Egypt's Ambassador in Paris Participates in Placing Golden Pyramid

Egypt's Ambassador to Paris, Alaa Youssef, along with French Minister of Culture, Reem Abdulmalak, participated in the ceremony of installing the golden pyramid atop the Luxor Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in the heart of the French capital, Paris.

Ambassador Alaa Youssef stated that the placement of the golden pyramid is the culmination of restoration work started last year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone by the French scholar Champollion. He further explained that the obelisk, which is approximately 23 meters in height, is the oldest historical monument in Paris and one of its most remarkable landmarks.

Egypt's Ambassador to Paris added that the participation of the French Minister of Culture in this significant event reflects France's enormous interest, both government and people, in ancient Egyptian culture and civilization. It also represents the growing momentum in the strong friendship between Cairo and Paris across various sectors.

Worth noting is that in 1836, the Luxor Obelisk was erected in the center of Place de la Concorde in Paris, an initiative by French King Louis Philippe, in front of more than 200,000 Parisians gathered in the square and on the balconies of nearby buildings. The Obelisk was a gift from Muhammad Ali Pasha, then Viceroy of Egypt, to France. The obelisk, more than 3000 years old, was originally located outside the Luxor Temple. Standing 23 meters tall and weighing 230 tons, it is made of pink granite from Aswan.