Obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Rome, Photo by Danbu14, Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Just a Second: Obelisk

30 Aug ’13

Obelisk (noun)

A four-sided monument with a pyramid-shaped, pointed top that originated in ancient Egypt. The shape is thought to be inspired by the rays of the sun.

The obelisk that today stands in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was brought to Italy from Egypt in 37 CE by the Roman Emperor Caligula.