The 33-century-old Obelisk has been standing in this spot at the very centre of Place de la Concorde, in the axis of the Champs-Élysées, since 25 October 1836. It was discovered in the Temple of Rameses II in Thebes (now Luxor) and given to France in 1831 by the viceroy of Egypt, Mehmet Ali. It is carved out of red granite, covered with hieroglyphs, has a tip made of lead and gold, stands 23m tall and weighs in at almost 220t!