The Obelisk

Gazing up at this towering giant, have you ever considered its journey? This, my friends, is The Obelisk. It’s more than just a monument. It’s a time traveler, whispering tales of ancient Egypt and daring 19th-century adventures. The Obelisk, also known as Cleopatra’s Needle, despite having no real connection to the famous queen, first graced the sun-baked city of Heliopolis around 1450 BC. Commissioned by Thutmose III, its granite form, quarried from Aswan, bore witness to the rise and fall of pharaohs, including Ramses II, who added his own boasts of military victories. Fast forward to 12 BC, and The Obelisk found a new home in Alexandria, adorning the Caesareum. Centuries passed, an earthquake tumbled it to the ground, where it lay, partially buried, until the 19th century. In 1819, Egypt gifted The Obelisk to the United Kingdom. It took nearly sixty years, a hefty sum of £10,000, and the vision of Sir William James Erasmus Wilson to finally bring it to London. The journey was fraught with peril. Imagine The Obelisk encased in an iron cylinder, christened Cleopatra, being towed across the stormy Bay of Biscay. Disaster struck. The Cleopatra broke loose, six brave rescuers perished, and the cylinder drifted, lost, for days. Finally recovered and repaired, The Obelisk completed its epic voyage, arriving on the banks of the Thames in 1878. Here it stands today, flanked by bronze sphinxes, a testament to its enduring strength and the captivating story of its travels. The Obelisk even bears the scars of a German bomb from World War I. It’s a remarkable survivor, connecting us to ancient civilizations and the adventurous spirit of those who dared to move a mountain of granite across oceans and time.