Monument

A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event, or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or as an example of historic architecture. The term 'monument' is often applied to buildings or structures that are considered examples of important architectural and/or cultural heritage.

Etymology

The origin of the word "monument" comes from the Latin moneo, monere, which means 'to remind', 'to advise' or 'to warn', suggesting a monument allows us to see the past thus helping us visualize what is to come in the future. In English the word "monumental" is often used in reference to something of extraordinary size and power, as in monumental sculpture, but also to mean simply anything made to commemorate the dead, as a funerary monument or other example of funerary art.

Creation and functions

Monuments have been created for thousands of years, and they are often the most durable and famous symbols of ancient civilizations. Prehistoric tumuli, dolmens, and similar structures have been created in a large number of prehistoric cultures across the world, and the many forms of monumental tombs of the more wealthy and powerful members of a society are often the source of much of our information and art from those cultures. As societies became organized on a larger scale, so monuments so large as to be difficult to destroy like the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Great Wall of China, Indian Taj Mahal or the Moai of Easter Island have become symbols of their civilizations. In more recent times, monumental structures such as the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower have become iconic emblems of modern nation-states. The term monumentality relates to the symbolic status and physical presence of a monument.

Latest News for: Egyption monuments

Edit

King Ramses II Statue Head Returned to Egypt After Theft

Greek Reporter 22 Apr 2024
Head of a statue depicting King Ramses II of ancient Egypt ... Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. A 3,400-year-old statue of the head of King Ramses II has been returned to Egypt after it was stolen and smuggled out of the country more than 30 years ago, the country’s antiquities ministry said on Sunday ... Who was King Ramses II of Egypt?....
Edit

Feel the pulse of ancient civilization from Luxor to Yin Ruins

People Daily 19 Apr 2024
BEIJING, April 18(Xinhua) -- Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes in southern Egypt, was the pharaohs' capital at the height of their power during the New Kingdom from the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC ... April 18 marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites ... This photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows a view of Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt....
Edit

LensToLens | Feel the pulse of ancient civilization from Luxor to Yin Ruins

Xinhua 19 Apr 2024
BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes in southern Egypt, was the pharaohs' capital at the height of their power during the New Kingdom from the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC ... April 18 marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites ... This photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows a view of Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt....
Edit

Photographic journey through Luxor Temple and Yin Ruins on Int'l Day for Monuments and Sites

Xinhua 18 Apr 2024
This photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows murals at Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt. Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes in southern Egypt, was the pharaohs' capital at the height of their power during the New Kingdom from the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC ... April 18 marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites....

Most Viewed

French President Emmanuel Macron, center, China's President Xi Jinping and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a trilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace as part of the Chinese president's two-day state visit in France, Monday, May 6, 2024 in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron is welcoming China's Xi Jinping for a two-day state visit to France and is seeking to press Xi to use his influence on Moscow to move toward ending the war in Ukraine. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP)
Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP

All investor eyes on Xi in Europe

Asiatimes | 06 May 2024
The Courage Monument represents a saddened Soviet Soldier looking upon the ruins of the Brest Fortress that was destroyed by the Nazis in 1941, the eternal flame is to commemorate those who fought with all their might to protect the fortress until destruction, Belarus, July 2, 2019.
Creative Commons / Priscilla Meray

Democracy Is Losing the Propaganda War

The Atlantic | 06 May 2024
×