Cleopatra’s needle.

Cleopatra’s Needles are a pair of ancient Egyptian obelisks that stand proudly in London and New York City, their journey spanning continents and centuries. Initially carved in Heliopolis (modern Cairo) during the New Kingdom period, these monumental structures were inscribed by the 18th dynasty pharaoh Thutmose III and the 19th dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II. They were later relocated to the Caesareum of Alexandria, a grand temple commissioned by Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII, for whom the obelisks are named. For nearly two millennia, they graced Alexandria before being transported to their current locations in London and New York City in 1878 and 1881, respectively. Alongside Pompey’s Pillar, they were heralded in the 1840s by David Roberts in *Egypt and Nubia* as “[the] most striking monuments of ancient Alexandria.”

The removal of these obelisks from Egypt was overseen by Isma’il Pasha, who, during a period of intense modernization, left Egypt heavily indebted. The obelisk destined for London was gifted to the United Kingdom in 1819 but remained in Alexandria until 1877. Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, a prominent anatomist and dermatologist, sponsored its transportation to London. The same year, Elbert E. Farman, the United States Consul General in Cairo, arranged to remove the other obelisk. Henry Honychurch Gorringe transported this obelisk. Wilson and Gorringe documented their monumental tasks in books: Wilson’s *Cleopatra’s Needle: With Brief Notes on Egypt and Egyptian Obelisks* (1877) and Gorringe’s *Egyptian Obelisks* (1885).

The London obelisk was installed on the Victoria Embankment, a project completed just a few years earlier in 1870, while its New York counterpart was placed in Central Park, near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which had opened its doors in 1872.

Weathering over the years has impacted both obelisks, and their condition has been a subject of study, particularly by Professor Erhard M. Winkler of the University of Notre Dame. The former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, has advocated for their restoration or repatriation, reflecting ongoing discussions about their preservation and historical significance.