Paris, like many other cities in the world, has an Obelisk that identifies it. This is located in the Plaza de la Concorde, and is one of the most curious monuments in the city. This is because its origin is not French, since it was extracted from the Ancient Temple of Luxor, and taken to Paris to be displayed as a symbol of the imperial power of France.
The tradition of building obelisks to mark places of importance is very old, it dates from the first civilizations that could develop architecture, and by the beginning of the Modern Era, there were already many cities in the world that had their own obelisk.
Ancient Egypt, once the main power in North Africa, the Nile and the Mediterranean, was famous for its huge temples and impressive buildings. One of its most notorious buildings is the Temple of Luxor, located in the city of Thebes and dedicated to the god Amun.
In front of this temple, two obelisks stood for more than 3,000 years, one continues there, while another is in Paris. This monolith ended up in the famous Place de la Concorde after an Egyptian governor offered it to Jean-François Champollion, a French historian and Egyptologist famous for having deciphered the hieroglyphic writing on the Rosetta Stone.
The transfer of the Luxor Obelisk from ancient Thebes to Paris is one of the most astonishing engineering achievements of the 19th century. In 1829 the Egyptian viceroy Mehmet Ali gave this monument to the then King of France Charles X as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
France did the same and Louis Philippe I in 1845 gave an elegant copper clock that has never worked and is decorating the northwest arcade of the Alabaster Mosque of the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo.
Transporting the Obelisk with a structure over 23 meters high and weighing over 230 tons was a logistical challenge. A ship was built to support the weight and dimensions of the Obelisk.
The sea voyage took more than a year. The task of dismantling the Obelisk in Egypt was as complicated as the installation of the new monument in the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1836, to the strains of an excerpt from Mozart’s Magic Flute.
The Obelisk of Luxor is, in itself, a peculiarity on the Parisian skyline. However, it not only stands out for its distant origin, since its location is also quite curious.
This monument stands in the Place de la Concorde, the most important in Paris, not only for being the most central, but also for its historical prominence.
The Plaza de la Concorde was built in honor of King Louis XV, however, it stands out for being the place where kings and nobles were guillotined during the French Revolution. At that time, the area was known as the Plaza de la Revolución, and only after the end of the revolt did it begin to be called Plaza de la Concorde.
To avoid future disputes, the city administration decided not to build any more statues dedicated to French royalty, and instead a monument of great historical value was installed, but not directly connected to France. In this way, the Obelisk of Luxor would reach its current place, the center of the Plaza de la Concorde.
Undoubtedly, the history around the Obelisk of Luxor is more than interesting, and if you are a fan of Ancient Egypt or you are passionate about ancient monuments, this will be one of your must-sees while you are passing through Paris.
In the same way, the Place de la Concorde marks the beginning of the Champs-Elysées, the most important avenue in the city, so if you pass by, you can take the complete tour. From the square to the Obelisk and from there to the avenue.
Be that as it may, the opportunity to see the iconic Obelisk of Luxor is something that you cannot miss.
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