Cleopatra's Needle (Central Park obelisk)

Cleopatra's Needle is an ancient Egyptian red granite obelisk that was erected in Central Park in 1881; the monolith dates to roughly the 15th century BCE and was transported to New York in the late 19th century. The obelisk is one of three widely known 'Cleopatra's Needle' monoliths and stands on the east side of Central Park near 79th Street as a visible antiquity within the park's landscape. Its installation in the 1880s reflected 19th-century interests in Egyptology and public monumental display in New York City.