The "Cleopatra's Needle" in London, originally from Heliopolis and erected by Thutmose III, was gifted to Britain in 1819 by Egypt.

 The "Cleopatra's Needle" in London, originally from Heliopolis and erected by Thutmose III, was gifted to Britain in 1819 by Egypt. 

It arrived in London in 1878, sponsored by Sir William James Erasmus Wilson after an initial British decline. The obelisk, made of Aswan granite, stands on the Victoria Embankment. 

Accompanied by sphinxes by George John Vulliamy, it survived World War I damage, visible today...