Central Park's Ancient Egyptian Obelisk

This 220-ton granite obelisk, the oldest public monument in New York City, was commissioned by Pharaoh Thutmose III about 3500 years ago around 12 B.C.E. as one of a pair installed outside the Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis, north of modern-day Cairo. Scholars believe obelisks symbolized eternity and immortality, their tall tapering forms connecting earth to the sun, and this one is covered in hieroglyphics praising Thutmose III and later rulers. Around 12 B.C.E., Romans found the two obelisks toppled and partly buried in sand, moved them to Alexandria, Egypt, and installed them at the entrance to the Caesareum, a temple dedicated to Julius Caesar, adding bronze crabs to support damaged corners of the shaft and a stepped limestone base. Renewed nineteenth-century interest in Egyptian antiquities led to such artifacts being acquired by European nations and gifted by the Egyptian government to strengthen diplomatic ties. In 1869, the Khedive of Egypt offered this obelisk to the United States, and prominent New Yorkers began planning its removal. Its transport and installation took more than a year and became a major logistical and engineering achievement for the city. In January 1881, it was erected in its present site across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was instrumental in its acquisition. In 2011, the Central Park Conservancy began the most comprehensive conservation project in the obelisk’s history, including extensive documentation, thorough cleaning of the granite, and repair and protection of fragile areas, restoring its prominence and helping preserve its color, texture, and hieroglyphics for future generations.

New York, New York · United States