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Your answer was: Egypt. |
Answer: An obelisk is a stone rectangular pillar with a tapered top forming a pyramid ion, set on a base, erected to commemorate an individual or event. There are 13 such monuments in Rome that make up its ancient history. One of the best known is the Vatican obelisk that now stands in St Peter’s Square. It is the second largest with a height of 84 feet, 135 feet with the base and weighs over 330 tons. It stands on a base 27 feet wide. Only the Roman obelisk of St John Lateran is taller. The Vatican obelisk was originally built in Heliopolis, Egypt in 1835BC to honor the sun, thus making it the oldest obelisk in Rome. Around 37AD Emperor Caligula had the obelisk transported to Rome on a specially built ship and had it erected near the Circus of Nero on the grounds of what is now the Vatican. Legend has it that this is where many Christians, including St Peter, were put to death and for that reason this obelisk is looked upon as the last witness to the martyrdom of St Peter. Pope Sixtus V had the obelisk moved 800 feet to the square by the Basilica of St Peter, where it remains today. The obelisk was placed on its base September 26, 1586.  The Vatican Obelisk in St. Peter's Square |
