In a letter addressed to the president of the Central Park Conservancy and the Mayor of New York City, Dr. Zahi Hawass, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, calls attention to the severe deterioration of the obelisk located in Central Park, commonly known as ‘Cleopatra’s Needle’. That title per se shows a lack of the proper respect this ancient monument deserves, since it is one of a pair of obelisks erected by pharaoh Thutmose III, one of (if not the) greatest rulers of ancient Egypt.

It appears that the city of New York has taken no steps in the conservation of “this incredibly valuable monument”, as stated in the letter. The obelisk looks dirty, its hieroglyphic inscriptions have weathered severely and in places completely worn away.

As Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Hawass has a duty to protect Egypt’s cultural legacy across the world, and the letter asks for New York City’s authorities “assistance in caring for this artifact”.

“If the Central Park Conservancy and the City of New York cannot properly care for this obelisk, I will take the necessary steps to bring this precious artifact home and save it from ruin.”

The letter concludes – “I am confident that you can find the resources in New York City to conserve this monument properly and pay this treasure the respect that it deserves. I eagerly await your prompt reply.”

‘Cleopatra’s Needle’ has been in Central Park since 1880.

drhawass.com

How the Obelisk got there (From CBS News)

In 1879, to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal, the Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, gave the United States the obelisk that now sits in Central Park. The gift was an attempt to cultivate trade relations between the two countries, according to the Central Park Conservancy. It would still take another decade for the obelisk to reach the park.

U.S. Navy Lieutenant-Commander Henry H. Gorringe was charged with the task of transporting the 69-foot (21 meter), 220-ton obelisk from Alexandria to New York City. The project was funded by William H. Vanderbilt, at the cost of $102,576, according to TravellersinEgypt.com. When the obelisk finally reached the shores of the Hudson, there were still 112 days left in its journey to its current location.

Gorringe had to build a track to transport the obelisk on land to Central Park (the obelisk moved about 100 feet per day across 96th Street to Broadway, south to 86th St., and east toward the park), then raise the monument into its assigned location, according to Archaeology Magazine. The obelisk was erected in January 1881 in Central Park; nearly two-and-a-half years after Gorringe first set sail for Alexandria.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities said that a piece of a red granite shrine, known as a “naos,” was purchased from an antiquities collector in New York last October so that it could be returned.

SCA head Zahi Hawass hailed the Met’s move as a “great deed,” singling it out as the first time a museum has bought an item for the sole purpose of repatriating it.

The fragment belongs to the naos honoring the 12th Dynasty King Amenemhat I, who ruled 4,000 years ago, which is now in the Ptah temple of Karnak in Luxor.

AP

Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, commented: “The Metropolitan Museum is delighted to be able to assist in returning this granite fragment to its original home. Though the fragment is small, its return is a larger symbol of the Museum’s deep respect for the importance of protecting Egypt’s cultural heritage and the long history of warm relations the Museum enjoys with Egypt and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.”

metmuseum.org

Ninety-six staff members of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY accepted an offer of voluntary retirement, part of a wider staff reduction that also will cut employees by layoff and attrition and bring the payroll down by 357 positions, to 2,200.

Many had served the museum for decades, and all had been there for at least 15 years and were older than 55. The list includes: Everett Fahy, chairman of the department of European paintings, with 22 years of service; Colta Ives, curator, drawings and prints, 43 years; Christine Lilyquist, curator in Egyptology, 38 years; Susan Allen, associate research curator, Egyptian art, 16 years; Kevin Avery, associate curator, American painting and sculpture, 20 years; Lucy Belloli, conservator of paintings, 27 years; Takemitsu Oba, conservator of Asian Art, 31 years; Sondra Castile, conservator of Asian art, 31 years.

ARTINFO