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The ancient Egyptians built obelisks as symbols, or perhaps even residences, of their sun deity, Ra. Since that time, obelisks have symbolized power and authority, particularly to the ancient Romans -- hence, there are now more obelisks in the city of Rome than in all of Egypt.

Americans in the early 1800s thus decided that an obelisk tower would be an appropriate way to memorialize George Washington -- and idea he, most likely, would have found appalling.

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11y ago

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