Statue of the Sphinx at Cleopatra's Needle

Statue of the Sphinx at Cleopatra's Needleに関する最新の話題を分かりやすく解説いたします。

These aren’t your typical, perfect Egyptian Sphinxes. They look a little rough. One of them has a face that seems to be melting, eroded by over a century of New York weather, smog, and acid rain.

It’s like the Sphinx caught a terrible cold and its nose is dripping. Actually, its nose is partially gone. No, it wasn’t shot off (sorry, conspiracy fans). It’s just worn away by time. How delightfully undignified for a royal guardian.

We call these the Statue of the Sphinx at Cleopatra’s Needle. The name is pure clickbait. Cleopatra had nothing to do with the Needle. It’s about 1,400 years older than her.

Why Are They Here?

In 1881, Egypt gave the obelisk to the U.S. as a gift. The Sphinxes came along for the ride. They were carved in 1425 BCE for Pharaoh Thutmose III. They are older than most religions still practiced today.

They were built to guard a temple in Heliopolis, the City of the Sun. Now they guard a park bench and a hot dog vendor. Talk about a career change. They went from sacred awe to “excuse me, can you take our photo?”

They were shipped across the Atlantic in a giant crate. The voyage was so rough that the ship nearly sank. The Sphinxes almost ended up at the bottom of the ocean. Imagine that headline: “Ancient Sphinxes lost at sea, fish now worship them.”