Monolith

The word Monolith has been taken or derived from the Latin word “monolithus” which means “single stone”. It refers to a geographical feature that contains a single massive stone or rock. It is also used to describe a single large piece of rock placed in a building.

Key Points

• Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is supposed to be the world’s largest single rock monolith.
• Uluru is a rock formation in central Australia. It is also designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• Recently, a shining monolith was discovered in the desert of Utah, a state in the western United States. The monolith disappeared on its own with any trace.

Monolith in Romania

Another monolith, in the form of a triangular pillar, appeared in Romania, near the site of Petrodava Dacian Fortress.  It has a mirrored surface and seems to be covered with graffiti. It is a 13 feet metallic pillar.

Some famous Monoliths

Aso Rock in Abuja, Nigeria is a 400 m famous monolith.  Bhongir in Telangana, India is a place famous for Bhongir Fort that was built on an isolated monolithic rock. Similarly, Kailasa Temple at Ellora Caves in Maharashtra has been carved out of rocks and is the largest rock-cut Hindu temples. Angels Landing in Utah, US is also a rock formation.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A site or area that has been marked under legal protection by an international convention that is administered by UNESCO is called the World Heritage site. UNESCO declares areas of cultural, historical or scientific importance as the World Heritage sites.  As of November 2020, there are 1121 World Heritage sites spread over 167 countries of the world. At present, 38 Indian sites have been designated as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The latest Indian site included is Jaipur City, Rajasthan which was designated as World Heritage site in the year 2019.