19 April 2012

April 19th 2012 - Cleopatra's Needle



19th April 2012

Cleopatra's needle is an ancient Egyptian Obelisk, located on the Victoria Embankment. It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Muhammad Ali, in commemoration of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Although the British government welcomed the gesture, it declined to fund the expense of transporting it to London.

Cleopatra's Needle is flanked by two faux-Egyptian sphinxes cast from bronze that bear hieroglyphic inscriptions that say netjer nefer men-kheper-re di ankh (the good god, Thuthmosis III given life). These Sphinxes appear to be looking at the Needle rather than guarding it. This is due to the Sphinxes' improper or backwards installation.

Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-s 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Exposures: 10 (-5 to + 4)

No comments:

Post a Comment