On February 22, 1881, a significant event took place in New York City as thousands gathered to witness the assembly of Cleopatra's Needle in Central Park. This ancient obelisk, over 3,500 years old, is the oldest artifact in New York and one of three similar obelisks re-erected in major cities: London, Paris, and New York.
Originally, England received their obelisk as a gift in 1801 for aiding Egypt in expelling Napoleon. The two needles—America’s and England’s—were originally erected by Pharaoh Thutmose III around 1460 BC at Heliopolis, then moved to Alexandria. Transporting Cleopatra's Needle to the United States was a monumental challenge; it weighed approximately 220 tons, nearly double the largest item previously transported by sea, a one-hundred-ton cannon.
The obelisk successfully sailed from Alexandria to America in July 1880 after a month-long journey and took another five months to reach Central Park. The entire process highlighted the significance of the artifact and the engineering feats of the time.
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