Obelisk

Obelisk, 4-sided pillar tapering to a pyramidal top. Pairs of these, often as tall as 105 ft (32 m), were erected in front of ancient Egyptian temples, carved with hieroglyphs for decorative, religious, and commemorative purposes. Cleopatra's Needles in London and New York City, dating from c. 1500 B.C. in Egypt, are notable examples.

See also: Cleopatra's needles.