Cleopatra's Needle (London), with (left) the Victoria Embankment and (right) the River Thames

Close up of Cleopatra's Needle (London)

One of two sphinxes at the base of Cleopatra's Needle (London). The scars that disfigure the pedestal of this sphynx were caused by fragments of a WWI bomb dropped in the roadway close to this spot, in the first air raid on London by German aeroplanes a few minutes before midnight on Tuesday 4 September 1917

Cleopatra's Needle (London) seen from the River Thames

London's Needle being erected, August 1878

Cleopatra's Needles are a trio of obelisks in London, Paris (Place de la Concorde) and New York City. Each is made of red granite, stands about 21 metres (68 feet) high, weighs about 180 tons and is inscribed with hieroglyphs. Although the needles are genuine Ancient Egyptian obelisks, they are somewhat misnamed as neither has any connection with queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt. They were originally erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III, around 1450 BC. The material of which they were cut is granite, brought from Aswan, near the first cataract of the Nile. The inscriptions were added about 200 years later by Ramses II to commemorate his military victories. The obelisks were moved to Alexandria and set up in the Caesarium — a temple built by Cleopatra in honor of Mark Antony — by the Romans in 12 BC, during the reign of Augustus Caesar, but were toppled some time later. This had the fortuitous effect of burying their faces and so preserving most of the hieroglyphs from the effects of weathering. Download high resolution version (750x910, 163 KB)Cleopatra’s Needle, with the Victoria embankment on the left and the River Thames on the right. ... Download high resolution version (750x910, 163 KB)Cleopatra’s Needle, with the Victoria embankment on the left and the River Thames on the right. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Victoria Embankment, London The Victoria Embankment, previously the Thames Embankment is a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London in the cities of Westminster and London. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England and connecting London with the sea. ... Cleopatra’s Needle, London, England. ... Cleopatra’s Needle, London, England. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... One of two sphinxes at the base of Cleopatra’s Needle, London, England. ... One of two sphinxes at the base of Cleopatra’s Needle, London, England. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... For the WWII naval operation, see Operation Pedestal Pedestal (from French piedestal, Italian piedestallo, foot of a stall) is a term generally applied to a support, square, octagonal or circular on plan, provided to carry a statue or a vase. ... WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Strategic bombing is a military strategem used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1923x1476, 624 KB) Cleopatra’s Needle seen from the River Thames. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1923x1476, 624 KB) Cleopatra’s Needle seen from the River Thames. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England and connecting London with the sea. ... Raising the Obelisk (Cleopatras Needle), London. ... Raising the Obelisk (Cleopatras Needle), London. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in Paris An obelisk is a tall, thin, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ... The Place de la Concorde seen from the Pont de la Concorde; in front, the Obelisk, behind, the Rue Royale and the Church of the Madeleine; on the left, the Hôtel de Crillon. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World[1], Gotham Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area    - City 1,214. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... A hieroglyph is one part of an ideographic writing system that is often found carved in stone. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Cleopatra VII Philopator (January 69 BC – August 12, 30 BC, Greek:Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ), later Cleopatra Thea Neotera Philopator kai Philopatris, was queen of ancient Egypt, the last member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and hence the last Hellenistic ruler of Egypt. ... Heliopolis (Greek Ἡλίου πόλις) was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, and capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome. ... nomen or birth name Granite statue of Pharaoh Thutmose III Menkheperre Thutmose III (also written as Tuthmosis III or Thothmes III; called Manahpi(r)ya in the Amarna letters) (d. ... (Redirected from 1450 BC) Centuries: 16th century BC - 15th century BC - 14th century BC Decades: 1500s BC 1490s BC 1480s BC 1470s BC 1460s BC - 1450s BC - 1440s BC 1430s BC 1420s BC 1410s BC 1400s BC Events and Trends According to some, 1456 BC was the year that Moses... Aswan (Arabic: أسوان Aswān) (, population 200,000) is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate. ... The Nile (Arabic: النيل an-nÄ«l), in Africa, is the longest river on Earth. ... Ramesses II, Abu Simbel Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses) was an Egyptian pharaoh. ... This article needs to be updated. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC... Augustus Caesar Caesar Augustus (Latin: IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS)¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known earlier in his life as Gaius Octavius or Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, was the first Roman Emperor and is traditionally considered the greatest. ...

History of the needles

London

The London needle is in the City of Westminster, on the Victoria Embankment near the Golden Jubilee Bridges. It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by Mehemet Ali, the Albanian-born viceroy of Egypt, 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. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The City of Westminster is a London borough with city status, situated to the west of the City of London and north of the River Thames. ... Victoria Embankment, London The Victoria Embankment, previously the Thames Embankment is a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London in the cities of Westminster and London. ... Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges, seen from the north Hungerford Bridge is a bridge (or triplet of bridges) over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... See Mehemet Ali (Turkey) for the Turkish foreign minister and regent. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... Combatants Britain France Commanders Horatio Nelson François-Paul Brueys DAigalliers Strength 14 ships of the line (thirteen 74-gun, one 50-gun) 13 ships of the line (one 120-gun, three 80-gun, nine 74-gun) and 4 frigates Casualties 218 killed 677 wounded 3 battleships burnt 9... Sir Ralph Abercromby (sometimes spelled Abercrombie) (October 7, 1734–March 28, 1801) was a British lieutenant-general noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. ... The Egyptian city of Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of Napoleons expedition of 1798. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

The obelisk remained in Alexandria until 1877 when Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, a distinguished anatomist and dermatologist, sponsored its transportation to London at a cost of some £10,000 (a very considerable sum in those days). It was dug out of the sand in which it had been buried for nearly 2,000 years and was encased in a great iron cylinder, 92 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, designed by the engineer John Dixon and dubbed Cleopatra. It had a vertical stem and stern, a rudder, two bilge keels, a mast for balancing sails, and a deck house. This acted as a floating pontoon which was to be towed to London by the ship Olga. 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1881 caricature from Punch Sir William James Erasmus Wilson (25 November 1809-7 August 1884), generally known as Sir Erasmus Wilson, was born in London, studied at St Bartholomews Hospital in London, and at Aberdeen, and early in life became known as a skilful operator and dissector. ...

The effort met with disaster on 14 October 1877, when the Cleopatra capsized in a storm in the Bay of Biscay, with the loss of six lives. The Cleopatra did not sink but instead drifted in the Bay until it was rescued by the English ship Fitzmaurice and taken to Ferrol in Spain for repairs. It finally arrived in Gravesend on 21 January 1878. The obelisk was erected on the Victoria Embankment the following August. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Map of the Bay of Biscay. ... Ferrol can refer to: EUROPE Ferrol, Spain City and Naval Station in North Western Spain, European Union Note: Place of birth of both Francisco Franco (1892) the Spanish dictator and Pablo Iglesias (1850) founder of PSOE and UGT. ASIA Ferrol, Romblon Small Town in the Philippines Note: The Philippines got... Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Victoria Embankment, London The Victoria Embankment, previously the Thames Embankment is a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London in the cities of Westminster and London. ...

Cleopatra's Needle is flanked by two faux-Egyptian sphinxes cast from bronze that bear hieroglyphic inscriptions that say netjer nefer men-kheper-re di ankh (the good god, Thuthmosis III given life. The Embankment has other Egyptian flourishes, such as buxom winged sphinxes on the armrests of benches. On 4 September 1917, during World War I, bombs from the first German air raid on London by German aeroplanes landed near the needle. In commemoration of this event, the damage remains unrepaired to this day and is clearly visible in the form of shrapnel holes and gouges on the right-hand sphinx. Restoration work was carried out in 2005. The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background. ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First... Shrapnel is the term used to describe the spherical shot or musket balls dispersed when a shrapnel shell bursts. ...

Paris

The Paris Needle is in the Place de la Concorde. The center of the Place is occupied by the giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaoh Ramses II. It once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple. The viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, presented the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk to France in 1829. King Louis-Philippe had it placed in the centre of Place de la Concorde in 1833. Given the technical limitations of the day, transporting it was no easy feat — on the pedestal are drawn diagrams explaining the machineries that were used for the transportation. The red granite column rises 23 metres high, including the base, and weighs over 250 tonnes. Missing its original cap, believed stolen in the 6th century BC, in 1998 the government of France added a gold-leafed pyramid cap to the top of the obelisk. The obelisk is flanked on both sides by two fountains constructed at the time of its erection on the Place. The Place de la Concorde seen from the Pont de la Concorde; in front, the Obelisk, behind, the Rue Royale and the Church of the Madeleine; on the left, the Hôtel de Crillon. ... Ramesses II, Abu Simbel Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses) was an Egyptian pharaoh. ... Luxor Temple, from the east bank of the Nile Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes). ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... See Mehemet Ali (Turkey) for the Turkish foreign minister and regent. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Louis-Philippe of France (October 6, 1773–August 26, 1850), served as the Orleanist king of the French from 1830 to 1848. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 6th century BC started on January 1, 600 BC and ended on December 31, 501 BC. // Overview Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... It has been suggested that Human rights in France be merged into this article or section. ... The Jet dEau fountain in Lake Geneva in Geneva A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons), fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. ...

New York

The New York needle is in Central Park. It was after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 that Ismail Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, first mentioned the gift of one of the Obelisks to the United States in the hope of cultivating trade relations, but it was formaly given in a letter dated May 18, 1879. And even then it wasn’t erected in Central Park until January 22, 1881. Railroad magnate William H. Vanderbilt financed the project and the formidable task of moving the Obelisk from Alexandria to New York was given to Henry Honychurch Gorringe, a lieutenant commander of the U.S. Navy. The move took a decade to complete. According to Central Park’s website the 244 ton granite needle was first shifted from vertical to horizontal, then put into the hold of a ship, across the Mediterranean Sea, then over the storm-tossed Atlantic Ocean without stop. It took four months just to bring it from the banks of the Hudson River to Central Park. The final leg of the journey was made across a specially built trestle bridge from Fifth Avenue to its new home on Greywacke Knoll, just across the drive from the then recently built Metropolitan Museum of Art. At its base are four 900-pound, 19th-century bronze replicas of crabs, which were first placed there by the Romans and are on display in the Met. Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... A Central Park landscape Central Park (, ) is a large public, urban park (843 acres or 3. ... 1881 drawing of the Suez Canal. ... Ismail Pasha, known as Ismail the Magnificent (December 31, 1830–March 2, 1895) was khedive of Egypt from 1863 until he was removed at the behest of the British in 1879. ... William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was a businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... The central lobby of the museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums, located on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan, New York, United States. ...

The inscriptions

New York

Three sides of the New York needle's inscriptions are well-preserved due to the long burial of the needle, although one side, exposed to the New York prevailing winds, has been almost totally weathered away. They are translated as follows:

Face 1:

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Beloved-of-Ra,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra,

Ra, created by the gods, who founded the Two

Lands, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-

Amun,

............

............

............

there is no-one who did what he did, in the house of his father,

the Lord of the Two Lands, User-maat-ra,

Chosen of Ra, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved of Amun, granted life like Ra,

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Appearing-in-Thebes,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt,

Men-kheper-ra, who embellishes the house of him who created him,

............

............

............

............

............

............

............

(the Son of Ra, Thutmose), beloved of (Atum),

lord (of Heliopolis), May he live for ever.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Son-of-Ra,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra.Chosen-of-Ra,

the Golden Horus,

Mighty-in-years-and-great-of-victories, the Son of Ra, Ramesses,

Beloved-of-Amun,

............

............

............

............

............

............

the Lord of the Two Lands, User-maat-ra,

Chosen-of Ra,

the Son of-Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun.

Face 2:

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Son-of-Khepri,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra, the-Golden Horus,

Mighty-in years-and-great-of-victories, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, who came forth from the womb in order to receive

the crowns of Ra, who created him to be sole lord the Lord of the Two Lands,

User-maat-ra Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra.

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Appearing-in Thebes,

he of the Two La Goddesses,

Enduring-of-kingship-like-Ra-in-heaven, Bodily son of Atum, whom the Mistress of

Heliopolis bore to him, Thutmose,

whom they created in the temple in the beauty of their members, knowing that

he would exercise enduring kingship throughout eternity,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Men-kheper-ra, beloved of Atum, the great god,

together with his Enneat,

granted all life, stability, and dominion like Ra for ever.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Beloved-of-Ra,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra,

Ra, created by the gods, who founded the Two Lands, the Son of Ra, Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun,

the noble youth, beloved like Aten when the shines on the horizeon,

the Lord of the Two Lands, User-maat-Ra,

Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.

Face 3:

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Son-of-Khepri,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra, the-Golden Horus,

Mighty-in years-and-great-of-victories, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, who came forth from the womb in order to receive

the crowns of Ra, who created him to be sole lord the Lord of the Two Lands,

User-maat-ra Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra.

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Appearing-in Thebes,

he of the Two La Goddesses,

Enduring-of-kingship-like-Ra-in-heaven, Bodily son of Atum, whom the Mistress of

Heliopolis bore to him, Thutmose,

whom they created in the temple in the beauty of their members, knowing that

he would exercise enduring kingship throughout eternity,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Men-kheper-ra, beloved of Atum, the great god,

together with his Enneat,

granted all life, stability, and dominion like Ra for ever.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Beloved-of-Ra,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra,

Ra, created by the gods, who founded the Two Lands, the Son of Ra, Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun,

the noble youth, beloved like Aten when the shines on the horizon,

the Lord of the Two Lands, User-maat-Ra,

Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.

Face 4:

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Son-of-Khepri,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra, the-Golden Horus,

Mighty-in years-and-great-of-victories, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, who came forth from the womb

in order to receive the crowns of Ra,

who created him to be sole lord the Lord of the Two Lands,

User-maat-ra Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra.

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Appearing-in Thebes,

he of the Two La Goddesses,

Enduring-of-kingship-like-Ra-in-heaven, Bodily son of Atum, whom the Mistress of

Heliopolis bore to him, Thutmose,

whom they created in the temple in the beauty of their members, knowing that

he would exercise enduring kingship throughout eternity,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Men-kheper-ra, beloved of Atum,

the great god, together with his Enneat,

granted all life, stability, and dominion like Ra for ever.

The Horus, Strong-Bull-Beloved-of-Ra,

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User-maat-ra, Chosen-of-Ra,

Ra, created by the gods, who founded the Two Lands, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun,

the noble youth, beloved like Aten when the shines on the horizeon,

the Lord of the Two Lands, User-maat-Ra,

Chosen-of-Ra, the Son of Ra,

Ramesses, Beloved-of-Amun, one serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra.