Cleopatra's Needle

Standing here on the Victoria Embankment, you are in the presence of the oldest outdoor artifact in London. This towering granite obelisk, popularly known as Cleopatra’s Needle, predates almost every other structure in this city…

The surface of Cleopatra’s Needle is a literal library of ancient history. The hieroglyphics you see were carved over 3,400 years ago using bronze tools on hard granite—a feat of incredible craftsmanship. …

The fact that this obelisk is here at all is nothing short of an engineering miracle. To transport the 180-ton monolith from Alexandria to London, an engineer named John Dixon designed a unique vessel: a massive iron cylinder, 92…

When the obelisk was erected in 1878, the Victorians decided to leave a message for the distant future. Concealed within the front part of the grey granite pedestal is a fascinating time capsule. …

Flanking the obelisk are two large bronze sphinxes, cast specifically for this site in the 1870s. While they are meant to look ancient, they are entirely Victorian creations. …

While the obelisk has survived thousands of years of Egyptian history, it did not escape the violence of the 20th century. If you look closely at the right-hand sphinx and the pedestal on which it sits, you will see jagged,…

Finally, we should consider the setting of the needle. It stands on the Victoria Embankment, a triumph of Victorian engineering designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. …

As we conclude our time at Cleopatra’s Needle, we are left with a profound sense of the 'vast and trunkless legs of stone' mentioned in Shelley’s poem Ozymandias. This obelisk, however, is far from a ruin; it is a survivor. …