Ancient Egyptian obelisks | Luxor Obelisk Paris France
The Luxor Obelisks are a pair of Ancient Egyptian obelisks
There are two Luxor Obelisks—one in Paris, France, and the other in Luxor, Egypt, where it originally stood. The Luxor Temple’s entrance was adorned with a matching pair of obelisks that Pharaoh Ramesses II initially commissioned for the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.
One of the obelisks was given to France by the Egyptian government in the early 19th century. It was shipped to Paris and placed in the Place de la Concorde in 1836. At the entrance to the Luxor Temple lies the last obelisk from Egypt.
The obelisk had to be relocated over the Nile River, transported by land to the Mediterranean Sea, and then shipped to France, making the voyage challenging.
The operation’s task fell to the French engineer Apollinaire Lebas, who moved the obelisk using a specially constructed ship called the “Louqsor.” During a long journey that lasted many years, the Luxor Obelisk arrived in Paris in 1833.
The Luxor Obelisk was formally placed in the Plaza de la Concorde on October 25, 1836, where it remains. At 23 meters (75 feet) and weighing more than 250 tons, it was the highest monument in Paris at the time.
The obelisk was intended to represent the passage from a time of unrest to one of peace and prosperity. The location was selected since it was where the guillotine had been put up during the French Revolution.
As part of a repair effort, a gold-leafed pyramidion, also known as a capstone, was put to the summit of the Luxor Obelisk in 1998. The original pyramidion had either been removed or lost during the obelisk’s lengthy existence.
The Luxor Obelisk is now a well-known Parisian monument and a lasting representation of France and Egypt’s earlier historical ties. As a reminder of these two antiquated cultures’ common past, its twin remains at the entrance of the Luxor Temple in Egypt.
The Luxor Obelisks have a long history from 1300 BCE in ancient Egypt. King Ramesses II, one of the most famous and powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt, ordered the pair of obelisks.
They were built near the entrance to the Luxor Temple, which was devoted to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, in the city of Luxor. The ancient Egyptian city of Luxor served as Thebes’s capital throughout the New Kingdom era and was a significant religious and political hub.
The red granite Luxor Obelisks are around 75 feet (23 meters) tall and are built of red granite. They are covered with hieroglyphics that commemorate Ramesses II’s reign and show numerous occasions and achievements. Pyramidions, possibly coated with electrum, a gold-silver alloy, or gold-leafed, were placed on top of the obelisks to reflect the sun’s rays.
The obelisks stood at the entrance to the Luxor Temple for many years until the Egyptian authorities sent one of them to France as a token of goodwill in the early 19th century. Due to Napoleon Bonaparte’s French expedition in Egypt and Syria, there was a rise in interest in ancient Egypt across Europe, but especially in France. In 1836, the obelisk was brought to Paris and set up in the Plaza de la Concorde, which is still visible today.
The Luxor Obelisk still standing in Egypt is still there, at the entrance to the Luxor Temple. Most significant archaeological sites in Egypt, the temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and draws visitors from all over the globe. The Luxor Obelisk offers evidence of the ancient Egyptians’ skill and architectural power, as well as of the importance of Luxor to culture and history.
While there were no direct connections between ancient Egypt and France, their histories have been linked in recent decades due to French interest in Egyptian culture, discoveries made during the Napoleonic period, and diplomatic ties between the two nations. The following are some significant similarities between the histories of ancient Egypt and France:
1. The Egyptian Campaign of Napoleon (1798–1801) To create a French presence and counteract British influence, Napoleon Bonaparte undertook a military expedition to Egypt and Syria. Despite the campaign’s failure on the battlefield, it sparked a renewed interest in ancient Egyptian knowledge, antiquities, and culture. Ancient Egypt’s ruins, structures, and antiquities were investigated and recorded by French academics and scientists who accompanied Napoleon’s army. The contemporary discipline of Egyptology was founded during this time.
2. Rosetta Stone: The Rosetta Stone was an important tool for decoding ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and was found by French troops during Napoleon’s Egyptian Expedition in 1799. A decree is inscribed on the stone in three scripts: hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek. In 1822, French researcher Jean-François Champollion succeeded in deciphering the hieroglyphs, advancing the work of English polymath Thomas Young and revealing the mysteries of ancient Egyptian language and culture.
3. Egyptomania: France and the rest of Europe were fascinated with ancient Egypt due to Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign and the subsequent reading of the Rosetta Stone. Egyptomania, as this obsession was called, impacted French design in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French architecture, paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts included Egyptian symbols, motifs, and architectural components.
- Luxor Obelisk: In the early 19th century, the Egyptian government sent one of the Luxor Obelisks to France as a sign of goodwill between Egypt and France. The obelisk was brought to Paris and placed in the Plaza de la Concorde in 1836. It was originally from the Luxor Temple in Egypt. It remains a reminder of the two nations’ mutual interest in ancient Egyptian culture and their historical ties.
5. French Egyptologists and Archaeologists: Several French Egyptologists and Archaeologists have contributed to the study and comprehension of ancient Egyptian civilization. Famous individuals include Jean-François Champollion, who translated the Rosetta Stone and is sometimes called the founder of Egyptology, and Auguste Mariette, who created the Egyptian Directorate of Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
These links show how ancient Egypt influenced French culture and how important France has been to understanding and enjoying ancient Egyptian history.
