Cleopatra's Needle

A real like Ancient Egyptian obelisk on the banks of the Thames

Location: Victoria Embankment, near Golden Jubilee Bridges

Description: 'Cleopatra's Needle' is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian obelisks re-erected in London, Paris, and New York City during the nineteenth century.

Although the needles are genuine Ancient Egyptian obelisks, they are somewhat misnamed as they have no particular connection with Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, and were already over a thousand years old in her lifetime. The Paris 'needle' was the first to be moved and re-erected, and the first to acquire the nickname.

The London Needle is made of red granite, standing about 21 metres high, and weighing about 224 tons and inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphs.

It was originally erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III, around 1450 BC.

The London needle is in the City of Westminster, on the Victoria Embankment near the Golden Jubilee Bridges. It is close to the Embankment underground station.

It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Muhammad Ali, in commemoration of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.

Although the British government welcomed the gesture, it declined to fund the expense of transporting it to London. Read more here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra's_Needle

Tours: London 2012

Themes: Sculpture Sculpture Theme