Imagine standing before a towering, granite needle. This is no ordinary monument. This is Cleopatra’s Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk, right here in London.
Cleopatra’s Needle is one of a pair. The other stands in New York City. Both needles link back to ancient Egypt.
But let’s debunk a myth right away. Despite its name, Cleopatra herself had nothing to do with it. The obelisk predates her by over 1,400 years. It was erected around 1450 BC. Pharaoh Thutmose III ordered it to be built.
Originally, it stood in Heliopolis. That is an ancient city in Egypt. Thutmose III had inscriptions carved on each face. These told of his reign. About 200 years later, Ramesses II added more. These commemorated his military victories.
In 12 BC, the Romans moved the obelisks to Alexandria. They were placed in the Caesareum. This was a temple built by Cleopatra in honor of Mark Antony or Julius Caesar. One of the obelisks toppled. This actually helped preserve the hieroglyphs.
Fast forward to the 19th century. Muhammad Ali, the ruler of Egypt and Sudan, presented the obelisk to the United Kingdom in 1819. This was a diplomatic gift. Britain welcomed the gesture. But the government declined to pay for its transport to London.
Sir William James Erasmus Wilson stepped in. He was a distinguished anatomist and dermatologist. He sponsored the transportation to London. It cost him about £10,000. That is equivalent to over £1,000,000 today.
The transport was a feat of engineering. John Dixon designed a great iron cylinder. It was 92 feet long and 16 feet in diameter. This encased the obelisk. The cylinder was named Cleopatra. It was to be towed to London by the ship Olga.
The voyage was perilous. In the Bay of Biscay, a storm hit. The Cleopatra began wildly rolling. A rescue boat was sent from the Olga. It capsized. All six crew members were lost. The Olga eventually rescued the crew of the Cleopatra. The Cleopatra was reported as abandoned and sinking.
But the Cleopatra stayed afloat. It was found four days later by Spanish trawlers. The steamer Fitzmaurice towed it to Spain for repairs. Finally, the paddle tug Anglia towed the Cleopatra to the Thames.
On 12 September 1878, Cleopatra’s Needle was erected on the Victoria Embankment. A time capsule was concealed in the pedestal. It contained photographs, hairpins, cigars, toys, and newspapers. It even included a translation of the inscriptions.
Two faux-Egyptian sphinxes flank Cleopatra’s Needle. They were designed by George John Vulliamy. The hieroglyphic inscriptions translate to “the good god, Thuthmosis III given life.”
During World War I, a bomb landed near the needle. The shrapnel damage is still visible on the western sphinx. It serves as a reminder of London’s resilience.
So, here stands Cleopatra’s Needle. It is a testament to ancient power and Victorian ambition. It is a story etched in granite and a journey across time. It is a piece of Egypt in the heart of London.