Why was the Statue of Liberty almost given to Egypt?

The statue, which was meant to stand at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal, was anticipated as a grand project symbolizing the country's burgeoning industrial development, steps towards Europeanization and social advances which Bartholdi pitched to the Egyptian government, especially Khedive Ismail.



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Egypt rejected the Statue of Liberty because according to the Khedive it was too costly. The original plan was to present the colossal neoclassical sculpture to Egypt to stand at the entryway to the Suez Canal as a beacon of light to Asia.

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The statue, which was meant to stand at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal, was anticipated as a grand project symbolizing the country's burgeoning industrial development, steps towards Europeanization and social advances which Bartholdi pitched to the Egyptian government, especially Khedive Ismail.

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25 Facts to Celebrate the Statue of Liberty
  • The statue's full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.
  • It was a gift from France given to America in 1886.
  • The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
  • The statue measures 93 meters and weighs 204 metric tons.


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The statue almost ended up at the Suez Canal. Bartholdi was determined to build his colossus, and initially pitched it to the Egyptian government for the Suez Canal, which was opening at the time.

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Free of the large British military presence, the incipient German backed revolutionary movements were able to more effectively launch their operations. Consequently, from March to April 1919, there were mass demonstrations that became uprisings. This is known in Egypt as the 1919 Revolution.

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Disease, Lost Resources and Tomb Robbing (Ramses XI, who died around 1070 B.C., was the last pharaoh of the New Kingdom.) Archaeological records from this period give clues to why and how Egypt entered such a rapid decline.

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Through urging the American public to donate money towards the pedestal in his newspaper New York World, Pulitzer raised over $100,000 in six months- more than enough money to ensure the pedestal's completion. As an article published in New York World on March 16, 1885 argued, We must raise the money!

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The Statue of Liberty was built in France between 1875 and 1884. It was disassembled and shipped to New York City in 1885. The statue was reassembled on Liberty Island in 1886, although the torch has been redesigned or restored several times since its installation.

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10 Fun Facts about the Statue of Liberty
  • Her spiky hat is symbolic.
  • She is actually French.
  • The statue served as a lighthouse.
  • Her head isn't on properly!
  • Nobody is allowed in the torch.
  • Lightning doesn't strike twice, does it?
  • She escaped her chains.
  • Why is she green?


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This design was ultimately rejected by the khedive. An early sketch of the statue done by Bartholdi. Bartholdi's relationship with the scholar Édouard de Laboulaye would provide him with another opportunity to achieve the colossal.

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The controversy about the race of the Statue of Liberty has been a a ongoing battle for years. Some people think that the statue was modeled after a caucasian woman , some people think she was modeled after a African American woman.

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There are two genuine statues and several lesser versions of the Statue of Liberty. The original and most famous is the one located on Liberty Island, a gift from the French to America. The second is located in Paris, France, and was a reciprocal gift from the United States in 1889.

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It's made of copper, which has oxidised naturally to form a green patina coating which actually protects the copper underneath. It took about 20 years for the Statue of Liberty to change from copper coloured to green!

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1. The statue represents a Roman Goddess. The statue's name derives from the Goddess it represents; Libertas, a Roman deity personifying freedom. Libertas appears on Roman coins from the period of Julius Caesar's assassination, supporting the Republic.

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Is the Statue of Liberty an image of a man or woman? Classical images of Liberty have usually been represented by a woman. The Statue of Liberty's face is said to be modeled after the sculptor's mother.

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