Cleopatra’s Needle: An Egyptian Obelisk in Central Park.

The Obelisk, known as “Cleopatra’s Needle,” is actually much older than the famous Egyptian Queen. Erected in the 15th century BC in Heliopolis on the orders of Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III, it was moved by the Romans to the Caesareum of Alexandria 14 centuries later. The Caesareum was conceived to honor Julius Caesar by Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra, thus the Obelisk’s name. Lo and behold, in 1881, it found itself in New York City.

Thanks to the Egyptomania craze in the 19th century, every major city wanted an obelisk of its own. Paris had two, London got one, and Gilded Age New York had to have one too! New York’s and London’s Obelisk are twins — the pair used to stand together in Alexandria but got separated by the Atlantic Ocean. Both Obelisks were gifts from the Egyptian Khedive in exchange for help with modernizing Egypt.

Cleopatra’s Needle’s journey

But how do you wrap and carry a gift that weighs over 200 tons and has a height of a 7-story building from Egypt to Central Park? American ingenuity and a great deal of money! The Obelisk crossed the ocean on a ship — a journey that lasted an entire month. It took another 112 days — 4 months! — to deliver it from the Hudson River to its final location via a makeshift railroad system built specifically for the occasion. The incredible operation was financed by a railroad magnate and philanthropist, William H. Vanderbilt. Once the Obelisk arrived at the destination, it had to be put into an upright position. Thousands gathered to witness the gigantic 69-foot monument turned into a vertical position.

Time Capsule

A time capsule was buried beneath the Obelisk to commemorate its arrival in Central Park. It contained the 1870 US census, a Bible, a Webster’s Dictionary, the complete works of William Shakespeare, a guide to Egypt, and a copy of the Declaration of Independence. The man responsible for orchestrating the Obelisk’s purchase and transportation placed a small box inside the capsule. Its contents remain unknown, making it a mystery that will never be solved.

Erected in 1881, the Obelisk, nicknamed Cleopatra’s Needle, is the oldest man-made object in Central Park. Oh, wait… It was built in the 15th century BC. It must be the oldest object in New York.