Cleopatra’s Needle

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The Cleopatra's Needle, also known as Central Park Obelisk, was commissioned by Pharaoh Thutmosis to mark his 30th birthday around 1443 BC. This 69-foot, 220-ton granite monument originated in Egypt and is now situated at 40°46′46.67″N 73°57′55.44″W within Central Park. Khedive Ismail Pasha gifted the Obelisk to the United States to raise funds for modernizing Egypt's infrastructure. Consul-General Elbert E. Farman negotiated the acquisition of the monument, while U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Henry Honeychurch Gorringe oversaw its transportation. William Henry Vanderbilt provided financial support for the project. The Cleopatra's Needle was unveiled to the public on February 22, 1881. Decades of grime and pollution have caused significant erosion of its features and hieroglyphics.