Obelisks

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ancient Egyptian obelisks stand as towering symbols of power and engineering brilliance, scattered across the world. But how were they built and what purpose did they serve?

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Steven Snape and Professor Joyce Tyldesley to uncover the incredible story of Egypt’s obelisks. From their religious significance to the astonishing feats of engineering required to carve and transport these massive stone monoliths, discover how obelisks became some of the most iconic monuments of the ancient world and why so many ended up in cities across the western world, from Rome to New York.

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatans, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:19.3	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
0:25.1	I'm a transformation director with 15 years experience
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0:30.7	I bring a deep understanding of problem solving,
0:33.4	trend analysis and stake-led language.
0:36.2	I'm able to operate at both executive and team level.
0:39.7	I am personable and pragmatic with a huge passion for my wife.
0:44.7	Pregnancy and maternity discrimination shreds the careers of 74,000 women every year.
0:50.5	At Pregnant Then Screwed, we can stop it.
0:52.9	Visit Careershredder.com to show your support.
1:17.5	Oblisks, these great tapering stone pillars that today can be seen across the world,
1:21.4	from New York to London to Rome to Egypt.
1:26.8	And it was ancient Egypt that was the origin point for these iconic monuments. That is what we're going to be
1:29.3	exploring today, the story of obelisks in ancient Egypt, why they were built, how they were built,
1:36.9	and how popular these monuments became for people throughout history. It's The Ancients on History
1:44.0	Hit.
1:44.9	I'm Tristan Hughes, your host.
1:47.6	Joining me today are Dr. Stephen Snape and Professor Joyce Tilsley, two wonderful
1:53.0	Egyptologists who are also husband and wife.
1:56.7	Now every once in a while we release special episodes that feature not one but two
	...

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