The obelisks were named in honor of Cleopatra because of her famed beauty and connections to well-known Romans.
Plus, the name had a certain glamorous ring to it.
The obelisks in New York and London are made of red granite from the quarries of
Aswan with each stone weighing approximately 224 tons.
The obelisks were constructed in 1450 BC in the city of Heliopolis for the Pharoah Thutmose III (1481-1425 BC).
They are 68 feet (21m) tall.
The obelisk in Paris is known as the Luxor Obelisk and is made of a yellow granite.
Constructed about 3,000 years ago, it was originally situated outside the Luxor Temple in Egypt where its twin still remains.
The Paris obelisk is 75 feet (23m) tall and weighs over 250 tons.
All three obelisks are inscribed with hieroglyphs glorifying Ramses II.