See the Obelisk's Incredible Journey at Trocadero Square

The Musée de la Marine, France's national naval museum, will welcome an exhibition of epic proportions in February. The exhibition reveals the story behind the immense Obelisk, which stands proudly in the middle of Paris's Place de la Concorde. Journeying from Egypt to France by ship in 1830, 'The Voyage of the Obelisk' — as the exhibit is known — is the perfect subject matter for a naval museum.

The monument's journey began at the temple of Luxor and ended in the center of Paris. Weighing 230 metric tons, the transportation of such a mass was a feat of engineering in the mid-19th century. It took a whole six years to complete the project and the exhibition at the Musée de la Marine attempts to trace the project's progression through original sketches, plans, drawings and manuscripts.

Transporting the 23-meter-high monolith was of the utmost importance as the king of Egypt, who considered the Obelisk to be one of the crown jewels of his kingdom, watched over the process. Originally constructed during the reign of pharaoh Ramesses II, which went from 1279 BC until 1213 BC, the Obelisk was one of two monoliths built at the entrance of the temple of Luxor. Made from pink granite from Aswân, the Obelisk represents an ancient culture, the kindness of a gift from Egypt, and the ingenuity of transporters who successfully took the structure to France.

Guests staying at one of the Sister Hotels Champs-Elysées are in the perfect location to visit the Musée de la Marine, which is located at the Trocadero Square. The exhibition 'The Voyage of the Obelisk: Luxor/Paris' will run from February 12, 2014 until July 6, 2014.