“Cleopatra’s Needle” aka the Obelisk 𓉶 in Central Park is one of the most beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 sights in Manhattan!
This obelisk 𓉶 (and another, which now resides in London) was not commissioned by Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇; in fact, it was commissioned by Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 during his 18th Dynasty reign. The obelisks 𓉶 stood at the city of Heliopolis at one of Thutmosis III’s 𓇳𓏠𓆣 temples. The obelisk 𓉶 is made out of “Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖 granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶” which was the third most used rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 by the ancient Egyptians!
When the obelisks were discovered by the Romans, they were moved from Heliopolis to Alexandria and placed at a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 dedicated to Julius Caesar. The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was commissioned by Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇, which is probably why the obelisks have the nickname “Cleopatra’s Needle.”
The two obelisks were given by the Egyptian government as gifts; one is in London, and one is in Central Park in NYC! The obelisk is super close to the MET, so it’s great to go and see before or after your museum trip!
I’m going to do another post about the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the obelisk 𓉶, so here is the link to that post!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
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