The Obelisk of Buenos Aires has little historical significance and no real purpose of function in the city, unlike its national symbol counterparts worldwide including US’s Statue of Liberty, Italy’s Vatican, or England’s Big Ben. This monolith is a meeting place for political demonstrations, musical performances and celebrations over victories of the national soccer team. The obelisk symbolized the sun god Ra and during the brief religious reformation of Akhenaten was said to be a petrified ray of the aten, the sun disk. It was also thought that the god existed within the structure.It was dedicated in 1936 to commemorate the anniversary of Buenos Aires first foundation. It measures 70 meters high and is made of reinforced concrete. In its interior a 200-hundred-step stairway is used to perform maintenance jobs from the top. The obelisk brightens with white lights at night, although, the gleams of surrounding neon billboards is what gives the area its unique and colorful glow.
Its four faces are inscribed with the commemorations of the first and second foundation of Buenos Aires, the creation of the Capital Federal in 1880 and the San Nicolas de Bari church, which used to occupy this site and where the first Argentinean flag was flown. Since it is so visible and such an obvious landmark, it becomes the natural gathering place for protests, demonstrations and celebrations. On 1 November, 2005 that a comprehensive restoration, financed by the Argentine painting and restoration industry association, was finished. The monument was painted with 90-micrometre acrylic paint to a “Paris stone” hue, deemed more pleasant than the previously used white.The obelisk is one of the main icons of the city, and a venue for various cultural activities and other events. It is the traditional gathering spot for sports fans to celebrate when their favorite team wins, often resulting in colorful events that attract media coverage.
