Fantasy or Reality: Cleopatra's Needle

Cleopatra's Needle

Egypt as sign of appreciation sent Cleopatra's Needle to the United States Government for U.S. assistance in the construction of the Suez Canal. This massive object weighs about thirty tons and is displayed in New York City's Central Park. This is probably the oldest object in Manhattan.

2 comments:

  1. I am sorry for pointing this out, but there seems to be a typo in the explanation, above. Unless I am mistaken, Cleopatra's Needle was sent by Egypt to the United States Government as a sign of appreciation for the assistance of the United States in the construction of the Suez Canal.

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    1. The Khedive of Egypt offered it to the U. S. as a token of good faith to help stimulate economic relations between the two countries. Egypt gave Cleopatra's Needle to the U.S. in exchange for aid in 1869 to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal. The New York banker and philanthropist William Vanderbilt reportedly paid $100,000 to ensure that the antiquity would land in Central Park after all the claim at the time was "if London and Paris had an obelisk then so should NEW YORK.

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