In honor of Shafik Gabr’s “East-West: The Art of Dialogue” initiative, UBS donated free-standing access to assist in the assessment, restoration, and cleaning of Cleopatra’s Needle. The obelisk, built in 1450 B.C., was a gift from Egypt to New York City.
The oldest man-made object in Central Park, the obelisk is located directly behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was erroneously nicknamed Cleopatra’s Needle soon after its installation. It is in fact one of a pair commissioned by Thutmosis III, an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1479-1425 B.C., to celebrate the 30th year of his reign. The second is located in London on the banks of the River Thames.