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Before this incredible obelisk even arrived in Paris King Charles
X had already abdicated from the throne and King Louis Philippe took over. King Louis
Philippe presented a large clock to Méhémet Ali in return for the obelisk, and this is
still in place in the clock tower of the mosque, which is at the summit of the Citadel of
Cairo.
The Luxor Obelisk that derived from the temple of Ramses II at Thebes is located in the
centre of the Place de la Concorde, which
is actually the largest square in Paris and it was
first installed in 1836.
It was then King Louis Philippe, who was known as the Gentleman King, that was pleased to
replace the original statue that stood in its place, which was just a reminder of the
bloodshed and atrocities that had previously taken place at Place de la Concorde.
This incredible monument in Paris stands well over
22 metres tall and made of reddish pink granite it weighs over 200 tons and is engraved
with hieroglyphs that depict the rule of pharaohs Ramses II & Ramses III.
The effort it took to get this monolith in place was tremendous and due to this it stands
on a pedestal that portrays the procedures and devices that were used to erect the Luxor
obelisk.
Originally, the obelisk had a pyramidion on the top and historians believe that this was
stolen back in the 6th century and when it was re-erected in France people were urging the
French government to restore this as well.
This of course never happened at the time, but in 1997 the French President Jacques Chirac
agreed to back the project of putting a pyramidion back onto the top of the monolith, so
now when you see the Luxor Obelisk you get to see the shining top, which in itself is over
3 metres high.
The pyramidion is made of bronze and gold leaf and was added in the May of 1998 as part of
the celebrations to mark Franco-Egyptian relations and some feel that it seems almost too
new and shiny compared to the rest of the monument, but at the same time, is also now
known as the most cheerful obelisk in the world for what it represents.
The Place de la Concorde has a lot more to see than just the obelisk and is a place to
explore the history of Paris and its heritage, and for
anyone visiting this incredible city, they must take the time to see this monument.
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