Description
The colorful story in the back of one of The united states’s greatest monuments and of the ancient obelisks of Egypt, now scattered around the globe.
Conceived soon after the American Revolution ended, the great monument to George Washington used to be not after all completed until almost a century later; the great obelisk used to be finished in 1884, and remains the tallest stone structure on this planet at 555 feet. The story in the back of its construction is a in large part untold and intriguing piece of American history, which acclaimed historian John Steele Gordon relates with verve, connecting it to the colorful saga of the ancient obelisks of Egypt.
Nobody knows how many obelisks were crafted in ancient Egypt, or even exactly how they were created and erected since they’re made out of hard granite and few known tools of the time were strong enough to work granite. In most cases placed in pairs at the entrances to temples, they have got in modern times been ingeniously transported around the globe to Istanbul, Paris, London, New York, and many other locations. Their stories illuminate that of the Washington Monument, once again open to the public following earthquake damage, and offer a new appreciation for perhaps the most iconic memorial in the country.