User:Itsnotironic/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An obelisk (/ˈɒbəlɪsk/; from Ancient Greek: ὀβελίσκος obeliskos; diminutive of ὀβελός obelos, "spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall monolithic structure commonly constructed by various societies of antiquity, similar to a Menhir. Commonly associated with Ancient Egypt, where they were called tekhenu. The Greeks used the Greek term obeliskos to describe them, and this word passed into Latin and ultimately English. The Greek term 'obelisk' is used in modern English due to the lasting influence of Herodotus, one of the first Greek authors to describe the monuments.