The obelisks at Karnak c. 1881

Here, we see a photograph of the obelisks at Karnak, ancient monuments made of stone. These obelisks, covered in hieroglyphs, rise sharply like needles to the sky, embodying power and permanence. These forms are not merely architectural; they are vessels of cultural memory. They are a physical manifestation of the sacred Egyptian obsession with the sun god Ra, linking the earth to the heavens. You see, the obelisk's shape is no accident. It mirrors a ray of sunlight, solidifying the deity's presence on Earth. This reaching form can be seen in other cultures and eras. Take, for example, the Washington Monument in America. Though it commemorates a leader, it consciously echoes the obelisk, borrowing its gravitas and symbolic connection to immortality. What subconscious drives compel us to mimic these ancient forms, projecting our own desires for permanence onto them? The past is never truly gone; it only returns, cloaked in new symbols.