Hatshepsut's obelisks contrasted with the Harburg monument against war, fascism and for peace four obelisks of Hatshepsut, Queen of Egypt, were erected at Karnak, temple of Amen-Re during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut during the New Kingdom between 1473 and 1458 BC ("Fragment"). They were built to celebrate his accession and later his jubilee ("Fragment"). More than 3,000 years later, in 1986, the Harburg Monument Against War, Fascism and for Peace was erected in Hamburg, Germany, during the rise of neo-fascism (Shalev-Gerz). Although separated by space and time, these two monuments are strikingly similar. Although they tell two different stories from two different eras, understanding what they have in common can help us better understand what makes them different. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although there were originally four obelisks of Hatshepsut, only one remains standing today. They were made of solid pink granite and inscribed with the purpose of their creation on each side as well as on the base ("Egyptian Obelisk"). When they were created, the summits were decorated with gold, bronze or silver alloys, allowing the sun to be reflected there (“Egyptian Obelisk”). It is not known exactly how the obelisks were created, but two theories prevail. It is postulated that the obelisks were created in a quarry where granite was quarried using dolerite balls, small balls of volcanic rock, to remove the granite piece by piece (“Egyptian Obelisk”). Another possible alternative would be to insert sycamore wood wedges into the cracks in the granite while it was wet. These wooden wedges expand and crack the granite, making quarrying easier, and may have been used in tandem with the dolerite ("Egyptian obelisk") method. The inscriptions on Hatshepsut's obelisks give us insight into why they were built. Hatshepsut, although not the first female ruler of Egypt, was one of the most successful and known for her kingdom which flourished under her rule ("The Temple"). She declared herself in the reliefs of the obelisks, not a queen but a king, and was represented dressed in the clothes of a pharaoh ("The Temple"). In these reliefs, she interacts with the gods and declares her desire to make obelisks for them and for her father in front of her ("The Temple"). These stories were not simply intended to be commemorative, but to reinforce Hatshepsut's right to rule. This was a public declaration of his divine right from the gods and intended to preserve his memory for eternity. A small fragment of Hatshepsut's obelisks can be seen at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Even this small fragment gives an idea of ​​the scale and solidity of the obelisks. The reliefs on the side give an idea of ​​the scale. A fairly large depiction of a pharaoh with a large headdress can be seen on the front and right side of the fragment. Hieroglyphics accompany the illustration. At this size, it becomes clear that they were intended to be read by those who came to the site of the obelisks, so that all could understand Hatshepsut's right to rule. In contrast, the Harburg monument against war, fascism and for peace was constructed simply. The structure was hollow and made of aluminum and covered with sheets of flexible lead (Rosen). It measured twelve meters one by one (Shalev-Gerz). During the aforementioned rise of neo-fascism, the city of Hamburg was looking for someone.