Luxor Obelisk

The Luxor Temple existed about 150 years before Ramesses II's time. Under his rule, it underwent enhancements, one of which was the integration of two obelisks.

Crafted from a singular chunk of red granite, these obelisks were sourced from Aswan, roughly 100 miles (160 km) south of Luxor. They were then transported using specially constructed barges and were set in place utilizing ropes and sand.

Though the two obelisks had variations in their heights, the one that stands in Luxor today is taller. However, the shorter one was positioned on a more elevated base and set at a greater distance from the pylon. This placement might have been intentional, making them appear equal in height to an onlooker approaching the site.

The Luxor obelisk is tilted, whereas the one in Paris possesses a crack, which was addressed in ancient times.

A unique characteristic of these obelisks is the slight outward curve on their eastern and western sides. They are the only two ancient obelisks with this trait, and the reason for it remains a mystery.

Both structures are adorned with hieroglyphics. In the 19th century, François Chabas provided a comprehensive translation of the hieroglyphics on the Paris obelisk. This inscription revolves around Ramesses II, Amun-Ra, and Horus, and is available for reading.

The notion of relocating the Luxor Obelisks to Paris emerged during Napoleon's Egyptian expedition. On March 21, 1799, General Louis-Charles-Antoine Desaix wrote Napoleon about two stunning obelisks in Thebes suitable for Paris. Vivant Denon's 1802 writings echoed this idea, emphasizing them as symbols of French triumph. Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle discussed the transportation and installation logistics on October 8, 1800, but post the French Egyptian Campaign, these plans fizzled out.

During Louis XVIII's reign, France acquired the rights to Cleopatra's Needle, which, however, landed in New York City in 1881, not Paris. In the 1820s, with the opening of an Egyptian Museum, King Charles X desired an obelisk. Jean-François Champollion, having decoded the Rosetta hieroglyphs, advised selecting the Luxor obelisks over others.

In November 1830, Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, gifted the Luxor obelisks to France. Despite an initial offering to the British, influenced by France's Consul-General Mimault and Champollion's insights, the UK received a different obelisk from the Karnak Temple. This negotiation was finalized by the French diplomat Baron Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor. In return, the Ottomans received the Cairo Citadel Clock from France in the 1840s, which, although mostly non-functional, underwent restoration plans in 2021.

In 1981, France's President, François Mitterrand, returned the second obelisk's ownership to Egypt. The shorter of the two obelisks was transported to Paris in 1833 and was positioned at the Place de la Concorde in 1836 by King Louis-Phillipe. The transportation's expense (approximately equivalent to €16 million or $19 million in 2020) may explain why the second obelisk remains in Egypt.

Place de la Concorde was chosen due to its symbolic significance, particularly as the primary guillotine location during the French Revolution. The obelisk, being ancient and unrelated to French history, was perfect for the spot, even though other significant sites like the Cour Carrée of the Louvre were considered.

The current base of the obelisk was intended for a statue of Louis XVI, destroyed in the July Revolution. Information about the transport mechanism was added to this pedestal in 1839. The original pedestals, featuring explicit baboon sculptures, were deemed inappropriate and reside in the Louvre's Egyptian section.

In 1998, a gold-leafed pyramid cap, sponsored by Yves Saint Laurent, adorned the obelisk's peak, aligning with theories of an original metallic cap. Including the base and cap, the monument stands at roughly 33.37m.

On December 1, 1993, the streets of Paris witnessed a symbolic gesture when Act Up Paris, a group advocating against AIDS, draped a massive pink condom over the city's obelisk to commemorate World AIDS Day. A few years later, in 1998, the fearless French urban climber, Alain "Spiderman" Robert, took on the monumental challenge of ascending this very obelisk, astonishingly without any ropes, equipment, or safety gear. That same year, as football fervor gripped the world, the obelisk was disguised under a replica of the World Cup trophy. As 1999 dawned and the millennium drew close, Paris chose to celebrate in a unique manner. The obelisk was transformed into the shadow-casting part of a sundial— its gnomon. This was achieved by strategically placing 300 brass discs and nearly 1,000 feet of yellow thermosensitive strips around it. This temporal artwork greeted Parisians and tourists alike until the curtains fell on the year 2000. Fast forward to 2015, and the obelisk found another dance partner. Milène Guermont's grand interactive piece, PHARES, was stationed beside it. Crafted to cast light upon the obelisk, it remained a beacon for several months.