picturesque Piazza dell'Esquilino is distinguished by the Obelisk of Esquiline, which stands behind the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. It was originally erected on the western flank of the Mausoleum of Augustus.

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Cleopatra's Needle (London) -

Made in Egypt for the Pharaoh Thotmes III in 1460 BCE, the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle has very little to do with Cleopatra at all. Located on London's Victoria Embankment, the column is likely named for the fact that it was brought to Great Britain from Alexandria, the royal city of Cleopatra, in 1819. It is one of three similarly named Egyptian obelisks.

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Cleopatra's Needle (New York City) -

New York's Cleopatra's Needle is somewhat forlorn-looking set as it is in a corner of Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. The monument was originally erected in Egypt in 1475 BCE during the reign of Tuthmosis III. It arrived in the US in 1881.

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Cleopatra's Needle (Paris) -

Paris also has a Cleopatra's Needle, this one standing tall in Place de la Concorde. Unlike the obelisks in London and New York, this one was brought from Luxor, erected by Ramases II.

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Obelisk of Quirinale -

Rome's Obelisk of Quirinale in Piazza del Quirinale originally stood near the Mausoleum of Augustus, on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. It now serves as a defining architectural element of the city's Quirinale Palace.

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Obelisk of Domitian -

Benevento near Naples, Italy is where to admire the Obelisk of Domitian, which stands in Piazza Papiniano. Its twin is displayed in the Museo del Sannio di Benevento. Both date from the 1st century CE.

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The Torlonia obelisks -

Two pink granite obelisks stand in the grounds of Villa Torlonia in Rome. They date back to the 19th century and were commissioned by Prince Alessandro Torlonia to commemorate his parents.

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Obelisk of Pinciano -

Commissioned by the Roman emperor Hadrian, the Obelisk of Pinciano graces Rome's Pincian Hill, where it was reerected by Pope Pius VII in 1822.

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Obelisk of Minerveo -

The smallest of Rome's obelisks at a little over 5 m (19 ft) in height, this ancient Egyptian monument in Piazza della Minerva is better known as Elephant and Obelisk. One of a pair, the other stands in the walled city of Urbino.

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Unfinished Obelisk -

The largest known ancient obelisk is one that was never built. Lying in fragments in a disused quarry in Aswan, Egypt, the 3,500 year-old Unfinished Obelisk would, if completed, have stood around 42 m (138 ft). Work was abandoned when cracks formed in the granite. The obelisk today forms a centerpiece of an open-air museum.

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Obelisk of Titus Sextius Africanus -

The rose granite Obelisk of Titus Sextius Africanus, also known as the Munich Obelisk, can be admired at the State Museum of Egyptian Art, an archaeological museum in Munich. The obelisk is named after the Roman senator Titus Sextius Africanus. The center part of the column dates from the 50 CE; the rest was added later and restored several times. Pictured is the obelisk before it was relocated to the museum's atrium.

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Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III -

Currently displayed in the British Museum in London, the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III comes from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), in northern Iraq. Dated to around 827–824 BCE, the black limestone Assyrian sculpture is noted for its extraordinary 20 relief scenes, five on each side.

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White Obelisk -

The British Museum is also home to the White Obelisk, a limestone monolith associated with the reign of an Assyrian king, probably Ashurnasirpal I (c. 1040 BCE).

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Obelisk of Tello -

The Tello Obelisk is a granite monolith from the archaeological site of Chavín de Huantár in north-central Peru. The rectangular pillar is carved in low relief to represent a caiman and covered with Chavín symbolic carvings, such as bands of teeth and animal heads—some of the most complex pre-Columbian stone carvings known in the Americas for its time. It's set within the grounds of the Museo Nacional de Chavín.

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Obelisk of Srirangapatna -

The obelisk at Srirangapatna, near Mysore in the Indian state of of Karnataka, is largely overlooked given the town's other imposing monuments. It is, in fact, a war memorial commemorating the Victory of the British over Tipu Sultan in 1799, which is highly unusual given the country's animosity towards its colonial rulers at the time.

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Obelisk of Buenos Aires -

The Obelisco de Buenos Aires was constructed in 1936 to commemorate the quadricentennial of the first foundation of the city. A national historic monument and icon of the Argentine capital, the obelisk is located on Plaza de la República.

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Obelisk of Marconi -

Inaugurated in December 1959, the Obelisk of Marconi commemorates the achievements of Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio. It became one of the defining symbols of the 1960 Rome Summer Olympic Games and still stands in the city's Piazza Guglielmo Marconi. 

Sources: (World History Encyclopedia) (Obelisks)

See also: Memorable Olympic opening ceremonies

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