Obelisk (in NYC's Central Park)

[John Holland]

There is a 3,500 year old obelisk in NYC's Central Park - Called Cleopatra's needle. This one is a twin to the one that is in London (Victoria Embankment). there is another obelisk in Paris (it's twin is remains in Luxor, Egypt). The NYC (and London) obelisks were made during the reign of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Thutmose III (around 1450 BC). It was a feat of ingenuity to transfer the 69 foot, 220 ton red-granite monolith from Egypt to New York in 1880. There is some interesting reading at this site: http://nypost.com/2014/06/14/how-cl...ear-old-egyptian-obelisk-got-to-central-park/
Strangely, the obelisk is one of those things that most people in NYC do not know that it is there. next time I am in London I am going to make a point to go find the other one.

 

[Pete Askew]

A fine shot of the obelisk, John and I'm looking to see the one you make from London. There's one in Potsdam too, but it's a fake ordered by Frederik the Great. Interestingly the hieroglyphs on it are meaningless as the sculptor just made them up as, at that time, they could not be read anyway!

 

[Milan Vjestica]

Nice work John, it will be good to see the twins together at some stage!

The sky may be a little more grey in London though!

 

[John Holland]

Thank you for your comments Pete and Milan. I maybe in London this September, and it is on my list.