Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Place de la Concorde in Paris

Place de la Concorde is the central square of Paris, an outstanding monument of the Classicist era. It is the second largest in France (after Place de la Concorde in Bordeaux). The real decoration of the Place de la Concorde is the Luxor Obelisk. This grandiose pillar with a height of 23 meters is entirely carved from pink granite. Its top is crowned with a golden tip, and along the perimeter are hieroglyphs telling about the days of the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in Ancient Egypt. The Luxor Obelisk was presented to France by Egyptian Viceroy Mehmet Ali as a gift for deciphering the hieroglyphs on it by French scientists. This huge pillar was delivered from the temple of the god Amon in Thebes on the ship “Luxor” built especially for this purpose. And, by order of King Louis-Philippe I, it was installed in the Place de la Concorde in October 1836.