The first people to create obelisks (a Greek word meaning meat skewer) were the ancient Egyptians. Many experts on Ancient Egypt feel that the obelisks are a greater engineering feat then the pyramids. The largest obelisk ever created weighs over 800 tons.

All the obelisks were quarried out of pink Aswan granite in the same quarry, which is in the south of Egypt near the Aswan dam. They were pounded out of solid granite. Men stood in a line and repeatedly dropped balls made out of dolerite, a very hard rock. Once the obelisks were quarried free they were rolled on logs to the Nile and put on a barge.

Most of the obelisks were built between 1500 and 1300 BC. On the sides are hieroglyphs telling of the accomplishments of the Pharaoh who built them. Most obelisks were created in pairs and were originally erected side by side.

The Romans were fascinated by the obelisks and moved many to Rome between 100 BC and 100 AD. Today Rome is the home to the more obelisks then any other place. It has a total of 13 obelisks (including one in the Vatican).

The Paris Obelisk was built by Ramses II and moved in 1832 from Luxor. It weighs 227 tons and is 74 feet tall. It’s companion remains in Luxor where it was originally erected.

The Hippodrome Obelisk was originally constructed by Pharaoh Tutmosis III(1549-1503 BC). It was 60 meters high and weighed 800 tons. When shipped from Egypt to Constantinople, it was split into three and only top piece survived. Theodosius I put it on a base representing Roman chariot races in 390.

Tuthmosis III also built the New York Obelisk around 1475 BC. He built a total of nine obelisks. Navy Lieutenant Henry H Gorringe was in charge of moving it by ship in 1880. William Vanderbilt, the railroad baron, paid to have it transported to New York. It is 70 feet high and weighs 193 tons. It’s companion now stands in London having been moved there in 1878. Curiously, both are called Cleopatra's Needle although neither has anything to do with Cleopatra.

A special railroad was built to transport the New York Obelisk from 96th street to its final resting place on Graywacke Knoll in Central Park. It took 112 days to move it at the rate of 97 feet per day.

It sits on a stone pedestal, also brought from Egypt, which weighs 50 tons. Placed inside the pedestal were 1880 proof coins and a metal box, which contains objects known only to Mr. William Henry Hubert, the Grand Master of the Masons. He stated, during a speech given on the day the obelisk was raised, that the objects were worthy of ancient Egypt. To this day the contents of the box are a mystery.