Cleopatra's Needles

ancient Egypt · obelisks · monuments

Ancient Egyptian origins. Cleopatra's Needles were carved in Heliopolis during ancient Egypt's New Kingdom period and were inscribed by two famous pharaohs: Thutmose III and Ramesses II. These weren't actually made for Cleopatra, but the Western world named them after her centuries later.

Epic journey. Around 13 BCE, the obelisks were moved from Heliopolis to Alexandria, where they stood for almost 2,000 years. In the 1800s they were transported across the world: one went to London in 1878 and the other to New York City in 1881.

Ancient writing. The obelisks are covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions carved by powerful Egyptian rulers, making them like giant stone books that tell stories from ancient times.

They stood apart. Today, Cleopatra's Needles are separated, with one standing on the Thames riverside in London and the other in Central Park in New York City, so they will never be reunited.

Famous monuments. In the 1840s, travelers described these obelisks as some of the most impressive monuments left behind from ancient Alexandria, the great Egyptian city.