Regarding the imposing Sphinx Sculpture before us, have you ever wondered about its story? This isn’t just any sculpture. These sphinxes flank Cleopatra’s Needle on the Victoria Embankment. They are not ancient relics but Victorian interpretations of the Egyptian originals.
Cleopatra’s Needle itself has quite a tale. It was crafted in Egypt for Pharaoh Thotmes III around 1450 BC. That makes it almost 3,500 years old. It earned the name Cleopatra’s Needle because it was transported from Alexandria. Alexandria was Cleopatra’s royal city.
Britain wanted a grand monument to mark victory over Napoleon. The Needle’s journey to England in 1878 was anything but smooth. The British public contributed generously to bring it from Alexandria.
A specially designed ship named Cleopatra carried this treasure. The Dixon brothers built it as an iron cylinder. It was 93 feet long and 15 feet wide. The ship even had a cabin, bilge keels, and a rudder.
Disaster struck in the Bay of Biscay. The Cleopatra was in danger of sinking. The steamship Olga tried to rescue the crew. A rescue boat capsized and six volunteers drowned. Their names are on a plaque at the Needle’s base.
The Olga eventually rescued the Cleopatra’s crew. The Cleopatra was left adrift. Five days later, a ship found the Cleopatra floating peacefully. It was towed to Ferrol in Spain.
Another steamship, the Anglia, towed the Cleopatra home. Crowds cheered as they arrived on the Thames in January 1878. The Needle was placed on the Embankment in September 1878.
But what about the ship, the Cleopatra? It was scrapped after its job was done. The sphinxes, designed by George John Vulliamy, are a key part of the monument. They appear to be looking at the Needle, not guarding it, due to improper installation.
These bronze sphinxes bear hieroglyphic inscriptions. These translate to “the good god, Thuthmosis III given life”. Even the benches nearby have winged sphinxes.
In 1917, a German bomb landed near the Needle. The shrapnel damage is still visible on the western sphinx. Restoration work was done in 2005.
So, next time you pass by the Sphinx Sculpture and Cleopatra’s Needle, remember its long and eventful journey. Think about the lost volunteers and the Victorian fascination with Egypt. It’s more than just a monument. It’s a story etched in stone and bronze.