The Obelisks of Ancient Rome

Rome is currently home to the largest collection of Egyptian Obelisks in the world. Of the twenty-eight monoliths that exist, Rome has fifteen, in a number of locations around the city. 1 These monuments have a unique history in both Egypt and Rome, and present opportunities for interpretation across years of history. This exhibit in particular will look at the phenomena of Obelisks in Ancient Rome: How did they arrive in Rome, and what did they mean to Roman emperors and citizens? 

SML

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1. Susan Sorek, The Emperor’s Needles: Egyptian Obelisks and Rome (Bristol: Bristol Phoenix Pr, United Kingdom, 2009), 1.