The 3,300-year-old, 22-metre-high, 230-tonne monolith made of syenite – a pink rock similar to granite – which has stood in the centre of the Place de la Concorde since 1836, is the oldest monument in Paris, topped by its golden pyramid. Built between 1500 and 1180 BC, the obelisk stood, along with its twin, in front of the entrance to the Temple of Amun in Luxor. In 1829, the Viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, offered the two columns to the French King Charles X as a sign of goodwill. Given the complexity of the journey ahead, it was decided to transport only one column, chosen by Jean-François Champollion, the first decipherer of hieroglyphs.